Financial Aid FAQs

Financial aid is money awarded to help a student meet educational expenses. Financial aid may be in the form of a scholarship, grant, loan or employment. Grants and scholarships generally do not require any form of repayment. Loans must be repaid, typically after graduation.

Cummings School offers need-based grants from institutional funds to students enrolled in the D.V.M. program. The school also administers certain state-funded contract programs and federal student aid which consists of the Federal Direct Loan program and work study.  Students enrolled in a graduate program (MAPP or MCM) may apply for federal student aid.  

Institutional grants are awarded based on calculated financial need. Using an institutional need analysis, Cummings School will determine a student's need and develop a financial aid package that may include a combination of institutional funds and federal and private student loans. Students who do not qualify for institutional aid will receive an aid package made up of federal and private loans.

An applicant’s financial need, and Cummings School grant eligibility for subsequent years of enrollment, will be based on their first-year need assessment.  Applicants who do not qualify or do not apply for Cummings School grants for first-year enrollment may not be considered for institutional aid in future years unless a substantial change in circumstances has occurred.
 

Cummings School does not offer merit-based financial aid. We encourage applicants to seek outside scholarship assistance from sources such as community, church, synagogue, or civic organizations. The FinAid website has information about searching for scholarships, including a link to a searchable database. We strongly advise against using any scholarship service for which a fee is charged.

The Financial Aid Office has compiled the Outside Scholarship Opportunities list here to assist students in their scholarship search.

International students may apply for private student loans and outside scholarships to help fund their education.

Application packets are available in November. Specific application deadlines are published in the application materials and are strictly enforced.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Supplemental Information Form
• Electronic Communications Consent Form
• The CSS Profile
• The application for federal student aid
• A copy of the student's and parents' federal income tax return

Students applying for institutional grants, and loans from the federal Health Professions Loan Program, must submit financial information for both parents. Exceptions to the parent information requirement may be made for students applying for institutional aid if the student has been independent for at least five years prior to matriculation. Information about this exception is provided in the application packet. Students who do not provide parental information will be considered for federal student aid and private loans only. They will not receive consideration for institutional grants.

Financial aid notices are emailed to prospective students before they need to make an admissions decision.  Notices are emailed to continuing students following the application deadline on an ongoing basis.

Students will have a shortfall after federal and institutional financial aid are awarded. We encourage students to seek outside scholarships and explore their family’s ability to help pay for school. A private student loan may be used to help bridge the gap between the cost of attendance and other financial aid a student may receive. Applicants are urged to review the Cost of Attendance/Standard Student Expense Budget.

A student's need for financial aid is the difference between the cost of education and the student's expected family contribution.

The amount of money a student and his or her family is expected to contribute to the cost of education is their expected family contribution. This expected family contribution is assessed using a standard need analysis and is based on many factors including family size, income, assets and the number of family member enrolled in college.