To support the college’s efforts to keep our campus healthy and safe, the Student Financial Services team is working remotely, and our physical office will be closed to visitors until further notice. If you have questions related to financial aid or payment of your student account, the best way to reach us is by email at sfs@bates.edu. If you prefer to call us at 207-786-6096, you may leave a message and we will return your call as soon as we are able.

Families applying for Bates financial aid can securely upload any requested documents, including tax returns and other materials, to IDOC, the College Board’s Institutional Documentation Service. We do not recommend mailing documents at this time. Additional information and instructions for using IDOC can be found here.  If you are an international student providing application materials or a currently enrolled student submitting a loan authorization, please send these materials as an attachment to sfs@bates.edu.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by federal COVID-19 relief legislation passed in March, 2021?

Eligible students are current students receiving Bates financial aid with an expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $40,000 for the 2021-2022 academic year. 

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants range from $250 to $2,000, based on EFC. Any first generation to college student awarded financial aid will receive an incremental $250.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts during the week of September 27, 2021; a check will be mailed to the campus address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by federal COVID-19 relief legislation passed in March, 2021?

Eligible students are current seniors expected to graduate who are receiving Bates aid with an expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $40,000 for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants range from $400 to $1,200, based on EFC.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts during the week of May 24, 2021; a check will be mailed to the campus address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by federal COVID-19 relief legislation passed in March, 2021?

Eligible students are current students who are studying on campus and receiving Bates aid with an expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $40,000 for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants range from $400 to $800, based on EFC.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts during the week of April 12, 2021; a check will be mailed to the campus or home address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by federal COVID-19 relief legislation passed in December, 2020?

Eligible students are current students who are Title IV-eligible and receiving Bates aid with an expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $40,000 for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants range from $200 to $1,000, based on EFC.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts during the week of March 21, 2021; a check will be mailed to the campus or home address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by federal COVID-19 relief legislation passed in December, 2020?

Eligible students are current students who are receiving Bates aid with an expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $15,000 for the 2020-2021 academic year and who are not staying on campus for the winter break.

What are the grants intended to support?  

Any student needs including a modification of travel arrangements due to the change in the academic calendar.

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants are $500.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts during the week of January 4, 2021; a check will be mailed to the campus or home address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by the Federal CARES Act?

Eligible students are returning students who applied for Bates financial aid, are Title IV-eligible, and have an expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $10,000 for the 2020-2021 academic year. Additional support is being provided to returning students whose EFC is less than $15,000 and whose need increased notably from the prior academic year, and students whose EFC is less than $10,000 and who have not received previous disbursements from HEERF.

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants range from $100 to $1,100.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts on Tuesday, September 29, 2020. A check will be mailed to the home address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by the Federal CARES Act?

Eligible students are those who applied for Bates financial aid, are Title IV-eligible, and have a calculated Bates expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $30,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year, and are first generation college students. Additional support is being provided to students who were unable to complete their Winter 2020 coursework and are making satisfactory academic progress in their Bates education.

How much money will eligible students receive?

Individual grants range from $1,000 to $3,500.

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. A check will be mailed to the home address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through the Garnet Gateway.

Who is receiving emergency financial aid grants made possible by the Federal CARES Act?

Eligible students are those who applied for Bates financial aid, are Title IV-eligible, and have a calculated Bates expected family contribution (“EFC”) of less than $15,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year. 

How much money will eligible students receive?

Grants of $400, $600, and $800 will be provided to students with Bates EFCs of less than $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively. 

When can eligible students expect to receive their emergency financial aid grants?

Emergency financial aid grants will be paid by direct deposit into student bank accounts on Monday, May 18, 2020. A check will be mailed to the home address if an eligible student is not signed up for direct deposit through Garnet Gateway.

Will students be able to work and be paid for their work-study jobs?

Yes, jobs that can be performed remotely, and have been identified as critical to the operations of the college, will continue through the academic year.  

Who should I contact to find out if my job can be performed remotely?

Students should contact their supervisor to determine if their job can be performed remotely. 

Are student jobs available?

Yes. While the number and variety of roles have been significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as new jobs become available they will be posted on Handshake.

How will students receiving financial aid meet their work component for the spring semester?

Students offered student employment or Federal Work-Study as part of a financial aid award who were employed on campus during the winter semester and unable to continue working will receive an emergency financial aid grant based on earnings-to-date for the semester through the March 20, 2020, pay period. 

These emergency grants will be direct deposited into student bank accounts on Friday, April 17. Students who receive a grant payment may continue to work any existing jobs, or apply for any additional jobs as they become available.

Why didn’t I receive an emergency grant?

Grants are being provided to students who were awarded student employment or Federal Work-Study as part of a need-based financial aid package and who worked during the winter semester. Students who were not working during the winter semester are not eligible for this grant, nor are students who do not receive need-based aid from Bates.

March 20, 2020 Letter From Geoffrey Swift, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Treasurer

Will I receive a refund?

Yes. If you were living on campus and on the meal plan during the winter semester, you will receive a credit on your student account for the unused portion of your room and board. Students who were on only housing or the meal plan will receive half of the refund to reflect the portion they had paid. Credits will be applied first to outstanding student account balances.

How much is the refund?

The refund amount is based on the length of time that remained in the winter semester when students departed, and is prorated according to your family’s contribution to the single fee. The minimum credit for a student living on campus will be $1,150, and the maximum credit will be $2,300.

The Bates amount seems low; why isn’t it larger?

It is important to note that Bates started the winter semester on January 11, 2020, earlier than many other colleges, and completes the semester on April 18, 2020. Bates students had thus completed two-thirds of the winter semester where other colleges may not have been as far into the semester.

How did you calculate the refund?

The refund is based on looking at the total room and board amount within the single fee and providing a refund based on the days remaining in the semester. The refund amount is based on the length of time that remained in the winter semester, and is prorated according to your family’s contribution to the single fee. The minimum credit for a student living on campus will be $1,150, and the maximum credit will be $2,300.

Can I get a refund for Short Term?

Students who were registered for Short Term for spring 2020 will have the opportunity to complete their required Short Term credits next year or after, depending on their current class year. Bates requires two short terms for graduation and students will have the opportunity to complete their second short term next year for rising seniors and in subsequent years for other students.

The college will work individually with any student who needs to complete a Short Term this spring to fulfill their short term graduation requirements. Short Term classes for this limited group of students will be offered remotely. If you are one of these students, you will see an additional credit on your student account.

When and how will I get the refund?

We plan to have refunds applied as credits to student accounts by March 31, 2020.

Why am I not receiving a refund for tuition?

The college is continuing to deliver its academic program and student support services through remote learning for the remainder of the winter semester.

How do I request a refund?

If you have a credit balance on your student account, you can request a refund by completing the refund request form on the Garnet Gateway. While refunds are normally issued once per week, the college will issue refunds on a daily basis beginning March 31, 2020 to assist students and families. Here are precise instructions for requesting your refund on Garnet Gateway:

• Select “Refund Request” under the Tuition menu
• A box will appear with your available student account credit balance
• Fill in the amount you wish to request as a refund in the request box

If you are a student who requests a refund to be sent to you, your refund will be issued as a direct deposit to your bank, provided we have that information on file. You will receive an email confirmation when the direct deposit has occurred. If you do not have a direct deposit account on file, or if you have asked for a refund to be sent to a parent or other individual, your refund will be sent in the form of a check.

Some families have asked whether they may use their refund to make a gift to the college to help Bates offset the many unexpected costs caused by the COVID-19 crisis. If you wish to have your credit directed as a gift to the college, please select the third option “Send to someone else” and indicate Bates College as the recipient. We will send a gift acknowledgement for your records.

We recommend that you communicate with family members or others with access to your student account before submitting this form, particularly if those individuals have made payments on your behalf. It is your responsibility to coordinate refunds with family members or others, as necessary.