Bowdoin College
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

Bowdoin runs an annual Upward Bound program. This program actively councils and provides resources to local high school students during the academic year and during a six week summer camp program at the institution.

In 2008 Bowdoin ceased to include loans in financial aid packages; starting with the incoming Class of 2012, all aid packages were comprised of grants. Eligibility for Bowdoin grant assistance is based on a proprietary need analysis system developed over many years and modeled after the College Board’s institutional methodology. Bowdoin meets calculated student need with grant money from federal, state and institutional sources. Except for participation in the National Merit Scholarship program, Bowdoin does not offer merit based scholarships; there are no athletic scholarships. The Office of Special Academic Programs administers between 8 and 15 Chamberlain Scholarships annually for students of low income and diverse background. These full ride scholarships also carry with them two $1,500 stipends to encourage unpaid summer internships, travel abroad, and/or research. Chamberlain scholars receive a faculty mentor through the duration of their college tenure.

The Roberts Fund, administered through the Office of Student Fellowships and Research, offers monthly "mini grants" to students with low-income backgrounds (students on financial aid). These funds range between $200 and $800 and are intended for students interested in engaging in more in-depth research with their advisers/professors.

The Upward Bound program at Bowdoin College is designed to help low income Maine high school students apply for and be successful in higher education.The Financial Aid office partners with 4 area high schools to offer individual and group sessions to at-risk students/families. The Bowdoin Admissions Office invites students from under-served areas (Washington and Aroostook counties, North Haven and Vinalhaven Islands) to campus to build aspirations. Brunswick High School brings at risk 10th graders to campus for sessions (admission, aid, academic). We also host METCO students and Codman HS students from Boston.

Bowdoin meets students full calculated four-year need for aid. Furthermore Bowdoin's need analysis practices are based on principles of fairness and equal treatment. Families with similar financial circumstances receive similar levels of grant support.

Bowdoin's Financial Aid officers speak at 15-20 area High School Financial Aid Nights each year. Aid sessions are offered on campus to all admitted students and parents. Individual telephone counseling on how to afford college occurs throughout the year.

Bowdoin's Aspirations in Maine program was implemented to help address the significant gap between the number of high school graduates and the number that go on to higher education. During the Aspirations in Maine program students from all over Maine come to Bowdoin to experience life on a college campus. Each student is matched with a Bowdoin mentor for the day to follow their schedule, sit in on a class, and eat lunch in the dining hall. Students hear briefly from staff of the Admissions and Financial Aid departments, and have the chance to discuss questions with a panel of students who grew up in Maine. Bowdoin also has a College Students for College program. This program is a student led service group that provides support to high school students navigating the process of post-secondary planning. This student group takes on the logistical planning of the high school visit days in addition to partnering with local high schools to provide regular post-secondary advising for their students.

The Financial Aid Office offers no-interest short term loans to low income students to manage cash flow and for emergencies. Aid can be reviewed each semester if family financial circumstances (medical, unemployment , etc.) change mid-year. Over $400,000 in grant aid is available each year to Bowdoin graduates attending professional schools or graduate programs. Aid travels with the student who studies overseas, so all have access to this experience.