Wesleyan University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

With the exception of one small program for students from specific Asian countries, Wesleyan offers only need-based aid and meets 100% of demonstrated need. Wesleyan awards over $55 million annually in need-based scholarships. A student's/family’s cost is related to their income/assets and ability to pay. Generally, need is met first with a loan and work-study package; all remaining need is met with scholarship. Thus, students with highest financial need receive the maximum scholarship support and would be expected to pay less.

To further support high need students, Wesleyan has made a commitment in several ways:
(1) by eliminating the loan package for students whose families earn less than $60K; (2) by reducing the expected student summer earnings contribution for students whose parental contributions are $4K or less; (3) by reducing the loan package for students whose parental contributions are $10K or less and are Federal Pell grant eligible. The standard loan package for a graduating student reflects approximately $19K in loans; by comparison, the highest need students would graduate with $0 loan; (4) providing an unrestricted $500 start-up grant to high need students for purchase of necessary items prior to arrival; (5) changing the formula used to calculate need to be more equitable; (6) adding a travel allowance for students who come from nearby states (previously was only for students from outside of New England); (7) providing a free laptop (with warranty) for high need students; (8) offering a pre-orientation program, First Things First, for all incoming FGLI students; and (9) providing health insurance for high-need students who need it.

Wesleyan’s student population is full-time only and is almost 100% traditional. One exception is the POSSE Military Veterans program. Students in this program are guaranteed tuition & fees scholarships through a combination of veterans educational benefits and institutional funding. Generally, students in this program receive funding that fully covers Wesleyan’s cost of attendance. The Prison Education Program offers incarcerated individuals the opportunity to take Wesleyan courses taught by Wesleyan faculty, and receive college credit for their efforts. https://www.wesleyan.edu/cpe/About/index.html

Beginning in Fall 2022, Wesleyan University partnered with Service to School by becoming the newest member of its VetLink network of colleges and universities. This partnership allows Wesleyan to collaborate with the Service to School team in identifying undergraduate veteran applicants and ensuring they are set up for success when applying to Wesleyan. In recognizing that a veteran’s journey to Wesleyan is very different from that of a student who has just graduated from high school, it is important for the Office of Admission to explore meaningful ways to acknowledge and respect veterans’ personal circumstances. In addition to Wesleyan's partnership with Service to School, the University will co-sponsor a college success workshop in 2023 with the Warrior-Scholar Project, which provides veterans with mentorship and resources as they navigate the cultural shift from military service to college. We also plan to engage the Department of Education’s Veterans Upward Bound program, which is designed to assist veterans in the development of academic skills necessary to succeed in postsecondary education.