To calculate your parents’ contribution, the College considers your family’s overall income, size, and number of children in college. We also take into account your family’s assets, which include investments, home equity, business value, rental property, and trusts.

Wellesley then makes a general allowance for the cost of living based on family size and geographic variances, along with specific allowances for taxes paid. The College does not examine each family’s actual expenses. If a family is under unusual financial stress, we may make other adjustments to the formula. All of this information remains confidential.

The parent contribution usually increases incrementally in line with yearly increases in income and assets. It can also fall and rise significantly. Therefore, aid can increase and decrease significantly. See chart at right for possible reasons for change.

Wellesley also assumes students will contribute to their education.

If a student has savings and other assets, Wellesley expects a portion of the total to be available for educational costs for each of her four years.

First-year students are expected to contribute $1,250 from summer earnings toward academic year expenses, which include books, personal expenses, and travel to and from home. The summer earnings expectation for returning students is higher, reflecting greater skills and, therefore, higher capacity to earn as students progress through Wellesley. (See chart at right.)

Once the parent and student contributions have been calculated, the combined amount is
subtracted from the cost of attendance for the coming year. The result determines your financial aid eligibility, as well as the amount of your financial aid award.

Scholarships are gifts or grants aid; they do not need to be repaid. These can come from the College, state, federal, or outside sources. In 2007-08, Wellesley awarded a total of $35.6 million in scholarships.

If you receive scholarships from sources outside Wellesley, that money, whenever possible within federal regulations, can be used to reduce the amount of your loan, work-study, and student summer income contribution. Wellesley first applies scholarships toward those parts of the financial aid award—before reducing your Wellesley College scholarship—thereby giving you the greatest possible benefit.

For more information: See Sources of Aid and Outside Scholarships in the Student Financial Services website.

Students who have Federal Work-Study earnings listed on their financial aid Award Letter can work part-time during the academic year to help meet their financial need. Students with a need-based employment expectation receive priority for jobs on campus, although many students who do not receive aid or have a Work-Study expectation work on campus as well. Generally students work 8-10 hours per week on campus while school is in session.

First-year students usually earn $8.50 - $9.50 per hour.

Whenever possible, the job placement will contribute to your academic experience. On campus, you may work in the library, academic departments, administrative offices, or food service.

On-campus employers offer flexible working hours around class schedules.

For work-study and the Student Employment section of the Student Financial Services website.