Dickinson Promise

The Dickinson Promise is a transformative initiative offering loan-free financial aid to many Dickinson students.

Starting with the class of 2030, this new initiative will allow Dickinson to offer all domestic students with a family income of $75,000 or less financial-aid packages that will allow them to graduate with no student loans. The new program enables Dickinson to join a small group of less than 50 schools in the country able to provide such support. However, as President Jones stressed during the celebration for the Change a Life—Change the World Scholarship Campaign celebration, the college doesn’t plan to stop there.

“We are not done!” he said. “This is the beginning, not the end. The Dickinson Promise intends to increase the $75,000 income threshold with continued philanthropic support from our community to allow even more of our students to graduate without loans in the coming years.”

The Dickinson Promise was made possible thanks to the generosity of more than 5,000 alumni, parents, students, faculty staff and friends who supported the Campaign for Scholarships. Thank you to all the donors who made this possible.

Visit

Apply

Tuition & Aid

Watch the Announcement

Frequently Asked Questions

What other schools offer a similar opportunity?

The Dickinson Promise puts the college in a very select group of the country’s most prestigious higher ed institutions. Fewer than 50 other colleges and universities can make similar offers. Others include Brown, Colby and Columbia University. Within this group, however, the wealthiest institutions are able to provide higher income limit caps than Dickinson.

What does this really mean? How is financial aid calculated?

Currently, when compiling a student’s aid package, the college assumes that a portion of the funding will come from federal loans. Starting with the class of 2030, the college will replace the need-based loan with greater financial aid for students with family incomes of $75,000 or less.

Will students receive similar aid packages throughout their time at Dickinson?

The commitment is for all four years, assuming that the family income and assets remain similar to the initial application.

Does this mean that these students will pay no tuition, room or board?

No. The amount of financial aid will be determined by information from the family’s FAFSA and CSS Profile applications. In most cases, it is likely that the family will be required to pay some portion of the tuition and fees for attendance at Dickinson. The no-loan portion of the award replaces the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, which students would otherwise be expected to borrow as part of their financial aid package.

Will Dickinson reduce the number of high need students so it can afford the no-loan promise?

No. We are committed to sustaining or increasing our average of about 15% of the class qualifying for Pell Grants. Note that qualification for Pell Grants is not exactly the same as a family income of $75,000 or less, but there is a high degree of overlap between the two.

Will all of the students who qualify for “no loans” graduate debt free?

Not necessarily. We are federally required to offer Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans to all students who are eligible, but students are not required to borrow this loan. Also, a family can apply for a private loan if they would like. The college, however, will not require a Federal Direct Subsidized Loan to be part of the calculation in the aid package.

Why are we announcing the Dickinson Promise now?

Thanks to the success of the Change a Life, Change the World Scholarship Campaign and prudent management of the endowment, the college is in a position to make this commitment at this time. We could not make this promise if not for the incredible generosity of the Dickinson community.

Will the college move on to other fundraising priorities now that we have achieved this milestone?

The college continues to place a high priority on providing access to students of all income levels, including those with the highest need, so we will continue to seek philanthropic support for scholarships. We continue to work to increase the income limit for the Dickinson Promise, making our college even more accessible to deserving students.

Does this mean we are extending the Change a Life, Change the World Scholarship Campaign?

No. Although we are not officially “in a campaign” for scholarships, we will continue to provide opportunities for donors to support students of need, and we will celebrate the generosity of these donors.