Under the new program, eligible Vermont residents can attend Bennington College without student loans.
Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College announced today its new “No-Loan Initiative” for Vermont residents. The No-Loan Initiative builds on Bennington’s established merit- and need-based aid programs and its interest in supporting college access and affordability for Vermont residents.
Under “The No-Loan Initiative,” Bennington will meet up to 100% of demonstrated need, covering any remaining direct costs of tuition, fees, room and board for first year and transfer students whose families live in Vermont and are eligible to receive need-based financial aid.
Beyond the family contribution, as determined by the College, the financial aid package will comprise a combination of Bennington need-based and merit-scholarships, state and federal grants, as well as student employment eligibility. No federal student loans will be included in the financial aid offer. Students who are eligible for federal student loans may opt to borrow to cover costs related to the family contribution or other costs beyond tuition, fees, room, and board.
“This new program is perfectly aligned with Bennington’s mission of inclusive education,” said Bennington College President Laura Walker. “We are excited about this significant step towards making the Bennington College experience more attainable and affordable for all eligible students and their families throughout Vermont.”
“I’m excited to bring this opportunity to students from across Vermont, as the first private institution in the state to offer a no-loan program like this,” said Tony Cabasco, Vice President for Enrollment. “We hope that this will encourage more of our Vermont students to apply and make Bennington College their home.”
Interested students can apply for admission through either the Common Application or Bennington’s Dimensional Application, complete FAFSA and CSS Profile financial aid forms, and be admitted to the College.
All Vermont residents who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents pursuing undergraduate education are eligible. Student eligibility includes those students attending secondary school, or college in the case of transfers, in Vermont or outside the state, as long as the custodial parents/guardians and students themselves are Vermont residents one year prior to enrollment. Vermont residency is defined as the family's primary residence for tax purposes, at least one full year before the student matriculates.
About Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college in southwestern Vermont that has distinguished itself as a vanguard institution within American higher education. It was the first to include the visual and performing arts in a liberal arts education. It is the only college to require that its students spend a term—every year—at work in the world. Bennington students work intensively with faculty to forge individual educational paths around their driving questions and interests.
Rooted in an abiding faith in the talent, imagination, and responsibility of the individual, Bennington invites students to pursue and shape their own intellectual inquiries, and in doing so to discover the profound interconnection of things. Learn more at bennington.edu.
10.25.2022. Bennington, VT – Bennington College
