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Financial Aid Process and the FAFSA

New Students

To maximize your chances of receiving financial assistance, just follow these steps:

1. Apply early for admission to Alma College.

  • Generally, most students should apply during the fall of their senior year. You must apply for admission by April 1 to be considered for Alma's merit-based scholarships

2. Apply for any for which you are eligible. Be aware of deadlines!

3. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the Michigan deadline of March 1. 

  • This is essential if you want to be considered for any state, federal and institutional grants or loans! You can request a paper copy of the FAFSA from your high school guidance counselor or file online at . Part of the online process is obtaining a Personal Identification Number, which you can find at . Remember to include the Alma College Federal School Code - 002236 - on your FAFSA. 
  • You may be required to submit a signed copy of your parents' 1040 federal tax return and W2s to the Student Financial Assistance Office, as well as any additional documentation that may be requested. 

If by March 1 you have filed the FAFSA, included Alma's school code on your FAFSA and , you are eligible for a $500 award regardless of your level of financial need!

Once we receive all necessary documents, we'll send you a personalized aid package in early spring detailing the cost of attendance and your eligibility for scholarships, grants, loans, work-study, and other federal or state programs.

If you'd like to get an estimate of what it may cost your family to send a student to Alma , call our Admissions Office at 1-800-321-ALMA. 

 

 Returning Students 

  • Returning students receiving need-based aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA by March 1. 

  •  List Alma as your school of choice on the FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA to ensure that we receive the results; our school code is 002236. 

  • You may be required to forward a signed copy of your parents' 1040 federal income tax return and W2s to the Student Financial Assistance Office, as well as any additional documentation that may be requested
    Once we receive all necessary documents, we'll send you a personalized aid package starting in May that details the cost of attendance and your eligibility for scholarships, grants, loans, work-study, and other federal or state programs. 

 

Spring Term at Alma is a one-month immersion on a single academic topic that offers learning experiences not typically available during the more traditional 15-week fall and winter terms. For example, during Spring Term '09, students toured cultural sites in Peru, studied alternative energy in Sweden, analyzed theatre and dance in London, and examined Native American culture at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota.

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Student Profile

Jason Latz

Jason Latz
Graduation: 2008
Major: Education
From: Elsie, Michigan
Interests: Sports, Habitat for Humanity

Spring Term courses offer students opportunities to break out of the “Alma Bubble.” Off-campus study, especially in a foreign country, shows you how you relate to the rest of the world and how the rest of the world views American people, politics and policies. You can then integrate your real world experiences into your academic programs and your future career.

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