Understanding Your Financial Aid Package

Merit and Specialty Scholarships

St. Lawrence awards three merit-based scholarships and four specialty scholarships to students each year. These are given in a consistent amount per year.

Merit scholarships do not require an additional application or financial need. They are awarded based on the strength of the student’s overall application to St. Lawrence.

Specialty scholarships do require an additional application, typically in the form of an essay based on a topic related to the scholarship.

Athletic Scholarships

St. Lawrence does not offer athletic scholarships for our NCAA Division III athletic teams—nor is athletic talent a consideration for merit or need-based aid—due to league regulation. 

The only athletic scholarships we offer are for Division I men and women's ice hockey.

Additional Details

To distribute as much aid as possible, all students will only be eligible for one scholarship. To address your financial need specifically, we will ensure you receive the highest scholarship you are eligible for. 

If you apply for need-based aid, any scholarships you are awarded will count towards your aid package.

We strive to provide access to a college education that is both affordable and fiscally responsible for students and their families. 

To do this, we offer need-based aid in the form of grants, loans, and on-campus employment opportunities. While we can’t guarantee that we will meet 100% of every student’s financial need, we do our best to meet as much financial need as we can.

Need-based aid opportunities include:

• Federal Pell Grant Program
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
• the New York State Tuition Assistance Program
• Vermont State Assistance Grants
• Federal Direct Student Loans
• the Federal College Work Study Program.

Often called “gift aid,” grants are money awarded to you by the federal government, St. Lawrence, or an outside agency that does not need to be paid back.

A college education is an investment in your future. Sometimes, that investment takes the form of federal student loans.

St. Lawrence participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program for all student and parent federal educational loans. Through this program, you may take out a minimum of $19,000 in loans that need to be paid back over a period of ten years after your graduation. 

Students at St. Lawrence typically borrow an average of $27,000 in federal student loans for their undergraduate studies.