Grants and Scholarships

Vassar Scholarship

Vassar awards around $80,000,000 annually in institutional scholarships. The funds come from Vassar’s endowment, donations from Vassar alums and clubs, and gifts from friends of the College.

Federal Grants

Pell Grants are funds from the U.S. government that do not need to be repaid. They are intended for students with significant financial need as determined by the FAFSA. The maximum award amount is set by Congress and reevaluated each academic year. 

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are awarded to students with exceptional financial need. Priority is given to students who are eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant. Award amounts depend on the level of need and availability of funds.

State Grants

New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is a grant program for eligible New York State residents. An annual TAP award can total up to $5,665 and is based on a family’s New York State net taxable income. Students are directed to the TAP application after completing the FAFSA online.

Certain other states offer transferable grant programs for their own residents. Please check with your home state’s higher education assistance office for more information.

Outside Scholarships

Student Financial Services encourages all Vassar students to explore outside funding opportunities. Outside scholarships are beneficial because they offer students greater financial flexibility. They can reduce your student contribution, lessen your employment obligation and/or considerably reduce the burden of student loans. There are a great number of scholarship search tools available to students online. Here are some that you might find helpful:

• BigFuture: The College Board’s Scholarship Search
• CareerOneStop
• CollegeScholarships.org
• FastWeb!

In addition to search engines like those listed above, students can also find outside scholarship opportunities through:

• Federal and state agencies
• Foundations
• Religious or community organizations
• Local businesses
• Civic groups
• Organizations related to your field of interest
• Banks and educational lenders
• Ethnicity-based organizations
• Your employer or your parents’ employers

A good rule of thumb: If you have to pay money in order to qualify for a “scholarship program” or a “scholarship service,” it is almost certainly a scam. Visit the Scholarship Scams page to learn more.