Trinity College recognizes that the educational investment students and families face can seem overwhelming at times. Trinity is committed to its mission of providing access and opportunity to students who wish to study at Trinity, but whose family resources are insufficient to meet the total cost of education.
Central to the College’s program is the concept of financial need. The College assumes that parents and the student will partner together to accept responsibility for educational costs. Where families face financial hardship, or where resources fall short, the College will seek to provide supplementary assistance. More than half of Trinity’s undergraduates receive financial help from institutional, federal, or state funds through the Office of Financial Aid.
General Information
Student financial aid packages may consist of both internal and external resources. Trinity’s endowed funds, unrestricted grants and scholarships, state grant aid, and federal grant and loan funds are just a few forms of financial assistance awarded to our students. Trinity offers financial aid packages that may be comprised of grants and scholarships, federal loans, and federal work-study. The majority of the College’s financial aid is awarded on the basis of need.
Trinity’s institutional aid program includes need-based aid, merit scholarships, and institutional loans. Individual awards have specific eligibility, renewal, enrollment, academic-progress, residency, and certification requirements, as applicable.
Students are eligible for financial aid provided that they applied for financial aid at the point of admission, continue to have demonstrated financial need, and remain in good standing with the College. Students are expected to contribute to their educational expenses through summer savings.
Award Terms
All financial aid is awarded on the basis of:
• Financial need —Financial need is determined annually by Trinity College and is calculated in accordance with established industry best practices. Trinity requires each applicant seeking assistance to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine federal and state financial aid eligibility. Additionally, the CSS Profile is required to determine eligibility for institutional financial aid. The College reserves the right to require additional documentation from a family, including documentation needed to verify the accuracy of application information.
• Intellectual promise—Trinity College maintains a small amount of non-need based financial aid for students of exceptional academic ability and exceptional character.
Financial aid awards may be revised when information used to determine eligibility changes, including changes in FAFSA or CSS Profile information, enrollment, housing status, outside scholarships or resources, eligibility for federal or state programs, or family financial circumstances.
Application Method
In order to be given consideration for financial assistance, a candidate for the first-year class must indicate interest in financial aid on the Common Application. All candidates seeking financial assistance must submit the CSS Profile via (https://www.collegeboard.org). In addition, U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens are required to submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) via (https://studentaid.gov).
The College reserves the right to require supplemental documentation.
Students should submit all required materials by the deadlines published by the Office of Financial Aid. Students who do not initially apply for aid, or whose family circumstances change after admission, should contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss whether they may be considered for assistance.
Award Renewal Terms
Renewal of need-based financial aid is based upon the following factors:
• Financial need — Continued need for assistance must be demonstrated by the student and the student’s family.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) — To be eligible to receive federal Title IV, state, and institutional funds, students are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress in their course of study. SAP standards are based on cumulative measures of students’ progress toward degree completion. The College has established qualitative and quantitative standards that students must meet to be eligible to receive financial aid. At the end of each semester the records of all financial aid recipients are reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid. The complete Satisfactory Academic Progress policy may be found in the Student Handbook and on the College’s website. The Office of Financial Aid will provide a printed copy of the SAP policy upon request.
Some institutional scholarships and awards may have additional renewal requirements. Students should review the terms and conditions associated with their individual awards. This can be found online in the student's aid portal.
Renewal Application and Timeline
Each financial aid recipient who wishes to be considered for continued aid must complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile annually by December 15. Notification of aid renewal typically begins in May. Students who experience a significant change in family financial circumstances are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss their situation and determine whether a review of eligibility is appropriate.
Supplemental Assistance
Members of the financial aid team are available to counsel students and their families about financial matters as it relates to their educational costs. The College endeavors to maximize the use of its resources so that as many needy and deserving students as possible are helped each year. Students who wish to be considered for financial aid are urged to adhere to the filing instructions and deadlines listed on the Office of Financial Aid website. Applicants who seek aid from the College are also advised to investigate opportunities in their communities.
Various states and local banks offer low-rate loan programs, and state supported scholarship programs. Numerous company scholarship programs are also open for application.
In addition, low-cost educational loans are available to student and parent borrowers through the Federal Direct Loan and Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) programs, respectively.
Students who receive outside scholarships, employer benefits, or other educational resources must report them to the Office of Financial Aid. These resources may affect a student’s financial aid eligibility and award package.
Federal Direct Loans require student acceptance and may require completion of entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note. Students remain responsible for any balance on their student account not covered by financial aid or other authorized resources.
Enrollment Changes, Withdrawal, and Leave
Financial aid eligibility may change when a student changes enrollment status, withdraws from the College, takes a leave of absence, returns from a leave, studies away, or enrolls beyond the standard period of institutional-aid eligibility. Students considering an enrollment change should consult the Office of Financial Aid before taking action whenever possible.
Students who withdraw may have their federal financial aid recalculated under the federal Return of Title IV Funds policy. This recalculation may result in a reduction of aid and an outstanding balance owed to the College. Additional information is available from the Office of Financial Aid and in the College’s published refund and withdrawal policies.
Student Employment
Students who are offered Federal Work-Study as part of their financial aid packages can view available positions through the college’s online database known as Handshake. Ordinarily, student jobs do not require more than seven to ten hours of the student’s week and will not interfere with the student’s academic schedule.
Federal Work-Study awards represent an opportunity to earn wages through employment; they are not credited directly to a student’s account. Students must secure an eligible position and work scheduled hours to earn their award.
There are also numerous opportunities for off-campus community service employment in the greater Hartford area. These positions can also be found through the Handshake forum. To access Handshake go to: https://trincoll.joinhandshake.com/login and click on the button that says “Trinity College students and staff” under “sign in through your school.” You will be prompted to complete your Trinity username and password. If you are having issues with your username or password – please contact the Help Desk by phone: 860-297-2100 or email: helpdesk@trincoll.edu
Veterans
Students admitted to Trinity who intend to use Veterans Educational Benefits should apply for benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at VA.gov and submit their Certificate of Eligibility to the Office of Financial Aid. Students should also work with the Office of Financial Aid to complete Trinity’s certification process. A Certificate of Eligibility must be submitted each academic year for which the student is requesting education benefits from the VA.
Trinity College participates in the VA Yellow Ribbon Program (Chapter 33). Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions about certification, enrollment changes, or the interaction of VA benefits with other financial aid.
Financial Aid Portal
Students may check their application status, monitor pending documents, view important messages, and utilize helpful links on their personalized student portal at http://fastatus.trincoll.edu.
Students are responsible for reviewing portal communications and responding promptly to requests for additional information. For additional information about financial aid, students should visit the Office of Financial Aid website or contact the Office directly.