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 the 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 are receiving 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, unre- stricted 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 are comprised of grants and scholar- ships, federal loans, and federal work-study. The majority of the College’s financial aid is awarded on the basis of need.
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.
Terms of award
All financial aid is awarded on the basis of:
• Financial need —Financial need is determined by Trinity College and is calculated in accordance with estab- lished 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.
• Intellectual promise—Trinity College maintains a small amount of non-need based financial aid for students of exceptional academic ability and exceptional character.
Method of application
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.
Terms for renewal of awards
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.
Method of application
Each domestic recipient of financial aid who wishes to apply for continued aid must do so by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) yearly by February 15. Renewal forms are available in late fall, but no later than January 15. Notification of aid renewal typically begins in May.
Sources of supplementary 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 in the upper classes 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.
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.
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 utilize Veteran’s Educational Benefits should, upon admission to Trinity, communicate with their Regional Office of Department of Veterans Affairs (1-800-827-1000) to request an Application for Education Benefits. Veterans (or the dependents of veterans) are required to submit a Certificate of Eligibility to the Office of Financial Aid. Please note that the 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).
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.