Financial Aid

An open letter from our financial aid team, March 2009. Read here...

St. John's College is committed to making its unique program available to all qualified students, regardless of their financial circumstances.  St. John’s maintains a financial aid program to assist eligible students to the greatest extent possible within the limits of the College’s resources. All of our financial aid awards are based on financial need, and over half our students receive institutional grant assistance from St. John’s. The College receives support for institutional financial aid from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Among the most generous of these is the Hodson Trust.

In addition to grants from the College, students may also receive Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Smart Grant, and Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, and can participate in the Federal Work-Study Program. A variety of private loan programs are also available to students and parents to cover the student's need.

To be considered for any of these forms of assistance, you must file the appropriate forms prior to the deadlines, and promptly respond to any request for additional information from the Financial Aid Office.  Aid awards are made to applicants on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED basis, so it is important to complete your application for financial aid as early as possible. The later we receive your financial aid materials, the greater the chance that you may be placed on a waiting-list for aid.  Don’t miss out on aid you may be eligible for due to a late or incomplete application.

Learn about the financial aid application process for freshmen HERE. If you have any questions, or if your circumstances are especially difficult, please do not hesitate to contact us. The Admissions and Financial Aid offices are ready and willing to help you in any way we can.

The following principles underlie St. John's financial aid program:

  • The primary responsibility for financing a college education lies with the student and the student's parents. The college can offer aid only to supplement funds the family provides. We require parent information for all undergraduate students, even those who meet the qualifications for federal independence. In divorce cases, we also require information from the non-custodial parent.
  • The ability of a family to meet college expenses is determined by assessing the family's financial strength in terms of income, assets, debts, household size, and number of family members in college.
  • Financial aid may be in the form of a grant, loan, or part-time employment, and will be offered to all students as a package that combines one or more forms of aid.
  • In keeping with the philosophy that students should contribute to their educational expenses, self-help is, in most cases, the first component of a financial aid award. At St. John's self-help consists of a part-time job and educational loans. We also expect students to work during the summer to earn money for educational expenses.
  • Financial aid is not automatically renewable; students must reapply each year. The level of aid should stay approximately the same from year to year if the family financial situation remains about the same. A change in income or in the number of children in college will result in a change to the financial aid.
  • Students receiving financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to retain their award.
  • Financial aid awards are made in accordance with the provisions of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1064 and Title IX of the Higher Education Act of 1980, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, physical handicap, age, marital status, creed or ethnic or national origin.

Contact Information

Annapolis
E-mail: FinancialAid@sjca.edu
Phone: 410-626-2502
Fax: 410-626-2885

Santa Fe
E-mail: charrell@sjcsf.edu
Phone: 505-984-6058
Fax: 505-984-6164