Eligibility for financial aid is based on merit and financial need. Financial need for U.S. citizens is assessed by a uniform method, using data provided by the student on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form should be filed electronically at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa as soon after January 1 as possible and no later than February 1.

Students whose admission and financial aid applications are completed by February 1 will be notified of financial aid awards by March 31. To be eligible for federal student aid, applicants must not be in default of repayment of federal student loans or owe refunds on federal student grants. Awards of financial aid are made without reference to age, color, ethnic or national origin, gender, disability, marital status, race, or sexual orientation.

Financial Aid Support
CCS Bard provides four different financial aid options for international students and U.S. citizens alike. The awards include the following: CCS Bard Scholarships; CCS Bard Fellowships; The Lowery Stokes Sims Scholarships; and the Forge Scholarship for Indigenous Art. More information on the individual financial aid options are below:

CCS Bard Scholarships
CCS Bard Scholarships are an award provided to admitted students based on their individual financial need. Evaluation for this award is based on the FAFSA for U.S. citizens and the International Student Financial Aid Application for International Students. The award is renewable for the second year of the graduate program and is applied toward the cost of tuition each semester.

CCS Bard Fellowships
CCS Bard Fellowships are an award provided to admitted students based on their individual academic merit. Evaluation for this award is based on the admitted students application materials. This award is renewable for the second year of the graduate program and is applied toward the cost of tuition each semester.

The Lowery Stokes Sims Scholarships
The Lowery Stokes Sims Scholarships will be awarded to students with backgrounds and experiences that are under-represented in the curatorial and museum field. No separate application is required. Questions may be directed to ccsadmissions@bard.edu.

The Forge Scholarship for Indigenous Art
Bard College initiated The Forge Scholarship for Indigenous Art at the Center for Curatorial Studies as part of a larger endowment gift to strengthen the commitment to and scholarship around Indigenous contemporary art and its histories. The Forge Scholarship for Indigenous Art supports students who wish to study, research, and focus on Indigenous art in the CCS Bard graduate program. Its aim is to broadly support work that creates resonant and innovative platforms for Indigenous artists and practitioners.

The recipient of the Forge Scholarship will be advised by the Fellow in Indigenous Art History and Curatorial Studies, and take CCS courses hosted at Forge Project, a Native-led non-profit organization with a lending collection of Indigenous art, whose mandate is to cultivate and advance Indigenous leadership in arts and culture. In addition, they will have the opportunity to collaborate with a range of other Bard faculty and programs, including the Center for Indigenous Studies.

The Forge Scholarship provides full tuition coverage to the CCS Bard graduate program as well as a stipend to help offset living expenses based on demonstrated financial need. The Scholarship will be automatically renewed in the second year of the program as long as the recipient remains in good academic standing. Applicants should outline their interest in the Scholarship and relevant academic and curatorial interests in their application to CCS Bard (due February 1). No separate application is required. Questions may be directed to ccsadmissions@bard.edu.

International Student Aid
International students, although not eligible for financial assistance from the federal government of the United States, may qualify for aid administered by Bard College, including CCS Bard Scholarship, CCS Bard Fellowship, The Lowery Stokes Sims Scholarships, and The Forge Scholarship for Indigenous Art. If you are not a U.S. citizen and you wish to apply for financial aid, you will need to fill out the following form: International Student Financial Aid Application.

Graduate students may be eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. To be eligible, the student must have a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file, be at least half-time status and be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The borrower of an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is responsible for interest payments while in school. You have the option to defer payments of interest and principal until after you graduate.

Eligible students may borrow up to $20,500 each academic year. The interest rate for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan is always fixed for the life of that loan. However, interest rates will be determined each June for new loans being made for the upcoming award year, which runs from July 1 to the following June 30.

Repayment begins six months after graduation, or after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.

Please visit studentaid.gov for the most current interest rates and additional loan information.

No refund of any fees will be made in the event that a student withdraws from the program at any time after registration, except as herein specified. In all cases, the student must submit an official request for withdrawal to the Graduate Committee. The date of submission of such a request will determine the amount of refund. Students who officially withdraw before the first day of classes for the term in question will be given a full refund of all charges, less the nonrefundable tuition deposit. If the official withdrawal from the program occurs after the first day of classes in a given term, tuition is refunded as follows: If the withdrawal occurs within the first week of classes, 75 percent of tuition is refunded; within the second week, 60 percent of tuition is refunded; within the third or fourth weeks, 30 percent of tuition is refunded; after four weeks, no refunds are given. Registration and student health insurance fees are not refundable.

Refunds to financial aid recipients who withdraw from the program will be affected by a reduction in the amount of the grant; any institutional grant, scholarship, or fellowship will be reduced by the same percentage as indicated in the tuition-refund schedule above. Refunds to recipients of federal aid (Federal Stafford Loan) who withdraw will be calculated according to the federal refund policy concerning the amount of the Federal Stafford Loan to be returned to the lender. A student who is considering withdrawal may wish to confer with the Office of Student Accounts and the Office of Financial Aid concerning any anticipated refund and the amount of the Federal Stafford Loan that Bard College must return to the lender, since this amount will have a direct bearing on the amount of refund, if any, that the College will provide the student.

No refund is made in cases of suspension or expulsion.