Eligibility for Financial Aid depends on several factors, such as your semester level, the timeliness of your application, how many credits you are enrolled for, your academic progress, and an evaluation of your and your family's resources as reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A formula mandated by the U.S. Department of Education is applied to your FAFSA data and calculates a number called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is the amount that the Department of Education feels that you and your family are able to contribute towards your education for each academic year. At Berklee, the EFC is used to determine which of the federal aid programs you qualify for. Most federal aid programs are awarded based on a low EFC.

The following is information specific to: continuing/returning, transfer, and international students. Refer to the last section for the Office of Financial Aid's policies regarding satisfactory academic progress.

Continuing/Returning Students

In order to be considered for need-based financial aid each year, you must:

• Make satisfactory academic progress; earn a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, and a minimum number of credits each semester. For details, please see the section below regarding satisfactory academic progress; and,

• Submit your FAFSA each year (submit by February 14 to ensure maximum eligibility).

Transfer Students

Transfer students who have attended another college or university may apply for all financial aid programs administered by Berklee College of Music. Students who already have a bachelor's degree are not eligible for federal grants or for most state grants/loans. Aggregate maximum/academic year limits for Pell grants and federal student loans may affect a transfer student's eligibility.

International Students

International students who have attended Berklee for at least two semesters may apply for the Berklee International Grant (BIG). In addition, international students who have an eligible U.S. citizen or permanent resident as a cosigner may apply for private educational loans. Download the International Loan Comparison Chart for more information.

International students are encouraged to apply for merit-based scholarships administered by the Office of Scholarships and Student Employment.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress in their chosen program of study in order to be awarded and continue to receive need-based financial aid administered by the Office of Financial Aid. The definition of satisfactory academic progress includes three factors:

1. Minimum standards for cumulative grade point average (CumGPA), and;

For federal need-based funds administered by the Office of Financial Aid, a student's CumGPA must be at least 2.00.

2. A calculation of completion rate (credit hours divided by credit hours attempted).

The calculation of completion rate is demonstrated in the Minimum Credits Earned Chart below:

Minimum Credits to Be Earned For Financial Aid

*Semesters Attended = all semesters in which you have enrolled at Berklee, including semesters from which you withdrew after the add/drop period and part-time semesters.

3. Maximum time allowed: a student will not be eligible for federal aid funds if they have not achieved a bachelor's degree by the time they have attempted 180 credit hours.