Agnes Scott College: Navigating Scholarships and Financial Aid

Agnes Scott College, located in Decatur, Georgia, is committed to providing opportunities for students to excel, regardless of their financial circumstances. The Office of Financial Aid, in collaboration with the Office of Admission, is dedicated to assisting both new and returning students in navigating the often-complex financial aid process. Recognizing the potential stress this process can cause for students and their families, the college offers comprehensive support throughout. The Office of Financial Aid manages all of Agnes Scott’s scholarships, grants, loans, and federal work-study programs, all designed to make an Agnes Scott education attainable.

Understanding the Cost of Attendance

The sticker price at Agnes Scott is $64,812. However, the cost of attendance can vary from year to year and will typically rise over your four years in college. College costs can look different for every student based on their financial situation. The average net price, which represents the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships, is $25,609 per year. The net price you pay for a particular college is specific to you because it’s based on your personal circumstances and the college’s financial aid policies. For the most accurate estimate of your net price, use the college’s Net Price calculator.

Beyond tuition, students should also budget for other costs such as books and supplies, estimated at $1,000 per year, and personal expenses, estimated at $1,165 per year. Transportation costs may also apply.

Agnes Scott Scholarships for First-Year Students

The first piece of the financial aid offer are Agnes Scott Scholarships. For most of our scholarships, students must simply apply to the college. Applicants who submit their complete Common Application and all supporting materials by the Early Action II deadline (January 15) are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships ranging from $26,000-$32,000 a year. These scholarships are awarded based on factors including academic achievement, community service, leadership and extracurricular involvement. We do have a small handful of application-based scholarships.

Music Scholarships

This scholarship is awarded to incoming first-year students who are promising music students, and who demonstrate scholastic ability, talent and seriousness of thought, purpose and endeavor. The scholarship, which is awarded at varying levels from $500 to $5,000 per year, is renewable each year as long as the student meets scholarship requirement, including music class and ensemble requirements. A video audition is required as well as the application below. Each applicant should prepare two compositions in contrasting styles for their primary area of applied music (for example: one lyric, one virtuosic; or one Baroque, one Romantic). In addition, singers are encouraged to audition singing vocal works in two different languages (one of which may be English).

Read also: Discover Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott Presidential Scholarship

Each year, our top first-year applicants based on holistic application review are invited to compete for this prestigious scholarship which awards full tuition, housing and dining for up to four years of study (currently a $272,000 value). Students chosen as Agnes Scott Presidential Scholars excel in academics, leadership, character and personal achievement.

Goizueta Foundation Scholarship

Good news! The Goizueta Foundation Scholarship is the result of the generosity of Roberto C. The Goizueta Foundation Scholarship is offered each year to an incoming first-year student, covering full tuition, housing and dining (with a current four-year value of $272,000). The scholarship is merit-based to qualified students. Complete a separate application for the Goizueta Foundation Scholarship by January 30.

Presbyterian Scholarship

This scholarship typically awards $1,000 to $3,000 per year, with a four-year value of $4,000 to $12,000. This scholarship will stack on to any other earned merit scholarships from Agnes Scott. Complete the separate application for the Presbyterian Scholarship. Note: You are also encouraged to apply for the National Presbyterian College Scholarship Program, which is based on academic merit and financial need. Award amounts vary. Agnes Scott is affiliated with the Presbyterian faith. Many schools have religious affiliations but only some of them incorporate their affiliation in a way that shapes the student experience.

Alexander and Loris Wasserman Scholarship

The Alexander and Loris Wasserman Scholarship is awarded to no more than two incoming first-year students at Agnes Scott College and made possible through the generosity of Michael G. Wasserman and Harriet M. Each Wasserman Scholar receives a scholarship of $2,500 annually, renewable for up to four years (for a total of $10,000). The Wasserman Scholarship is awarded to Jewish students on the basis of academic excellence and commitment to the college's mission of educating students to "think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their time." The donors and the college value the diversity of Jewish faith and identity.

Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship is a need-based scholarship awarded to incoming first-year students based on their academic achievement, leadership and community involvement. Whitehead Scholarship amounts can range from $500 to $2,000 per year, with a four-year value of $2,000 to $8,000. In order to apply, applicants must submit their Whitehead Scholarship application and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15.

Graduate Grants at Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia offers several types of graduate grants that are awarded on a competitive basis upon acceptance to a master’s or certificate program.

The Director's Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis at the time of admission. *Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete.
The Dean’s Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis at the time of admission. *Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete.
The Scottie Graduate Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis to Agnes Scott alumni or current students at the time of admission. *Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete.
The Community Partner Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis at the time of admission. *Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete.
The President's Scholars Grant is our most competitive award offered to a select number of students at the time of admission. *Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete.
The Health Professions Grant is offered to select graduate and post-bacc students seeking to start or advance their career in the healthcare field. This grant is awarded to students applying for the Medical Sciences Accelerated Masters of Science program on a competitive basis at the time of admission. This grant is allocated by credit hour and per semester, based on enrollment.
The Innovator’s Grant is offered to select graduate students in specific programs on a competitive basis at the time of admission.
The Integrity Grant is awarded on a competitive basis to select students offered admission into the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Grants are allocated by credit hour per semester. Awards are based on a full-time status.

External Scholarships

Just like grants, scholarships are funding awards that do not have to be repaid. Students can use outside scholarships to supplement their financial aid package at Agnes Scott. Outside scholarships are awards offered by private and non-profit organizations separate from their college. External scholarships will have their own requirements, application materials to submit, and deadline dates.

Federal Student Loans

Graduate students at Agnes Scott may be eligible for federal student loans. As a graduate student, you will be considered an independent student. Federal student loans that might be available to graduate students who complete the FAFSA include Direct Unsubsidized Loans and GradPlus Loans. For the Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the student assumes all responsibility for the interest and interest begins accruing immediately following disbursement. If you started or completed a graduate degree previously and used federal student loans, those amounts will be considered when you file a new FAFSA form for your degree at Agnes Scott College.

A federal graduate PLUS loan may be available to post-bacc and master’s students who need funding for remaining educational costs. The application is available at the Graduate PLUS Loan site. The application is completed based on the program start semester and is only available for students who begin their studies as a post-bacc or graduate student at Agnes Scott College before July 1, 2026. This is a credit-based loan that can cover up to the cost of attendance minus any aid you have already received.

Private Loans

A private, credit-based alternative loan may be available to graduate students who need funding for remaining educational costs. There are various lenders for student borrowers that require no payments while the student remains in school. Private loans have various options for repayment and may offer forbearance and deferral options. To view and compare alternative loans available to Agnes Scott students, please go to ElmSelect. On ElmSelect, you can search and compare real, personalized private student loan offers from over 15+ lenders through a simple, three-minute application. ElmSelect allows you to easily compare loans and is free. Private loans are offered by various lenders. The loans are based on creditworthiness and sometimes require an eligible co-signer. Private loans have various options for repayment and may offer forbearance and deferral options. In addition, interest rates for private loans are based on credit and set by the lender. These loans are more expensive than federally guaranteed loans and should only be used when all other options are exhausted. Finding the best lender for you and your family is important. One option you can use to review and compare private lenders is available through Sparrow. On Sparrow, you can search and compare real, personalized private student loan offers from over 15+ lenders through a simple, three-minute application. Sparrow allows you to easily compare loans and is free.

Important Considerations

Financial Aid Statistics

84.09% of students receive financial aid.
The average aid package is $43,834.
The typical amount of loans a student must pay back is $32,425.

Key Dates

The financial aid application due date is May 1.

Impact of Withdrawal

A total withdrawal from all courses in any given semester could require an adjustment to awarded institutional, federal, state, and/or outside financial aid funding. The adjustment of the financial aid funding will depend on the last day of attendance for any given semester and the withdrawal policy for each type of funding.

Georgia Residents

If you're a Georgia resident interested in Agnes Scott, be sure to investigate whether you'd qualify for the HOPE Scholarship and/or the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant Program. The HOPE Scholarship is for students who have made substantial academic achievements. The Tuition Equalization Grant is for students attending private schools, and it helps to make the cost of private school more comparable to public school. The Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant is available in the amount of $450 to eligible Georgia residents attending full time.

Test-Optional Policy

Agnes Scott College is test-optional, which means that applicants are permitted, but not required, to submit their standardized test scores. If you choose not to submit your scores, admissions officers will weigh your grades, extracurriculars, essays, and interviews more heavily.

Additional Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

Rhodes Scholarship: Extraordinary intellectual distinction is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for election to a Rhodes Scholarship. Selection committees are charged to seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person, which in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead. The Rhodes Scholarships are investments in individuals rather than in project proposals.
Marshall Scholarship: The purpose of the Marshall Scholarship is to finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom in a system of higher education recognized for its excellence. The Marshall Scholarships serve as a way to commemorate the humane ideals of the Marshall plan conceived by General George C. Marshall. They express the continuing gratitude of the British people to their American counterparts. to the U.K.
George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program: The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program, named to honor former US Senator George Mitchell's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership, and a commitment to community and public service. Up to twelve Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually for one academic year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Schwarzman Scholars: Designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars is the first scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st Century. Whether in politics, business or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends.With the inaugural class enrolled in 2016, the program gives the world’s best and brightest students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and professional networks through a one-year Master’s Degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing - one of China’s most prestigious universities. Students live and study together on the campus of Schwarzman College, a newly-built, state-of-the-art facility, where all classes are taught in English.
American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) Fellowships and Grants: The ASF will offer around $300,000 to outstanding American students, scholars, professionals and artists for study and/or research in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden. Fellowships of up to $23,000 are intended to support an academic year-long stay, and priority is given to students at the graduate level who need to spend time at foreign academic or research institutions. Grants of up to $5,000 are considered more suitable for shorter research visits, both on the graduate or post-doctoral level.
Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA): Freeman Awards for Study in Asia is designed to support American undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study overseas in East or Southeast Asia.
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship: This very competitive and prestigious fellowship provides graduate funding to participants as they are prepared academically and professionally to enter the Foreign Service with the United States Department of State.
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship: Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. For students in research-based master’s and Ph.D.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program: This program encourages students to choose nontraditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe and Australia, and supports students who have been traditionally underrepresented in study abroad.

Summer School Financial Aid

Undergraduate students attending summer school at Agnes Scott College may be eligible to receive state and federal aid. Students must have a completed FAFSA on file with Agnes Scott College to receive federal aid. All annual limits apply. Students who have received maximum federal awards during the fall and spring term will have no available funds for summer study. Students who are Georgia residents may be eligible to receive HOPE for the summer term.

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