Colby College | Keeping Colby Accessible

Colby can and often does transform lives. Financial aid provides equal opportunity and ensures that young women and men with talent and a willingness to work hard can reap the benefits of a Colby education regardless of their ability to pay the comprehensive fee. Approximately 40 percent of all Colby students—nearly 700 individuals each year—receive aid grants from Colby.

Reaching the World: A Campaign for Colby seeks to raise $50 million in new endowment for financial aid. An ambitious goal, this new endowment will provide assistance to a vast number of Colby students from throughout the country, from around the world, and from right next door.

As Colby’s profile as a leading national liberal arts college has grown, so has its obligation to be a college of opportunity for qualified students from throughout the country. The College will earmark a substantial portion of the funds raised in support of financial aid to help students from across the United States who require financial assistance.
To build upon its increasing international reach and to enhance opportunities for students from all over the world to learn from one another, Colby will extend its commitment to international education as a core element of the liberal arts experience. To ensure the availability of financial aid for international students, Colby will dedicate a significant portion of the funds raised in support of financial aid for students from abroad.
Throughout its nearly 200-year history, Colby has been committed to identifying and enrolling talented students from Maine. To ensure the availability of financial aid for all admitted Maine students in perpetuity, Colby will dedicate a substantial portion of the funds raised in support of financial aid to assist students from Maine.

How You Can Help

Donors to the campaign can help the College realize its ambition to provide need-based assistance to all qualified applicants by making a gift to Colby’s financial aid endowment. In so doing, donors will have the satisfaction of knowing that they truly will make a difference in the lives of bright, hard-working young men and women for generations to come.

Named Scholarship - $50,000
Income from a named scholarship fund provides grant assistance to a student with need.

Named Scholarship with Preference - $75,000
In consultation with the College, donors may express preferences regarding the attributes of the students who receive grant assistance.

Full Scholarship - $500,000
A full scholarship provides the total amount of a financial aid award to one or more students.

International Scholarship - $750,000
Beyond the scholarship needs of tuition, room, and board, many international students require additional support such as summer housing, travel allowances, and other assistance. An international scholarship provides the full amount of a financial aid award to one or more international students and assists with other special needs.

All-Class Scholarship - $1.2 million
An all-class scholarship provides full scholarship assistance for one student in each current class—a minimum of four students at any given time. Should a donor wish to become involved beyond learning recipients' names and receiving an annual report, the College will assist in scheduling a private luncheon or meeting with the recipients.