Bates College in Lewiston, Maine is one of a small group of US liberal arts colleges that meets the full demonstrated financial need of every admitted international student, for all four years, and the wording on its financial aid pages is unusually direct about it: full need for all admitted students, regardless of citizenship status.
The catch is timing, not the money. Bates is need-aware for non-US citizens, and the college states that requests for need-based aid made after a student has been admitted will not be considered. If you want funding, you have to ask for it on the admission application itself. Everything below is from Bates’ own financial aid and admission pages, linked at the end of this page.
Bates College financial aid for international students: quick facts
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, United States |
| Last date to apply | 15 November (Early Decision I, 2026 for the autumn 2027 intake) and 10 January (Early Decision II and Regular Decision, 2027). Aid intent must be declared on the admission application |
| Aid offered | 100% of demonstrated need, met with a grant that is not repaid plus on-campus employment; no loans for non-US citizens |
| Tenure | Up to eight semesters, for all four years |
| Form | Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA) through the Bates application portal |
| 2026-27 cost | US$94,560 single fee covering tuition, food and housing |
| Official website | bates.edu – financial aid for international students |
What Bates actually gives international students
Bates packages aid for non-US citizens as a grant plus a campus job, and the college says plainly that it does not include loans in the aid awards for non-US citizens. That is the difference between Bates and most US colleges, which meet need partly with loan and work components.
- Grant aid: the need-based award does not have to be repaid.
- On-campus employment: up to 20 hours a week during the academic year.
- No loans: Bates does not put student loans into the aid award for non-US citizens.
- Four years, not one: the award runs for up to eight semesters, and the BISAFA is used to set the need figure for all four years.
Across the whole student body Bates awards nearly $50 million in grant aid, nearly half of its students receive financial aid, and the average award including grant, loan and work is more than US$64,500. Those averages cover domestic students too, so treat them as context rather than as an estimate of your own package.
The one rule that decides everything: ask for aid before you are admitted
This is the part most applicants get wrong. Bates is need-aware when it reviews non-US citizens – the college says so itself – and it requires applicants to indicate their intent to apply for need-based financial aid on the admission application, before being admitted.
Requests for need-based aid after a student is already admitted will not be considered. In practice that means there is no negotiating an aid offer later, and no applying for aid in second year if you ticked ‘no aid’ in first year. Answer the aid question honestly at the application stage.
BISAFA instead of the CSS Profile
Non-US citizens requesting aid submit the Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA) through the Bates application portal. It is part of the admission application rather than a separate scholarship round, and the college uses it to determine financial need for the four years the student will be at Bates.
Because the form is Bates’ own, you are not paying the CSS Profile fee that most US colleges charge international applicants. Citizens of Canada have a separate set of instructions linked from the same page.
Cost of attendance for 2026-27
Bates charges a single fee that bundles tuition, food and housing. For 2026-27 that fee is US$94,560, made up of US$73,760 for tuition and US$20,800 for food and housing.
- Single fee 2026-27: US$94,560 (tuition US$73,760 + food and housing US$20,800).
- First Year Fee: US$475, one-off.
- Bates Student Health Insurance: US$2,352 for the full year, or US$1,456 for winter only.
- Off-Campus Study Fee: US$3,310 per semester, if you study away.
- Applied Music Fee: US$630 per course.
Books, personal expenses and travel do not appear on the bill, but Bates adds them to a student’s budget when it estimates financial need and calculates aid – so they count towards the need figure even though you pay them yourself.
Financial aid deadlines by admission round
These are Bates’ published financial aid deadlines for each round. Because the page does not print a year, read the November dates as the current cycle (November 2026) and the January dates as the following one (January 2027).
- Early Decision I: 15 November – the nearest deadline for the autumn 2027 intake.
- Early Decision II: 10 January.
- Regular Decision: 10 January.
- QuestBridge Match: 1 November.
- Winter Transfer: 1 November, and Fall Transfer: 1 March.
- Continuing students: 1 May each year.
The aid deadline is not a soft target – missing it means you are not considered for need-based assistance in that round, which at a need-aware college can also affect the admission decision itself.
Eligibility and what else Bates asks for
- You must be admitted to Bates as a degree-seeking undergraduate; over 70 countries are represented in the student body.
- Declare intent to apply for need-based aid on the admission application – this is mandatory for funding.
- English proficiency: TOEFL, IELTS or the Duolingo English Test is required if English is neither your native language nor the primary language of instruction at your secondary school. Bates does not accept self-reported English proficiency scores, so send an official copy.
- SAT or ACT: optional, and has been for all applicants since 1984. Official or self-reported scores are both accepted if you choose to send them.
- Interviews: an InitialView or Vericant recorded interview is encouraged but not required. A Duolingo interview cannot replace it.
- Application fee: there is none – Bates states it is free for any student to apply.
How to apply for Bates aid, step by step
- Pick your admission round. Early Decision I (15 November) is binding; Regular Decision with the same 10 January aid deadline is the non-binding route.
- Start the Bates application and answer the financial aid question with an intent to apply for need-based aid – not ‘no aid’.
- Complete the BISAFA in the Bates application portal with your family’s income, assets and expenses.
- Send official English proficiency scores if you need them, plus transcripts and any optional interviews.
- Submit everything by the aid deadline for your round and keep the portal confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Bates states that it meets the full demonstrated financial need for all admitted students, regardless of citizenship status, for all four years.
No. Bates says it is not need-blind for non-US citizens. It is need-aware, so the amount of aid you need can be considered when your application is reviewed.
No. Requests for need-based financial aid after admission will not be considered. You must indicate your intent to apply for aid on the admission application.
No. Bates does not include loans in aid awards for non-US citizens. The package is a grant that is not repaid plus on-campus employment of up to 20 hours a week.
No. Non-US citizens submit the Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA) through the Bates application portal instead.
15 November for Early Decision I and 10 January for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. QuestBridge Match and Winter Transfer candidates file by 1 November.
The 2026-27 single fee is US$94,560, which covers tuition of US$73,760 plus food and housing of US$20,800. Health insurance, the first-year fee and other charges sit on top of that.
Official links
- Bates – financial aid for international students
- Bates – financial aid deadlines
- Bates – tuition, fees and other costs 2026-27
- Bates – international applicants (English tests, testing policy, interviews)
Related hubs: USA scholarships, International scholarships, Study abroad scholarships.
Related scholarship posts:
- Kenyon College financial aid for international students
- Lafayette College financial aid for international students
- Bucknell University financial aid for international students
