Saint Michael’s College is fortifying its mission to make a deeply engaging, student-centered education more affordable through a new financial aid initiative: the St. Mike’s Community Commitment. The new initiative gives families whose income falls at or below $100,000 a total aid package that covers full tuition after federal grants, according to a news release Friday, Dec. 13.
How are income and assets assessed?
Total income includes a family’s adjusted gross income (AGI) for the federal tax year applicable to each academic year (e.g., 2023 for the 2025-2026 Academic Year). This data is provided to us through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and is required to complete every year enrolled at SMC.
Data on assets, similar to income, will be collect through the FAFSA. When the combination of your reported assets (cash, investments, business/farm assets) are at or below $150,000 you will be eligible for this scholarship program. The value of qualifying retirement accounts are excluded.
What do total grants and scholarships include?
Total grants and scholarships include both merit-based scholarships and need-based grants from Saint Michael’s College. If you are eligible for Federal Pell Grant and Federal SEOG Grant assistance, these funds will be included in the calculation. The St. Mike’s Community Commitment will be the last award applied and will cover any remaining unmet tuition costs. Merit-based scholarships at Saint Michael’s include academic, athletic, and/or endowed scholarships.
Is there a application for the Saint Michael’s Commitment?
No. To be considered for the St. Mike’s Community Commitment, students need only complete the FAFSA by March 1 (i.e. by March 1, 2025 for the Fall 2025 enrollment cycle). Returning students must complete the FAFSA by May 1.
What are other requirement?
Students must also maintain an overall GPA of 3.2.
International students are not eligible for the St. Mike’s Community Commitment program nor are graduate students.
In order to receive the full benefit of the St. Mike’s Community Commitment program students are required to live on campus.
Students currently enrolled at St. Mike’s for the Fall 2025 semester are eligible for the St. Mike’s Community Commitment program as long as they maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher.
Does the St. Mike’s Community Commitment program cover all tuition costs?
No. Students will still be required to cover any tuition costs if enrolled in winter intersession and summer semester courses. Also, the St. Mike’s Community Commitment program eligibility will not be included in any semester a student is not taking classes at SMC (i.e. consortium courses at another institution, semester studying abroad, etc.)
For more information, visit: smcvt.edu.
