Thomas Aquinas College is committed to making its program of Catholic liberal education available to accepted students, regardless of financial need. The College receives no subsidy from Church or state. It relies, rather, on contributions from individuals and charitable foundations to make up the difference between what students are able to pay and the actual cost of their education.

Through the generosity of its donors, the College is able to offer financial assistance to young men and women who would otherwise not be able to attend. Nevertheless, the financial resources of the College are limited, and financial aid can be offered only on the basis of demonstrated financial need as determined by the College. Students and families are therefore expected to make a maximum effort to cover the cost of tuition plus housing & food from their own resources. If, after assessing his resources, a student finds his financial means insufficient, he should apply to the Financial Aid Office for assistance.

The College will try to meet the demonstrated financial need of each student with a program of loans, work-study, and grants.

For more detailed information, see the menu on the right-hand side of this page.

Summary of Basic Information

Financial aid is assistance to students in meeting the Cost of Attendance (COA) at Thomas Aquinas College. The “Cost of Attendance” includes tuition and housing & food, books, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses related to the current academic year.

Any student accepted into the College may receive aid to meet demonstrated financial need.

Pell Grants, California State Scholarships (Cal Grants), Canada education grants, local and national scholarships, student loans, Veterans Administration benefits, and institutional aid are available to those who qualify. Since the College receives no federal campus-based funds or contracts, some federal aid that is normally available to college students elsewhere is not available to those who attend Thomas Aquinas College. The College does, however, enable students to access student-based federal student aid (Pell Grants, Direct Student Loans, and Direct Parent PLUS Loans).  The College also has its own institutional aid program that is funded through contributions made by benefactors of the College. This program provides work-study positions and need-based grants. Institutional aid is given only for the purpose of assisting with the direct costs of tuition and housing & food.

No, the College does not offer merit scholarships, although many students bring with them merit scholarships from outside sources (e.g., National Merit Scholarships, local service club scholarships, high school awards, etc.). The College’s resources are used to enable accepted students to attend who would otherwise not be able to do so. Accordingly, College assistance is based on financial need.

All applicants applying for financial aid must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is used to determine a student's eligibility for federal and state grants and federal loans.

If you would like to be considered for Thomas Aquinas College's institutionally-funded, need-based work-study program and grant program, you will be required to complete not only the FAFSA, but also a Confidential Financial Aid Application (CFAA).

Students who are residents of California must complete a FAFSA and a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form to be considered for a Cal Grant. (Even if you plan to attend our New England campus, if you are a California resident, you are advised to complete a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form in case your plans change.)

More detailed instructions can be found on our webpage How to Apply for Financial Aid.

If all financial aid documents have been submitted, Freshmen are notified of their institutional financial aid as soon as possible after they have been accepted into the College. Continuing students are normally awarded institutional financial aid in June for the upcoming academic year.