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Need-Based Awards

In addition to our merit-based awards, HMC students benefit from a variety of awards for students who demonstrate financial need. These awards are only available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International students should explore their options for merit-based scholarships and other awards for international students.

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Need-based awards available to HMC students include:

Harvey Mudd Scholarship
Federal Grants
State Grants

Harvey Mudd Scholarship
This need-based scholarship is awarded to full-time students who demonstrate financial need and who have not already received a bachelor's degree. The scholarship is funded by gifts to the College from corporations, alumni, and friends of HMC. HMC cannot guarantee HMC Scholarship funds to students who do not meet our published deadlines for financial aid applications and/or supporting documents.

Some Harvey Mudd Scholarship funds are named after alumni, friends, or groups and are awarded both on the basis of need and on the basis of specific qualifications as established by the scholarship's donor(s). All financial aid applicants are required to submit a Scholarship Biographic Questionnaire each year which may be used to thank donors who give scholarship funds to HMC. In addition, as a Harvey Mudd Scholarship recipient, you may be asked to write a personal note of thanks to the donor(s) who made your scholarship possible and/or attend a function with the scholarship donor(s).

Federal Grants
When you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you are automatically considered for need-based grants offered by the federal government. If you are eligible, these awards will appear on your Financial Aid Award Letter. These grants do not need to be repaid. Federal grants include:

  • Federal Pell Grant. This program provides need-based federal grants to students based on their family contribution, as determined by the federal government. Recipients must not have already received a bachelor's degree. Grant amounts vary. During the 2011-2012 academic year, the annual award amounts have ranged from $555 to $5,550.
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). The FSEOG is a need-based federal grant available to students with the most exceptional financial need who have not already received a bachelor's degree. Preference is given to Federal Pell Grant recipients who apply for financial aid by our published deadlines. Funds are limited and the annual maximum FSEOG award is $4,000.
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants. Available to undergraduate students, who are not Pell-eligible, but whose parent lost his/her life as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. To qualify, students must have been either under 24 years of age or enrolled in college at the time of their parents' death. Financial need is not a requirement. Award amounts are based on the maximum Pell Grant award for each year and cannot exceed the cost of attendance. Funding is subject to the federal appropriations process.

State Grants

The state of California and other states offer grant aid to students who qualify, including:

Cal Grant Program
Administered through the California Student Aid Commission, the Cal Grant Program provides need-based grants to California residents attending California colleges and universities who are U.S. citizens and permanent U.S. residents. In recent years, the maximum Cal Grant for HMC students has been $9,708.

All California resident financial aid applicants are required to apply for the Cal Grant Program. If you don’t receive the Cal Grant due to an incomplete, an inaccurate, or a late application, the Office of Financial Aid cannot guarantee the equivalent in HMC Scholarship.

To apply for a Cal Grant:

The deadline for applying is March 2. If you do not receive a Cal Grant Entitlement Award during your first year or you are disqualified based on not meeting income, asset, and financial need requirements, you must reapply for a Competitive Cal Grant for your second, third, or fourth year.

Cal Grant awards are announced and finalized in late spring. If at that time we learn that you are eligible for a Cal Grant award, and Cal Grant aid had not been included on your Financial Aid Award Letter, your HMC Scholarship will be reduced by the amount of your Cal Grant award.

NEW INFORMATION: Continuing Cal Grant recipients do not need to submit the Cal Grant G.P.A. Verification Form . However, based on California Education Code section 69432.7(k) effective March 24, 2011, Cal Grant eligibility must be determined each year. Cal Grant recipients will now need to meet income, asset, and financial need requirements, all of which previously applied only to initial Cal Grant recipients. For this reason, you must submit the 2012-2013 FAFSA on or before March 2, 2012.

Other California Student Aid Commission Awards
Applicants who are California residents should also consider applying for these awards sponsored by the California Student Aid Commission:

Grants from Other States
The following states offer grants to resident students attending California colleges and universities: Alaska, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Territories of Guam and the Pacific Islands. For more information, please contact the state agency which delivers funds in your state. A list of addresses and phone numbers of state agencies can be obtained from the U.S. Department of Education.

Last Updated: November 2011