New financial aid policy makes undergraduate education even more affordable

Annapolis, Md./Santa Fe, N.M. [November 19, 2024] — St. John’s College, the third-oldest college in the country, with campuses located in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and renowned for its Great Books discussion-based curriculum, today announced a change to its financial aid policy to support students from families earning $75,000 or less. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), show total income of $75,000 or less, and have typical assets are guaranteed to receive institutional and federal grants equal to or greater than the cost of freshman year tuition. Depending upon individual financial need, students may also receive grants, loans, and work study opportunities that reduce the cost of housing and food. After freshman year, unless income or assets change, the grants will remain the same. 

“A key tenet of our college is an education for all, and we follow that mission by being a leader in affordability nationwide,” says St. John’s College Annapolis President Nora Demleitner. “While tuition costs often make an independent college seem out of reach for many, St. John’s is committed to offering our distinctive and unique education to everyone, regardless of family resources.”

St. John’s is regularly ranked a “best value” because its tuition and scholarships make it one of the most affordable top liberal arts colleges in the country. All applicants to St. John’s, domestic and international, are eligible for generous merit scholarships and need-based financial aid. A small number of full-tuition merit scholarships are available to top students applying Early Decision or Early Action. Dedicated funding is also available for Marylanders and New Mexicans who want to stay in their state. As part of the Freeing Minds capital campaign, the college raised more than $326 million to lower tuition by a third in 2018, while offering 100 percent Pell Grant matches; more robust health, wellness, and academic supports; and a paid internship opportunity to every student who wants one.

“St. John’s has benefited from the unwavering commitment of our alumni and friends. Their generous philanthropic support has been decisive in sustaining the excellence and integrity of our academic programs and extending the scholarships needed to open the door wide to students from all walks of life,” says St. John’s College Santa Fe President J. Walter Sterling. “Their generosity enables our Santa Fe campus to provide an excellent and affordable residential liberal arts and sciences education that is unparalleled in our city, state, and region.”

St. John’s College offers a Bachelor of Arts in the liberal arts through its undergraduate program, as well as Master of Arts degrees in the liberal arts and in Eastern Classics through the Graduate Institute. Applications are currently being accepted for 2025. To learn more and to apply, visit the college’s website.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE

St. John’s College is the most distinctive college in the country due to our interdisciplinary program, in which 200 of the most revolutionary great books from across 3,000 years of human thought are explored in student-driven, discussion-based classes. By probing world-changing ideas in literature, philosophy, mathematics, science, music, history, and more, students leave St. John’s with a foundation for success in such fields as law, government, research, STEM, media, and education. Located on two campuses in two historic state capitals—Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico—St. John’s is the third-oldest college in the United States and has been hailed as the “most forward-thinking, future-proof college in America” by Quartz and as a “high-achieving angel hovering over the landscape of American higher education” by the Los Angeles Times. Learn more at sjc.edu.

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MEDIA CONTACTS: Sara Luell, St. John’s College Annapolis, sara.luell(at)sjc.edu

Frank O’Mahony, St. John’s College Santa Fe, 505-455-6169, fomahony(at)sjc.edu