Financial Aid

Students that exemplify high academic achievement are chosen by Bridgewater College to qualify for the following distinctive awards.  BC will inform students of their eligibility after they are admitted to the College.

President’s Merit Award – Full Tuition Scholarship
First year students with a truly outstanding academic record will be invited to compete for Bridgewater’s highest scholarship award, which is open only to members of the Flory Honors Program. This award equals the full cost of tuition, renewable for a total of eight semesters, provided students remain in the honors program. The application process for this scholarship highly competitive and is sent to eligible students after they are admitted. All admission and scholarship requirements must be completed by January 28 in order to be considered. Commuter students are not eligible.

Flory Honors Scholarship
First-year students with a high school GPA of 3.8 or higher, and a strong record of academic achievement, will be invited to join the Flory Honors Program. Students that confirm their enrollment in the Program will receive an annual scholarship of $1,500 in addition to their BC Merit Scholarship.

This $2,000 scholarship is available to students who do not reside in the state of Virginia and who are not eligible for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant.

Scholarships of $1,000 are available to students who are members of the Church of the Brethren.

Students that exemplify high academic achievement are chosen by Bridgewater College to qualify for the following distinctive awards.  BC will inform students of their eligibility after they are admitted to the College.

President’s Merit Award – Full Tuition Scholarship
Entering transfer students with at least 24 credits and cumulative post-secondary GPA of at least 3.9 will be invited to apply for this scholarship. The award equals full-tuition and can be received for a total of six semesters provided the student remains active in the honors program. The application process for this scholarship is highly competitive and is sent to eligible students after they are admitted. All admission and scholarship requirements must be completed by May 12 in order to be considered. Commuter students are not eligible.

Flory Honors Scholarship
Transfer students with at least 24 credits and cumulative post-secondary GPA of 3.8 or higher will be invited to join the Flory Honors Program. Students that confirm their enrollment in the Program will receive an annual Honors scholarship of $500. Phi Theta Kappa scholarship recipients are ineligible to receive the Honors scholarship.

$500 scholarship for those students who transfer with a membership in Phi Theta Kappa from a community college.

A $1,000 grant is available to transfers who earned an associate degree from a Virginia two-year public institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and who have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC)/Student Aid Index (SAI) from the FAFSA of $12,000 or less. A complete description of eligibility and application requirements is available from this 2024-25 Two Year College Transfer Grant Application (schev.edu) from State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

This $2,000 scholarship is available to students who do not reside in the state of Virginia and who are not eligible for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant.

Scholarships of $1,000 are available to students who are members of the Church of the Brethren.

• If you filed a 2024-2025 FAFSA, the federal processing center will send a 2025-2026 renewal notification to the email address listed on your 2024-2025 FAFSA.
• If you did not provide an email address, the notification will be sent to the home address listed on your 2024-2025 FASFA.
• The Renewal FAFSA can only be filed when the Department of Education makes the 2025-2026 FAFSA available to the public. Bridgewater College’s priority deadline for financial aid is April 1. Include BC’s school code of 003704 on your application.

Students must meet the requirements specified below in order to receive Title IV federal aid.

• Qualitative Measure: Students must have at least a 1.700 cumulative grade point average by completion of their second semester and at least a 2.000 cumulative grade point average by completion of their fourth semester. A minimum year-end 2.000 cumulative grade point average must then be maintained until graduation.
• Quantitative Measure: Students must successfully complete at least 67% of the courses they attempt. Withdrawn (W) grades and transfer credits count as attempted hours for this purpose.
• Maximum Time Frame: Students must complete their program by the time they have attempted 150% of the hours required for their degree program.
• If a student does not meet the specified requirements, they may make an appeal for aid if extenuating circumstances existed. The financial aid committee rules on all satisfactory academic progress appeals.

Endowed Scholarships

Numerous endowed scholarships, funded by our generous alumni and other private donors, are also available. Each scholarship has select criteria and eligibility requirements associated with it. BC currently has more than 240 endowed scholarships. You are automatically considered for these scholarships after you submit the FAFSA.

• College Savings Plan Network
• Private College 529
• Virginia Invest 529
  1-888-567-0540
• Virginia Prepaid 529
  1-888-567-0540

• College Board
• Scholarship.com, LLC
• Scholarship Guidance Search Service
• Tuition Funding Sources (TFS)

• ACS Scholars Program
• AFCEA STEM Teacher for America’s Future
• BAM Scholarship
• Epsilon Sigma Alpha Foundation Scholarships
• The Gates Millennium Scholars Program
• GE-Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Scholarship Program
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
• The Jackie Robinson Foundation
• J.T. – Minnie Maude Charitable Trust
• Mary Blackwell Barnes Memorial Scholarship
• National Merit Scholarship
• Ron Brown Scholar Program
• Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Rhodes Scholar
• Tillman Military Scholars Program

• Arlington Community Foundation
• Central Blue Ridge Community Foundation
• The Community Foundation of Richmond and Central Virginia
• The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia
• Community Foundation of the Dan River Region
• Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.
• Hampton Roads Community Foundation
• Peninsula Community Foundation of Virginia
• Shenandoah Community Foundation
• Southeast Virginia Community Foundation

To check legitimacy of scholarship search services or individuals, for information about financial aid scams, and tips to avoid being scammed visit these web sites:

• Better Business Bureau
• Federal Trade Commission
• U.S. Department of Education

Veterans’ educational benefits can be used at Bridgewater College. The process can be started by going to vets.gov/education to request a Certificate of Eligibility. The certificate should then be forwarded to the registrar, Sherry Phelps, for certification. The registrar can be reached at sphelps2@bridgewater.edu and 540-828-5313.

Please visit our Veterans and Military Service page for more information on services and benefits available for veterans and military service members.

Please inform the Office of Financial Aid about outside scholarships by emailing scholarship notifications to finaid@bridgewater.edu.

Outside scholarship checks should be mailed to:

Office of Student Accounts
College Box 27
Bridgewater College
402 E. College St.
Bridgewater, VA 22812-1599

By reviewing your FAFSA analysis, we can determine your eligibility for these federal grants:

Federal Pell Grant

• Amount determined by government calculation
• Must enroll in at least 12 credits in a semester to receive full funding for that semester

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

• Award given to selected Pell Grant recipient

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework
• Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25)
• Must not have earned a bachelor’s degree or post-baccalaureate degree
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to serve

Note: If a recipient fails to complete the service requirement as described in the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve, the TEACH Grant will be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accruing from the date the grant was disbursed.

For more information about federal financial aid programs, visit the Federal Student Aid website.

If you are a resident of Virginia, you may be eligible for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG).

Students must meet all the basic eligibility requirements set forth by the General Assembly and detailed in the TAG regulations:

• Be a full-time domiciled resident of Virginia for at least one year prior to receiving TAG.
• Be enrolled as a full-time student for a minimum of 12 semester credits at Bridgewater College in an eligible degree program.

You can obtain the application in one of two ways:

• You will receive a TAG application in your award package from the financial aid office, which you can then submit.
• You can print out and complete the 2024-2025 application now.

New students must complete the TAG application and submit it to the Financial Aid office by September 15. 

*Please note: The estimated award for 2025-2026 is $5,250. The amount for each year depends on the funding allocated by the General Assembly and the total number of eligible applicants. TAG may be received for a maximum of eight semesters.

If funds are not sufficient to make full TAG awards to all eligible students, a priority system is used to determine the size of the awards. Students in the first categories must receive full funding before subsequent categories can be considered:

• Category 1: Returning students who are eligible for fall and spring terms and received a TAG award in the previous fiscal year.
• Category 2: New students to the College’s TAG program who are eligible for fall and spring terms, and who apply for the TAG program by September 15. This category includes new students, transfers and returning students who did not receive a TAG award in the previous fiscal year.
• Category 3: New students to the TAG program who attend the fall term, and who apply between September 16 and October 1.
• Category 4: All students applying for spring term awards only, and who apply by December 1.

If funding is insufficient to fully award all students, it is possible that some students will receive no award. Upon receipt of fall semester enrollment from eligible institutions, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) will determine whether or not sufficient funds exist to make the official award of $5,250 with a second disbursement of $2,625. If SCHEV finds it necessary to award an amount less than $5,250, Bridgewater College will make an adjustment on the student’s account for spring semester and submit a revised billing.

SCHEV has more information on state financial aid for Virginia residents.

Federal Direct Loans are available to students who have submitted the FAFSA regardless of the demonstration of eligibility for need-based aid.

• Aid analysis determines type of Direct Loan
  • Subsidized: Government pays interest until six months after the student graduates, drops below half-time status or withdraws
  • Unsubsidized: Student responsible for interest accrued while in school
• Maximum eligibility for Direct Loan funds each year depends on academic level
  • First Year Students (0-25 credits): $5,500
  • Sophomores (26-59 credits): $6,500
  • Juniors/Seniors (60+ credits): $7,500
• For loans disbursed between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, the interest rate will be fixed at 6.53% for subsidized and unsubsidized loans.
• Repayment begins 6 months after you graduate, drop below half-time status, or withdraw.
• If your parent has an adverse credit history, consider having him or her apply for the PLUS Loan. A dependent student whose parent is denied a Federal PLUS Loan may borrow an additional unsubsidized Direct Loan, which has a better interest rate and terms than most private alternative loans. The maximum, additional unsubsidized amount is $4,000 for first year students and sophomores, and $5,000 for juniors/seniors.
• Students who borrow Federal Direct Loans will have their loan information submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This information will be accessible to guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the system.
• New borrowers need to complete a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note and Federal Direct Loan Entrance Counseling on StudentLoans.gov. You will need your FSA ID to sign in. To apply for a FSA ID, please proceed first to the Create a New FSA ID Site

Additional information about Federal Direct Loans, repayment plans and a federal/private loan repayment estimator is available at StudentAid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans.

The PLUS loan is for parents. The student must still file the FAFSA for eligibility.

• For loans disbursed between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, the interest rate is a fixed 9.08%.
• Repayment begins within 60 days after final disbursement. However, it is possible to postpone principal and interest payments while the student is enrolled.
• Request the PLUS Loan at Student Loans.gov. You should request the amount you wish to borrow for the academic year. The financial aid office will schedule half of the loan to disburse to the student’s account shortly after the beginning of each semester.
• When a parent is denied a PLUS loan based on adverse credit, the student is allowed to borrow an additional unsubsidized loan. The maximum, additional unsubsidized amount is $4,000 for first year students and sophomores, and $5,000 for juniors/seniors.
• Parents who borrow Federal Direct PLUS Loans will have the loan information submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This information will be accessible to guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the system.
• A parent borrower must complete a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note on the Federal Student Aid website if this is the first time you are borrowing for your student.

Additional information about Federal Direct PLUS Loans is available at the Federal Student Aid website.

Get information to assist veterans, military personnel and their families.

We encourage students and parents to take advantage of the federal loan programs before opting for private loans, which generally have higher interest rates and higher fees than federal loans. Private loans are offered by private lending institutions and are not guaranteed by the federal government.

These funds are available to students who may not be eligible for federal financial aid or who may need to bridge the gap between the actual cost of education and their federal financial aid.

• The lender will interpret credit history and other determining factors to see if the student is eligible. A cosigner is recommended in order to obtain the best rate and terms available.
• Interest rates are normally variable and can change on a quarterly basis. Students are responsible for researching the terms and conditions of these loans.
• Private loans are not federally guaranteed. Therefore, they do not have the same deferment, cancellation, and consolidation benefits as federal loans.
• Private loan lenders are required to provide borrowers with three separate disclosure statements. Please read these disclosures carefully and be aware you have to actively accept the terms of your loan and complete a self-certification form in order for the loan to be disbursed.

Bridgewater College does not have a preferred lender list or any preferred lender arrangements.

A student can choose to borrow from any lender that offers private alternative loans. Please use the self-certification form your lender sends you or provides online. If you need assistance completing the form or need a blank form, please contact the office of financial aid. Bridgewater College will certify (based on eligibility) a private/alternative loan from any lender the student chooses.

Alternative Loan Lenders

Below is a comprehensive list of alternative loan lenders from which students at Bridgewater College have borrowed during 2018-2023. Lenders that are no longer offering private alternative loans have been removed from the list. The list is in alphabetical order only. Bridgewater College does not endorse any lender and expresses no opinion with respect to any lender.

• *ABNB Federal Credit Union
• *Anheuser-Busch Employee’s Credit Union
• Ascent 
• Citizens
• Monogram/Custom Choice
• College Avenue Student Loans
• College Foundation of North Carolina – NC Residents Only
• *CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union
• Funding U
• Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) – MA Residents Only
• *Members 1st Federal Credit Union
• *Navy Federal Credit Union
• New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corporation
• NYMEO Federal Credit Union
• PA Forward Student Loans – PA Residents Only
• Sallie Mae Student Loans
• SoFi Student Loans
• *State Employee’s Credit Union of Maryland
• *Thrivent Federal Credit Union
• York Educational Credit Union

*Requires membership

In order to be part of the Federal Work-Study Program, you must submit a FAFSA and be eligible for work on the basis of financial need.

If federal work-study is listed on your aid package, you will be contacted by August regarding job placement and required employment documentation.

For more information check out student employment.