Category: Financial Aid

Chris Seiders ’28 says he greatly appreciates the financial support he has received, and he emphasizes the importance of the academic community that he has found at Carleton. “Coming from a high school that didn’t necessarily perform very well academically, coming to a place that actually cares more about academics has been a nice experience for me. I think only three kids from my class went to college. This has been nice, having more people I can talk to about academic things.”

Like many Carls, Esmeralda “Esme” Garcia-Ramirez ’27 is busy with more than just classes. The prospective biology major works as both a Project Friendship and TRIO peer mentor, acted in the fall theater production Anon(ymous), plays women’s club soccer, and writes newsletters for the Concussion Alliance—a non-profit health organization—all while balancing coursework, working as a lab assistant for Professor Rika Anderson in the biology department, and applying for externships.

Esme says the fact that her daily to-do list can be so long is directly thanks to financial aid. “Scholarships help make dreams come true,” Esme said. “And in my case … they allowed me to focus on what I want to do and be able to explore campus and not have to worry about the financial hardships my family is going through.”

“As someone who applied for a lot of scholarships outside of what the schools provided and got next to nothing, I’m super thankful that people here are willing to give aid to students who really cannot afford to be here otherwise,” says Zubeyda Shute ’25.

Financial aid recipient Miah Francis ’26 shares her experience at Carleton so far, and why she loves being undecided about her major. “I think that’s honestly one of the best things about Carleton. You’re not just pushed into a major but instead encouraged to explore.”

Growing up, pursuing college was not at the forefront of life for financial aid recipient Chloe Epperson ’26. Although she and her friends were aware of higher education, the avenues that would allow them to understand the application process were notably absent; admissions officers weren’t in contact with her high school, and COVID-19 was at its peak.