Whitman College has reached a historic milestone: The Whitman College Board of Trustees has voted to begin meeting the full demonstrated financial need of students, beginning with first-year and transfer students in the 2026–2027 academic year and expanding over the following three years to cover all future classes.
“The impact of meeting full need for future generations of students will be profound,” says Joe Davis, Chair of Whitman’s Board of Trustees. “It will expand opportunity and ensure that students from all backgrounds can fully participate in the learning, research and community experiences that define Whitman.”
With this new commitment, Whitman joins a select group of highly regarded U.S. colleges making the promise to meet students’ full financial need.
Whitman’s path to this moment has been more than 10 years in the making as part of the college’s strategic planning to increase access and affordability. A significant step forward came thanks to a historic gift from the Weingart family, which created an endowment making it possible for Whitman to meet the full demonstrated need of students from Washington state.
Meeting full need is a reflection of Whitman’s mission: making a transformative education accessible to students of every background.
This significant initiative in financial aid—which will include all students, regardless of state or country of origin—is possible thanks to the generosity of more than 15,000 people who have supported the Upward Together campaign. Alumni, families and friends of Whitman have invested deeply in the college’s future, ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of opportunity.
Ongoing gifts to The Whitman Fund will ensure that by the 2029–2030 academic year, the college will be meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all enrolled students.
Meeting full need is just one part of Whitman’s approach to supporting students and affordability. The college also offers robust merit-based scholarships to recognize exceptional academic achievement, talent and leadership, regardless of a student’s financial circumstances.
In recent years, an innovative approach to scholarship and aid has set Whitman apart, making the financial aid process easier and less confusing for prospective students and their families. One highlight of this approach is Whitman’s Early Financial Aid Guarantee.
With this easy-to-access tool, high school seniors can see their financial aid—both merit scholarships and need-based aid—before they even apply. It’s a level of transparency that’s garnered Whitman national recognition and one that is currently unmatched by other colleges that meet full demonstrated need. This combination of care and clarity in financial aid sets Whitman apart in the college search process.
By removing financial barriers, Whitman will open doors for talented students, while creating a more socioeconomically diverse student body, enriching campus life and expanding opportunities for all students to engage in research, internships, campus clubs and community involvement.
“In our interconnected world, it’s vital to bring together different perspectives and lived experiences for creative approaches to complex problems,” says Sarah Bolton, Whitman College President. “When students from all backgrounds learn together, they’re better equipped to innovate and create solutions that address the challenges and opportunities of our time.”
This milestone reaffirms the college’s mission to ensure that promising scholars and leaders, regardless of background, have access to the distinctive education and transformative experiences Whitman provides.
It means that once a student is admitted, Whitman will provide financial aid to cover the full difference between the total cost of attendance and the amount the student and family are expected to contribute, based on their financial aid materials.
Demonstrated need is calculated using the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. These forms consider family income, assets, household size and other factors to determine an expected family contribution.
This commitment will apply to the first-year class entering in Fall 2026. Over the following three years, as each new class arrives, it will expand until all future Whitman students benefit from full-need financial aid.
Need-based aid is awarded based on a family’s financial circumstances. Merit scholarships are awarded based on a student’s academic achievement, leadership experience or talent in a specific area, regardless of financial need. Many Whitman students receive both forms of aid.
The Early Financial Aid Guarantee is a unique tool that allows high school seniors to find out exactly how much they qualify for in need-based or merit-based aid before they even apply to Whitman.This gives students and families more confidence and clarity in the college search process.
Whitman is the only college currently offering this level of transparency for prospective students, not as an estimate but as a guarantee.
The new commitment applies to incoming classes beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year. We remain fully dedicated to supporting today’s students through robust need-based aid, merit and talent scholarships, and work-study opportunities. In recent years, Whitman has been able to meet the full demonstrated need of about 80–90% of incoming classes. For those whose need is not fully met, Whitman meets at least 95% of each student’s demonstrated financial need.
Aid packages typically include a loan component along with scholarships, grants and work-study opportunities. However, Whitman is committed to keeping loans small and work-study manageable. On average, Whitman graduates leave with 55% less debt than the national average for undergraduate students.
Meeting full need is the result of years of planning and fundraising, including the success of the Upward Together campaign and generous support from alumni, families and friends of the college.
By removing financial barriers, Whitman will attract and enroll a more socioeconomically diverse student body. This strengthens the learning environment and ensures every student can fully participate in the Whitman experience. It also provides another tool in fulfilling the college’s mission to produce graduates who become the world’s next great thinkers, leaders and changemakers.