Aid is based on established need and academic merit. Financial aid packages generally consist of a combination of scholarships, work-study awards, and loans. Courses offered by regular visiting faculty members supplement the curriculum. The primary commitment of the COA faculty is teaching and advising undergraduate students. The College governance system is a combination of pure and representative democracy.
Students participate in all facets of decision making and serve on all standing committees.
All major policy decision are brought for review to the All-College Meeting, where members of the faculty, staff, and student body each have one vote. The Admission Committee composed of students, staff, and faculty members, seeks students who have an enthusiastic and active approach to learning, a strong record of academic achievement, and accompanying intellectual strengths. These qualities should be supplemented with appropriate personal qualities enabling a student to learn in an environment requiring a high degree of self-motivation. The COA application form contains a series of essay questions that require students to think carefully about College of the Atlantic's educational focus. The application is designed to encourage prospective students to reflect on and express personal reasons for choosing a small college with a focus on human ecology.