<p>I haven't been accepted to Columbia yet but I just discovered something very important that may affect whether or not I can attend. Apparently, Columbia doesn't allow outside scholarships to replace the parent contribution. My parent's EFC is about 7300 but they aren't going to help me pay. They expect for me to get a lot of scholarships and to take care of paying by myself. If my parents refuse to pay, will I not be able to attend? Also, I applied to Barnard, Harvard, Princeton and Cornell. Do they have the same policy?</p>
<p>You’re correct, outside scholarships will only decrease your workstudy and then they will replace your grant money, according to the site. It’s kind of unfortunate, but makes sense from their end. I would assume most of the Ivies have this same policy as they all give significant grant money - but check yourself.</p>
<p>The only thing that helps here is assuming you get another job to replace the time you would have spent on workstudy, all of that money can be used towards your tuition or personal expenses. Could work out better for you, who knows. I would talk to the financial office if you are admitted if you have concerns.</p>