<p>Hi all,
my financial aid prediction says that I need to earn a certain quota per semester through "casual employment". Does that mean I am required to get an on-campus job? If the on-campus job page on the Columbia website also lists several student enterprises, does that imply that Columbia will not keep track of /how/ I am earning the money as long as I can meet the quota?</p>
<p>I've also heard that getting scholarships can lower the quota. Is this true, or will it detract from my financial aid?</p>
<p>As I understand it, casual employment is just used to cover your day-to-day expenses, textbooks, etc. I don’t think Columbia keeps track, as long as you’ve got enough to pay for tuition and fees. And yes, outside scholarships are first used to cancel out your work expectation.</p>
<p>After my work expectation is satisfied with scholarship money, does the rest go into lowering my financial aid?
I’m trying to figure out if there will be any adverse affects if I just machine gun the scholarship apps.</p>
<p>Scholarship money goes toward work-study, then casual employment, then financial aid. So unless you don’t have a work-study expectation, you should probably go for the full ride scholarships.</p>