<p>Just received my Award Letter from Bates College in Maine and it was incredibly generous, just as I had hoped. Here's an overview of the package but I also have a few questions.</p>
<p>Just relieved my FA Award Letter in the mail . . .</p>
<p>Cost of Attendance:
Comprehensive Fee: $ 57,350
Estimated Books and Supplies: $ 800
Estimated Travel and Personal: $ 1,550
Total: $ 59,700</p>
<p>Financial Need (Cost Minus Family Contribution): $ 52,938</p>
<p>Financial Aid Award (Full Year):
College Scholarship: $ 51,238
Student Employment: $1,700</p>
<p>Total: $52,938</p>
<p>With FAFSA I was told that I was eligible for the Federal Pell Grant of up to $ 5,500 (I had and EFC of 00000). Am I still eligible for the grant? Was it already included in the college scholarship I was given? Can I still obtain it? Also Books, Supplies, Travel and Personal Expenses are included in the package. But I don't understand, does that mean the school is paying for these "extraneous" expenses or is it coming out of my package?</p>
<p>Wow - congrats on the great package - almost all grant money with no loans and even a small work study amount!</p>
<p>You should contact the FA department and ask them about the Pell Grant. Pell is an entitlement and if you are eligible, it should be in your package. However, since there is no un-met need, the net result would be that the institutional grant would just be replaced/reduced by the amount of the Pell.</p>
<p>As for the miscellaneous expenses - they are not direct expenses billed by the college. You will pay those yourself. They are the college’s best estimate for those expenses to put in the cost of attendance. looks like their “comprehensive fee” is probably tuition/room/board. Basically your scholarship grant will cover most of that.</p>
<p>Congratulations on the wonderful scholarship!</p>
<p>Contact the financial aid office and ask them about the grant, and also about Stafford loans if you need them to come up with the $5762 in expected family contribution. </p>
<p>The school probably assumes that the scholarship money will cover tuition, etc. and that books, supplies, travel, etc. will come out of your family/student $5762. </p>
<p>Also be aware that the student employment most likely will also be expected to pay for your books, etc. and will not be subtracted from your bill. So that will not be credited toward your bill for semesters.</p>
<p>You will have to ask your college if the scholarship amount includes the PELL grant. The PELL is an entitlement grant that you can get on top of full financial aid, so as far as the government is concerned, you can get the amount on top of what the college gives you even if it exceeds COA and takes care of your EFC. However, many if not most colleges, but not all colleges, integrate that amount into their aid, and will not give you financial aid beyond what they calculate as your need. Only your college knows what that scholarship amount has in it, whether it is all financial aid from the schools funds, whether you got a merit award, whether it is a mix of things, and importantly to you, whether it includes the PELL.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that even if you do have a Pell grant, your financial aid package will likely not change.</p>
<p>The only thing that will happen is that the school’s institutional aid will be reduced by the cost of the pell grant. The EFC most likely will not go down (even if student does have a 0000 EFC), because Bates is a profile school.</p>
<p>Bates has a comprehensive fee (includes tuition, room and board, and fees) of $57,235. </p>
<p>the parent contribution 4,962 + College Scholarship: $ 51,238 = 56,200
Once you add the student contribution of 1800 the comprehensive fees are covered.</p>
<p>If does not cover books. Op should earn a little more than summer contribution s/he will need start up money to purchase books.</p>
<p>Work study funds will be used for misc. items that student will need (movie tickets, pizza, laundry, etc).</p>