As I have said several times in this thread @twoinanddone I have up to 6200 to win in outside scholarships. After that my Harvard grant will be reduced.
The laptop reimbursement is for freshman only. You have to use it this year.
However, the 6200 hundred less 2000 isn’t actually getting rid of anything. It’s just making my life easier in that I don’t have to worry about working as much during the term and the summer. And yes for low income kids working can be an issue. Look at “columbia university class confessions” on Facebook and you’ll understand why I was freaking out about this.
^ You’ll need to be more explicit: I’ve gained 8 lb from the chow hall, social worker updates, etc. No clarity
No, OP isn’t understanding. Some of that is how long it took to get the actual numbers laid out here. Some is youth, not understanding the billing cycles, nor how misc expenses can be controlled. And then laced with worries.
OP, take the work study. Don’t even consider not. You will make money toward the ongoing personal (discretionary) and books costs. You may get one of the interesting jobs where you manage responsibilities that can go on a first resume. A manager/professor may then tag you for the next better job. You can make friends. These jobs are built to be easy, usually flexible hours if you have a paper due, etc. Just try to make it an admin/support or community w/s job.
If your mom has you covered on her insurance, you can waive H’s plan- they just re-run the numbers, subtract the 2390 from COA and subract 2390 from FA. Comes out par, don’t even worry. Just be sure you sign any waivers by the deadline.
The “billable amounts” referred to are the mandatory costs. 45278 + 15381.
The other “costs” can somewhat be controlled.
OP, kids don’t need 3741 for personal (375/mo.) H is calling it 3741. They include it in the COA, but this is not a “billable” amount. You don’t get a bill for it. They put it in COA to set a bracket idea, that’s all. If you spend less on personal, they don’t go back and revise aid.
Colleges have used books via the bookstore, not an unlimited supply but work this. Or rental arrangements. Or you go to Amazon or an online rental service yourself. Once my kids got savvy, they spent roughly half of the dollar amount their colleges allocated for books. The college doesn’t go back and say, oops, let’s cut FA, she saved on books. But you find ways to streamline the misc or discretionary costs. (Don’t get the wrong edition of a book, just be price savvy.)
Declare all the outside monies you get from entities. Grandad giving you a check for 1k? Fine, don’t declare. (More gets dicey.) But H has had enough baloney and is particularly sensitive to “inaccuracies” or memory lapses in reporting.
No, you don’t need a 1k laptop. Colleges have computer labs, if you need to run something particularly complex. You can get by with a lesser unit and make the bigger purchase decision in a couple of years. And btw, end of first semester, I got D1 a $30 Walmart printer, she used it through college and I’m still using it. D2 used campus printing.
H should offer you discounted s/w packages, free s/w to access their network and their mandated security package. Look it up on their site.
And so on. They’re giving you plenty to cover what they project, billable and misc. Make it work. Earn this summer to have the nest egg, to pay your contribution, buy the first books, have some fun. Take work study and economize as you go.
@lookingforward thank you for the informative post.
However, I’ve some of this of this. Using scholarship money to waive work study and summer contribution means that Harvard will credit my account and give me a check for 4200. I was advised all along to still do work study because it is a formative experience and to make extra money.
So while I understand that doing work study isn’t the end of the world and is a good resume builder, I still was looking to at least reduced the amount of hours even if they aren’t a lot in the first place, and if possible get the laptop reimbursement.
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/work-study
FAQ about work study. It says you can’t exceed your award, but it doesn’t say you can’t work less.
And it says that your class schedule and academic progress will be considered.
The only thing I’d disagree with is “buying a cheaper laptop now and a better one later” right now I’ve been blessed with free money which doesn’t really occur many times in life, I plan to get something that will last rather than being frugal and having it upgrade. But this is assuming I have enough money to get a reimbursement.
I was hoping we could skip the usual “Macs last longer” stuff. One generally doesn’t “need” an upgrade. The only cases where I feel a kid needs some bruiser sort of laptop power is for intensive art programs or engineering. Most kids are doing word processing, accessing the web…and watching movies. The colleges tell you outright, on their webs, what the min requirements are- sometimes, with addl requirements for STEM.
This is your decision. But try to understand the whole picture of your expenses and “needs.”
For many of us, the real question is service, should you need it. Even on a Mac. Read that print. Many schools offer discounts for purchasing through them- usually via Apple and another choice- eg, Dell (which most of us know can be a freaking workhorse- there’s a reason so many work places and U’s have Dells.) We found the college offers more expensive, though. I guess I’m saying, make an informed decision.
@mommdc I’d get a non-work study job, although harder to find since unsubsidized. Honestly, I’ll figure it out eventually.
@lookingforward from what I’ve seen Harvard’s computers are Mac, as in the computer labs. I’d hope I wouldn’t run into a compatibility problem. I haven’t seen all there labs, but I guess that’s a consideration. However, a student say the ubiquity of MacBooks is just the brand status.
Though you already know Cambridge, getting a non w/s job means getting there and conforming to their expectations. Eg, negotiating time off during exams, heavy workload or some program opportunity. If you have some special talent, fine. But most kids I know find w/s a positive.
H supports Mac and PC. Look it up on their web pages. They say it in black and white.
@lookingforward I could get a non work study job on campus (once again restating the increased difficulty) or doing something else like research. Right now it isn’t confirmed but I may be at 2,600 in outside scholarships out of 3,000.
I’m not sure how this 600 dollar scholarship will be applied since there are restrictions on how it is used
Now going my the logic of thus thread since I must report everything, if I get one more scholarship I’ll be over my work study allowance and can’t work. It’s probably too late.
You definitely don’t need a Mac (which I’ve mentioned twice, of course XD). It doesn’t matter what the computers in the computer labs are because you won’t even need to bring your laptop in there to hook-up to their stuff, thus, there won’t be a compatibility issue. You can put your files on flash drives which are universally compatible, or email them to yourself. Macs are absolutely, 100% prestige/status pieces and over-priced by at least 30% (if not closer to 50%) because rich people love them, and thus Apple can charge more. That’s just how luxury brands work. You seem sensible and smart, so I’m sure you’ll make a more practical choice and stretch your funds as far as they’ll go. You can get the same quality laptop–or better–from Dell for half the price. Or a third of the price. (just do the extended warranty, as I suggested, which is smart no matter where you get your computer) Take it from one “didn’t grow up rich” person with friends who grew up in poverty (and we all went to BU on scholarships): go with a Dell now, and buy fancy computers when you’re older and gainfully employed.
And do work/study! I loved my work/study–the jobs are specifically designed to be pretty easy/low key and super flexible, so it’s practically free money. Except you DO get valuable work experience and make connections. When I graduated, in addition to a few internships and a part time job, I had four years of administrative experience on my resume which gave me a leg up. Plus, I had work/study in my department at school, which gave me insider access to professors, department trade secrets, etc… For instance, I was able to get into a graduate level journalism class with a superstar professor as a special exception, because I was a work/study in the school’s office and the journalism department secretary liked me. Your work/study job will be less stressful than any other job you could get (retail, waiting tables, etc.), but gives you a steady stream of cash. And an outside job wouldn’t think twice about firing you if you miss a shift, whereas that won’t happen with work/study.
@proudterrier I think it took the this post but you’ve sold me! I’ll look into not MacBooks. I think like you said I always had the impression they were the thing to have.
And I love the screen name and avi. I was wondering earlier when you mentioned running to get printing done. It’s subtle but shows your school pride!
That’s a good anecdote, but as I said if I next one more scholarships I most likely be unable to work a work study since it’s federally funded. Maybe next year. Thankfully I have a solid internship lined up this year so I at lease have clout.
Sounds like Harvard’s aid works just like my D’s Princeton aid. Outside scholarships reduce work study and student’s summer savings first and freshmen only are allowed a one time computer purchase (up to $1000) with any extra outside scholarships before the school grants start being reduced. My daughter did get enough outside scholarships ($5500) freshman year to get a Mac from Princeton. BTW we reported ALL scholarship money to Princeton including the $1500 check made directly to her.
@dancelance you need to set aside some money to pay your federal taxes (and possibly state) next spring. My daughter owed about $600 in taxes on her room & board aid for the first half of freshman year and for her 2nd year owed almost $2000 between Fed & State.
Don’t worry if your work study gets reduced. It might be better first semester not to work. But if an opportunity comes up to work a few hours in a department related to your major, you could still work if it’s a non federal ws job.
I think annoyingdad mentioned that ws job income won’t be subject to FICA taxes and fws income also is considered income from need based employment and doesn’t figure into your income for FAFSA.
Some of the scholarships might also only be for the first year and then like you said you could do fws next year.
I don’t get it. OP was offered work study, but “doesn’t want to worry about having to work while taking classes”?
Well lah-di-dah, of course the OP shouldn’t have to work while taking classes! But then perhaps they shouldn’t need a laptop either…
The thing to find out is, if the OP has more to pay than their EFC, Harvard may allow scholarships up to that point. But if the OP has scholarships that, when added to the Harvard grant FA, exceed the cost of attending minus the EFC, Harvard may decrease their grants.
I don’t know ANY college that would be sympathetic to “but my family lives paycheck to paycheck and can’t pay the EFC”. That’s true of many of us. But the EFC is calculated the same for everyone, it doesn’t matter if there are monthly mortgage payments, credit card payments, car loans, etc. If the OP’s parent took out loans in the past, it does not decrease the EFC. Tough crackers.
Perhaps the OP needs to read about Harvard’s policies on outside FA and then look into more economical colleges ASAP:
https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid/types-aid/outside-awards
"Funds from outside awards are incorporated into your financial aid package in three steps:
First to replace term-time job expectation.
Next to replace summer earnings expectation.
If you have outside awards that exceed your term-time & summer work expectation, the remaining amount would replace an equal amount of Harvard scholarship.
Since outside awards are additional resources that reduce your financial need, they cannot be used to replace your parent contribution."
Do the work study job. Work study income is NOT used at all in the financial aid calculations for the following financial cycle.
Income from NON-work study jobs is used to calculate your need based aid the following year.
And just be prepared…the student contribution increases each year.
The work study job will help you focus and use your time well. Also you will have to prioritize to use your ‘free time’ pursuing some of the ‘free’ or ‘low cost’ activities. You probably have a higher likelihood of finding other low income peers. You will be surrounded by more privileges students.
Some people don’t learn the life lessons you have up to this point. Look at it as giving you advantages others do not have. Everyone has suffering in life (some with physical ailments, mentally ill or disabled parents, etc; I am a stage III cancer survivor so glad my kids didn’t have to deal with more) - many people with financial advantages have other issues in life just like you may have - money is just one dimension. When you have your health, you have a lot. Look for happiness - I think you can find it if you mature emotionally along the process - you have had to mature up to this point to be as academically successful as you have been.
You are a smart cookie. I agree to eek out w/o much with student loans, but if you have to take out a little loan money - see how the tax situation works out. The student loan can be the ‘safety’ to pay that bill.
Posters here look like they are helping you look at all angles.
A college friend was from parents working class, and ‘Anna’ was very bright. She did work study w/o hindering her at all. My parents were financially in a little better position but had 3 kids start college at one time (my older siblings deferred starting) so I worked some in the kitchen (load/unload commercial dishwasher) for the evening meals (M - F cafeteria) - it helped with pocket money, so I didn’t have to ask parents for money during the school term (was on own
for meals on weekends; had a kitchen available and grocery store about a mile away but close to bus line). Also got some hours working in the school day care.
Have a great time in college while achieving your academic goals. Wake up happy and go to sleep happy.
There is a rather huge tome of a book sold at good bookstores in the SAT prep section that covers all scholarships. The hidden scholarship market often goes untapped because it’s not common knowledge. This market comprises fraternal organizations, foundations, the corporate sector, small business, local town scholarships, plus philanthropic scholarships donated by some person in their will. Scholarships must be applied for & likely include transcripts, recs, a portfolio, essay, or interview. These awards are not part of the regular govt awards of staffords & pell grants. A lot of the ivies now use their endowment & give grants, not loans. The National Merit awards are based on which kids’ parents are attached to the corporate sponsors of the award. Best option-go part-time.