OP already applied for a host of awards. Plus he’s now saying he may get a total such that H takes the work study off the table. It happens.
But what OP needs to do is summarize what the issue is now…since this thread has jumped-
and not post any thing without proofing to check we can read it. Too many nonsense phrases coming through.
@rhandco Um… You need to read the whole thread since your comment doesn’t even make sense in the context of this thread. Like nothing you brought up is relevant to the discussion. Parental contribution was never even discussed so I’m really confused why you brought that up, everybody in the post knows this.
I read the thread, including this part by the OP:
"on paper Harvard is affordable for my family. I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity. I don’t have any money for indirect costs–books, laptop, etc. Its ust my single parent has no savings for anything else. We live paycheck to paycheck. "
So you think you will just get outside scholarships and Harvard will just not care about the extra money?
Yes, if you get extra money, per my post Harvard will not “make you” do work study. Other than that, if you get more scholarship money than to cover your work study, Harvard will decrease what it gives your family.
Totally off-topic, keep with your magical thinking OP. Apply for as many scholarships as you can, and spend your time defeating yourself.
@rhandco you just seem a tad bitter or am I missing something. You’re post was completely addressed before you even posted . I’m trying to get 6200 hundred in scholarship money, I have 2600 potentially I’m not close to Harvard reducing my grants.
Harvard will let me buy a laptop and cover my summer contribution. That’s a pretty good deal in my book and it’s not defeating myself or whatever you mean.
I really do not understand what the heck you are talking about, please clarify.
@SOSConcern Thanks! The irony is that I may not do work study this year due to scholarships, but I’ll look into it next year.
And congrats on beating cancer. I really appreciate your post–I did lose a parent while in school.
@mommdc thank you! Yeah I looked up the work study issue, thankfully work study is exempted from the income tax.
@thumper1 I’ll try to do it, but as was noted, I may not be able to if my scholarships exceed 3000 since that work study allowance is technically federal aid. I wasn’t able to call the FA office today and clarify.
Did you mean FICA tax? Yes, but still federal and state income tax depending on the income amount.
I guess I don’t understand the point of the thread at all. First post was you are desperate for scholarships to pay for books, a lap top, your contribution so suggestions were made that you could work or take the Stafford loan to cover the extras you need. No, you don’t need that because you’ve applied for lots of scholarships and have enough for school, and in fact your laptop might be covered by one of the scholarships and Harvard will even allow that without reducing your aid. You don’t want to work. You want excess scholarship money. Great. Most of our kids would like that too. Not realistic.
What did you want from the parents of CC? We can’t get you more scholarship money. We thought you were looking for ideas of how to get more money to pay for books and a laptop, but it turns out you’ll get this money from all the grants you’ve already been awarded. You just wanted to complain that your friends received more scholarship money to college than you did.
@mommdc yes that’s what I meant.
I guess I was also considering doing fall clean up which pays something like 600. But I’m thinking summer earnings, work study, and dorm crew would put me over the 6,000 FAFSA protection and I shouldn’t do it…
Earnings from a federal work study position are not included towards the income protection allowance on the FAFSA.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1516/help/fotw28c.htm
Federal Work study income won’t be included in FAFSA calculation. Also since you have 0 EFC and if your parent’s income is low enough, your income won’t be considered.
@lookingforward. My apologies. And I’m not sure, I think my questions were answered a while back and there’s no ongoing issue. Rather people are lending their knowledge and this post is becoming a large database. There was so much I didn’t know before this post I guess,
When you file taxes next year you will put your AGI, which includes work study earnings, in answer to the fafsa AGI question. Then you would put your work study earnings in answer to the fafsa question that asks for earnings from need based employment. That amount will be subtracted from your AGI in the fafsa formula. So it’s a little tricky, you need to pay attention to the need based employment question later on the fafsa.
Thank you @annoyingdad! Very important info.
It sounds like OP’s financial concerns have been pretty much rested based on info gathered. If other concerns crop up, or if OP wants to share helpful posts. I for one would like to hear the ‘happy ending’. What are you going to study, OP, and what are your academic and career dreams? Do your best every day (in all aspects of life) and continue to pursue what you are called to do.
I would go over all the numbers with FA office to make sure everything is crystal clear before turning down work study first year. They will hopefully have helpful insight and experiences to share. Maybe how some funds could be applied to year 2 if that helps. Going over anything you are unclear about (of going over for verification) with the total financial picture and with any tax implications with FA office before you begin school, and make sure you know all the offices/help available to you (you may see some of it now if you have student access via www). That way you can have the peace of mind to apply yourself fully to your college experiences w/o financial worry/distractions. Also as you make friends who may be in similar circumstances, learn and share what you have learned on how all of this stuff works. It would be a real bummer to have a ‘financial penalty’ because you went $100 over a threshold.
Sorry for the loss of your parent OP.
One more clarification to add since posters keep telling you to still take the work study. If you are lucky enough to come up with the 3k outside scholarship to replace the work study obligation, then work study is no longer available. It is a need based program, and your need is being replaced by the outside scholarship. Character building aside, I don’t think any poster here seriously believes that you should give up free money and work instead. Of course you are free to take non work study positions if you would like additional income.