<p>I received an $18,000/year scholarship from a college (tuition is about $30,000/year)
Will this money be subtracted from the FAFSA amount? </p>
<p>For example, if my Expected Family Contribution is $0, then how will the money system work? Will I get extra money to spend on other expenses such as gas for transportation and books? </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
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<p>What do you mean by the “FAFSA amount”?</p>
<p>Your family contribution is expected to be paid by your family in most situations. Usually scholarships reduce your need. College will then reduce your need based awards (because you have less need due to your scholarship) usually taking loans away first, then self help (like work study).</p>
<p>There are SOME (but not very many) colleges which DO allow stacking of financial aid awards both need based and merit up to the cost of attendance. BUT this is not all that common. You can call the school to see if they allow this.</p>
<p>In most cases, your family contribution is not reduced by the awarding of merit aid.</p>
<p>NOW having said that…if your EFC is really $0, and you got this $18K merit award, you would then also get a $5400 Pell grant, and you would be eligible for the Stafford loan of $5500 as a freshman. This means you are still short about $1000…there isn’t anything left over so far as I can tell.</p>
<p>How are you paying for housing/board, or will you be commuting from home?</p>
<p>I thought that if my EFC is $0, then I would not have to pay anything? Wouldn’t the government cover all costs?
And I am not sure if I will be commuting or dorming; does the government also help in room/board costs?</p>
<p>The FAFSA determines eligibility for federally funded need based aid. If you have a $0 EFC, you would be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant of about $5400…and a Stafford Loan of $5500 as a freshman. You would likely get federal work study, and maybe a Perkins loan. If your school has SEOG, you MIGHT receive that as well…and that is it for federal funding. </p>
<p>If your school costs $30,000 a year for tuition only…and you get an $18,000 merit award, and add in the $5400 Pell and the $5500 Stafford, you get a total aid amount of about $29,000. That doesn’t even cover the tuition amount at the school you are talking about.</p>
<p>Does this college meet full need for accepted students? If it does, you might receive some kind of institutional need based aid in addition to what is noted above. You should also check to see what kinds of aid your college has for low income students AND what kinds of aid your STATE might have for low income students.</p>
<p>NO…the federal government does NOT pay all of your college costs at any school you choose. The max Pell, plus the Stafford loan, however, usually are sufficient to fund costs to attend a community college in full as a commuting student.</p>