<p>If we received outside scholarships, how does that factor into our finaid? I remember reading somewhere that they reduce it from the work/study, but what if I want to keep the work/study? And will it have any impact on the amount of money that they gave me?</p>
<p>My understanding is that you still can do work study if you want. The calculation on financial aid is mainly to come up with amounts for your grant and loan. It gives you an idea about how much money you and your family will have to prepare at the same time. Dartmouth will send your family bills with the payable minus grant and loan. I guess everyone can do a campus job regardless his / her eligibility on Financial Aid.</p>
<p>They'll reduce loans first, then work study if you have it, and can ultimately reduce your EFC to the FAFSA level (if you've been given loans) or below FAFSA (if you haven't been offered loans). But, as kvn says, you can still have jobs without work study--although the jobs you can have are a little more circumscribed, as some specifically require work study students.</p>
<p>So after they take away from work study, is it true that they take away from the grant portion? That's so annoying, then what's the point of even applying for scholarships..</p>
<p>Yanks07,</p>
<p>It depends. They'll go after loans first, then work study, then to your FAFSA EFC (which may be different from your Dartmouth EFC). Then, because they can't legally go beneath the FAFSA EFC for need-based aid, they can take away from the grant portion, it's true. But you'll still save a lot of money in loans and work study (if you do work on campus, it will be gravy). So there's still a great benefit to applying for scholarships. </p>
<p>If they don't give you any federal aid (Stafford loans, etc.), then they can go below the FAFSA EFC value. For instance, they did that to me my senior year, and it was glorious. Kind of ironic--while a lot of other big name schools are notorious for slashing one's financial aid package during the last three years, my Dartmouth financial aid packages only improved during my upperclass years.</p>
<p>I didn't have work-study as part of my financial aid package (since I'm not an American citizen, I didn't qualify for the federal program), but I still had a job on campus freshman year and will find another one in the fall. If you want to work, you will be able to.</p>
<p>I called the financial aid office at Dartmouth in April with this very question. Here is what they told me: </p>
<p>First they cut down the work/study amount until that is gone. (This doesn't necessarily mean you can't work, but it wouldn't be part of your aid package.)</p>
<p>Second, you can use the scholarship money to buy your computer.</p>
<p>Third, you can use it to buy their health insurance if you need that.</p>
<p>Fourth, if there are still funds left in your outside scholarship then, yes, they will subtract from your grant. </p>
<p>I agree that this is a very frustrating thing to do, but many, many schools do it this way. At least you can get a computer out of the scholarship.</p>
<p>would that mean i have to buy the computer through the school?</p>