<p>Hi I was wondering if there are any current graduate students, who are also Gates Millenium Scholars, who have succesfully used their scholarship to fund a graduate degree in the specificied fields (Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Library Science, etc.). If so would you mind disclosing the amount GMS gives you each year for your programs or just the percentage of tuition they fund? </p>
<p>The reason I ask is because I'm an undergraduate Gates Scholar who ironically doesn't receive that large of a reward package from GMS. BOTH my parents work and make a decent income each, so the government feels the need to reduce my financial aid package dramatically every year it seems. It's completely ridiculous because my parents never get to use the income the government believes they have disposable--they live in NYC where the cost of living is astronomically high. GMS never gives me more than 1,800 a semester because of this, which is basically not enough because I can't use that money for things I need like textbooks, which I really need. This 3,600 a year is not even close to 7% of my total cost of attendance. </p>
<p>How does this tie in with my first question? I need to know that if I want to pursue a one-year master's program in either Information Science or Computer Science, GMS will fund it entirely. Considering they barely give me any money as a dependent of my parents, I would definitely apply to grad school as an independent that way my financial aid is maximized (since my parents WILL NOT fund graduate school). Can anyone lend me some insights into this? (especially if you have a similar situation with GMS)</p>