<p>DD will be a freshman at UW Seattle this fall. FA package meets full need with a University Grant, Merit scholarship, Sub loan, Unsub loan and Parent Plus loans. She was also awarded significant private scholarships. As I understand it, once the FA office receives all of her scholarships $, the loans will be canceled. Is that right? Or will they all be converted to unsub loans? </p>
<p>Also, her scholarships for this year exceed her loans by about $3K. So, that means that her grant will be reduced by $3K, right?</p>
<p>Scuba, you need to call HER college to find out their policy.</p>
<p>In most cases, outside scholarships first reduce loans, then work study. Then other aid. Total aid will not be more than the cost of attendance.</p>
<p>Thumper, I DID call HER college. I spoke with 2 different people and got less than helpful answers–both were extremely vague, all they would say is that the FA would be adjusted commensurate with her scholarships. There is no written policy (that I can find) on the website. </p>
<p>That is why I am asking here. Since it’s a 50K student school, I thought someone here might have experience with UW. I should have put UW in the title though. </p>
<p>To clarify your information though–so you’re saying that typically freshman who have $5500 or more in scholarships have their student loans canceled altogether?</p>
<p>I read the website too and googled, couldn’t find anything, very frustrating as this is a pretty basic question.</p>
<p>Agree with thumper that that’s how it usually works, at least for private schools, but as a public it might be different. </p>
<p>I’d suggest posting on the UDub forum as there might be more folks there who are familiar with their policy</p>
<p>You probably got vague answers because you hadn’t worked your way far enough up the food chain. Not your fault. They should have transferred you to a superior until you hit someone who could give you a definitive answer.</p>
<p>Call the school again, and ask to speak with the head of financial aid. Get a formal commitment about how the money will be allocated, and ask for an email confirming everything. Then reply to the email, thanking the head of financial aid and print out the original correspondence in case someone at a lower level doesn’t handle everything properly.</p>
<p>Scuba…what I said was thai in many cases loans get reduced first. Then work study. Then other institutional aid.</p>
<p>When you receive an outside scholarship, it actually reduces your financial need. So, the schools will reduce your student’s need based aid. </p>
<p>Each school has their own way of doing this.</p>
<p>If UW is a $50k school, that would imply you are OOS for the school. It is unlikely that your full need was met. </p>
<p>In most cases outside scholarships cannot be used to cover the EFC (family contribution). However, there are some schools that allow stacking of all aid up to the cost of attendance.</p>
<p>You need to call again as Happymom suggested, and ask to speak to the head of financial aid. They should be able to tell you the school policy on how outside scholarships are applied, and what specific aid will be reduced.</p>
<p>See above…50,000 students, not dollars. We are in state. </p>
<p>And, yes, I understand that DDs aid will be reduced, I’m just wondering if the loans are typically canceled altogether, or just converted to unsub loans. It sounds like what you’re saying is that typically (I know it varies) the loans for freshman students who have more than $5500 (max unsub +sub amounts) in scholarships are canceled altogether. </p>
<p>And, happymom, I did try to speak to the FA director. Apparently that’s akin to asking to speak to the president or the director of admissions. But, I’ll try again. However, other than my own curiosity, there isn’t really any possible advantage to my knowing is there? It is what it is, right? </p>
<p>I do know that outside scholarships cannot be used to cover EFC at UW. That much I did get out of them. </p>
<p>I wonder if FA offices have a vested interested in giving vague answers to these questions?</p>
<p>You would need to ask UW. Usually outside scholarships are used to REPLACE loans first, then work study, then other types of need based aid. This can vary by school policy, however.</p>
<p>As an example only…say a child receives a $10,000 outside scholarship. First, the scholarship would replace the $5500 Direct loan, then say $2500 in work study, then $2000 in grant money (assuming those are the amounts the child has received).</p>
<p>BUT if the school allows stacking of all aid, regardless of the source, up to the cost of attendance, the scholarship would be added into your child’s aid…and if the aid exceeded the cost of attendance, the loans would be eliminated first.</p>
<p>But really…the only way to know is to contact the school and talk to someone who knows the school policy regarding this.</p>
<p>I’m sorry I misunderstood your 50k reference!</p>
<p>First of all, in the financial aid package that your daughter received , were the unsubsized Direct Loans included in the package? They are not really finanicial aid because most anyone, with or without need can get them, but a lot of schools will package them as aid. If that is the case here, most of the time, the way it works is that the Unsubsidized loans are removed first, then the subsidized ones, then the work study, and then the grants. At a school that does not allow their own grants to go towards EFC, you will still have your EFC to pay, but your student can then apply for the Subsidzed DIrect loans to go towards, the EFC, not that they are freed up. She can also find an non Work Study Job to use towards her EFC since those hours are no longer committed towards financial aid. </p>
<p>That is one way, I have often seen the “peeling of the onion” work. But how UW does this is entirely up to the school. I’m sorry that you are not getting anyone to discuss this with you that can give you a definitive answer. I find it unusual at a state school that usually has policies in place for dealing with this sort of thing.</p>
<p>If it isn’t too far, phoning ahead and setting up an appointment to visit in person could work too.</p>