<p>I'm starting grad school next fall and will need to buy a laptop (the program strongly recommends that I have one). Since the laptop is an investment do universities let you adjust your cost of attendance to include a laptop purchase? I don't want to buy one out of pocket for the same reason I don't pay tuition out of pocket, because I need discretionary funds to pay for rent, food, and pleasurable activities.</p>
<p>Some schools do and some schools don’t. In most cases, your loans (e.g. Stafford and Perkins) are paid directly to the school. If that is the case, I’m not sure how you would use those loans to buy a computer.</p>
<p>Go to your school’s financial aid office and ask about a “change of need” form. You should be able to apply to change your financial “need” calculation based on the increased expense of buying a laptop. You may be able to do this before you buy the laptop by showing a computer printout of the laptop you plan to buy. </p>
<p>Once your “need” is asjusted up to reflect the laptop purchase, you should be eligible for an increase to your financial aid.</p>
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<p>Not necessarily. At schools that do NOT meet full need, you might not see a change in your financial aid award at all.</p>