I’m already accepted to Columbia University. I understand that the Ivies give full need aid (except for work study and student contribution, which I’m trying to lower) so would scholarships discriminate against me, thinking that I do not need the award?
As for my info, my single parent makes a 4 figure. Academic stats are slightly above Ivies’ median GPA and SATs. And I have a project that I am positive can become big, given that I actually have money to fund it. Please give me advice!
So your parent makes $9,999 or less, no alimony or child support? What about the other parent?
I’ll bite. If you already received an acceptance from Columbia, it would have been early decision…and you would have received your financial aid award at the time of your admission.
Were you accepted ED? Did you get a real financial aid award?
And are you American or International?
Yes. My parent does make that little. I live in Cali.
@thumper1 The award was generous, but included work study and student contribution.
You can also take out federal loans to cover some of the expected contribution. You can try for scholarships, but they generally don’t net much and may eat in to your fin aid.
Scholarships will not ‘discriminate’, your qualification will be based on parent income, and they won’t usually ask how your aid at school is. But you have to report the scholarship to the college and they may reduce your award by that much. Or they may let you use it for work/study only, I don’t know Columbia’s policy. I think deadlines for the big scholarships you might have got are over.
Work study is something my kid did and has some very interesting jobs with professors and other. She got a scholarship to cover her first year work study but opted to do it the 2nd semester. And there is a big study that shows that doing 12 to 15 hours a week helps students get better time management skills and grades. So it is no big deal if you have to do your work study.
Your summer contribution you can get from a job. Or you can look for local scholarships to get an extra 1,000 or so. That will usually be for one year only, so you can look for ongoing scholarships to apply for each year. In later years you might be able to get a well paying internship.
Also you can try to save money by buying used books or renting. But it would be nice to have some extra to spend in NYC.
I’m not sure I understand your first post at all. You have received an acceptance AND your financial aid award to Columbia.
Are you asking if outside scholarship agencies will not consider you because you already have a generous, almost full need based award? Maybe.
You need to check Columbia’s policy on outside scholarships. At some schools…these scholarships reduce your financial need, and therefore your need based aid award is reduced. You are required to report outside scholarships to the school.
If the school requires a student contribution, the school is unlikely to waive it for you. It is expected that students will contribute. So, get yourself a job…and plan to contribute.
Work study is a great way to work on campus. In addition, it provides some work experience for when you go to apply for internships and jobs after graduation.
Is there some reason you object to working?
As noted above, you can take a $5500 Direct Loan to cover your student contribution if this is not included in your need based award.
I am looking over several local scholarship applications right now. Although they are merit based, need is also considered on some, and a few definitely ask for very specific information about what college you will be attending, COA, and exactly what your financial aid package consists of. Columbia meets full need and does not include loans. I hardly think “discriminate” is the proper term, but yes, for certain scholarships someone attending a school that gaps and includes loans would get preference. That seems fair.
Columbia has the same policy as many other Ivies:
“The scholarships that students receive from outside sources become part of the financial aid award and enable students to reduce the Student Contribution and Work Study/Student Employment portions of the financial aid package. Scholarships cannot be used to reduce or pay the Parent Contribution.”