<p>I was surprised to see the following letter enclosed with my financial aid package:</p>
<hr>
<p>Based on your outstanding record, accomplishments, and promise, you are one of a select group of entering students assigned to one of Dartmouth's need-based endowed scholarships. While Dartmouth College does not award merit-based aid, the more generous packaging of these endowed scholarship awards represents our modest attempt to recognize the significant achievements of those most highly recommended by the Admissions Office. These funds are made possible through the generosity of individual alumni, Dartmouth Clubs, and other friends of the College, many of whom take a keen personal interest in the students designated for this honor.</p>
<p>As a result, your need-based award has been packaged with $450 less self-help (job and/or subsidized loan) and $450 more scholarship assistance. Your self-help may be further reduced by other achievement related outside scholarships which you may receive. This more favorable packaging will continue througout your Dartmouth undergraduate career, assuming you maintain your anticipated high level of academic achievement and continue to demonstrate financial need. You will be notified of your specific scholarship assignment at a later date. Read the enclosed materials for other details and conditions of your award.</p>
<p>Please accept my warmest congratulations!</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Virginia S. Hazen
Director</p>
<hr>
<p>They liked me enough that they're giving me extra money? Am I reading this correctly? I thought I was lucky enough to be admitted in the first place! Does this mean that I can use outside scholarships to meet the student contribution to the EFC instead of subtracting them from the grant portion of the package? Just out of curiosity, how many people are offered this?</p>
<p>Sorry about the questions, but I'd really never heard of it before, and even if I had I never would've thought that I'd be one of "those most highly recommended by the admissions office." (Take that, Princeton! :D)</p>
<p>they liked you well enough that they gave you $450 more in scholarship aid and reduced your loans/workstudy by $450.</p>
<p>for example: if your original self help portion was (just for the sake of simple numbers):
20,000 grant scholarship aid
3500 stafford loan
1500 work study</p>
<p>it will now be:</p>
<p>20,450 scholarship
3050 (student loan, if you want less debt)
1500 work study</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>20,450 scholarship
3500 student loan
1050 (if you want to work less)</p>
<p>It will now be </p>
<p>This is dartmouth's policy on outside scholarships:</p>
<p>
[quote]
How will my financial aid award be adjusted if I receive an outside
scholarship? </p>
<p>Students who receive scholarships from external sources can use these funds to reduce the loan and/or job portions of their financial aid packages. If the outside scholarship is greater than the self-help level, the family responsibility can also be reduced to the federal level. (In most cases, outside scholarships do not reduce the Dartmouth family contribution.) Alternative student loans can be used to replace the self-help component (job and/or loan) of the financial aid package or replace the family contribution.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>using the same example:</p>
<p>If you got 6,000 in out side scholarships, this is how Dartmouth would apply it:</p>
<p>they would wipe out your self help portion of $4,550 (the loans and the work study, you would just get a check for the work study earnings) </p>
<p>Thanks for the information, especially the part about outside scholarships. I didn't apply for any because I assumed they'd just replace the grant portion of the financial aid package, and I don't know if there are any that I qualify for that still accept applications, but at least I can look into it as one possible way to reduce the burden on my family. </p>
<p>Honestly, after getting over the initial disappointment, I don't understand why I was even so upset in the first place. :)</p>
<p>I haven't had a chance to yet -- I just came home after school and volunteering, and the office is probably closed by now. I don't have class until 9:30 tomorrow, though, so I'll call them about it tomorrow morning.</p>
<p>It was a pleasant surprise for me, too, as I received that and had no idea they did such a thing. Nonetheless, I still need to send in the Financial Aid Review form; it's still costly =/</p>
<p>
[quote]
Doesn't that mean the scholarship cuts into your grant aid if it's over your self-help?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ultimately the FA office will make that determination, even if they do apply out side scholarships to your EFC, your parents will still have to pay the FAFSA EFC .</p>
<p>as an international student you would not be eligible for U.S. federal aid (pell grants, seog, stafford, perkins loans) this is basicially what the FAFSA determines (ones eilgibility for federal funds).</p>
<p>However, if you still feel that you need a financial review, do not hesitate to ask for one.</p>
<p>call them, fillout the form and fax it over</p>
<p>I know this is an old thread, but since I was just notified that I've won a $3,000 outside scholarship I went back to look at the Financial Aid Handbook in more detail. Here is some more information about endowed scholarships:
<p>Some students will have the source of their scholarship identified at the time of admission, and
others will be notified later during the academic year. This more favorable packaging will
continue throughout the student’s undergraduate career, assuming that demonstrated need
continues and that the student maintains the anticipated high level of academic achievement
(usually a 3.00 average). In most cases, recipients will be asked to write to the donors each
spring. </p>
<p>Upperclass students receiving need-based scholarship assistance are also considered for
these endowed scholarships. No separate application is required.