<p>My D has the opportunity to win several local scholarships. If the organization sends the scholarship award directly to UA how would that work? I have estimated that for the YEAR we will owe out of pocket $730 for fees, $600 for dining dollars, $2700 for the meal plan, and about $1000 for books. Am I missing anything that the university will charge us for?<br>
Do they then take the $1000 NMF stipend off of that ($500 a semester)? </p>
<p>D could in fact win more scholarship money than is owed. Has this happened to anyone else, and if so, what did UA do with the additional money? I’d love for the local scholarship money to be able to pay for travel, but some of the organizations will not write the check out to the student.</p>
<p>You can stack your scholarships at Alabama, so whatever monies your D wins, they belong to her – even if the scholarships are sent directly to the school. She will receive a check each semester for the additional leftover money. She does not lose the NMF stipend. My son had several scholarships besides his NM ride from Alabama. He was able to pay for his meal plan with those monies the first two years. </p>
<p>BTW, you may budget $1000 for books for a year, but with all the used books available, you probably will pocket some of that money. The most that we ever spent was about $400. This semester, my son expects to spend about $200 for books.</p>
<p>Any scholarship monies that your D wins that exceeds DIRECT school costs will be returned to her in a check from Bama. So, once board and fees are paid, any leftover positive balance is returned.</p>
<p>We’ve had this happen a few times. About 2 weeks after school starts, a check will arrive …or you can set up for direct deposit.</p>
<p>Wow, that’s great! Not all schools do that- some “remove” the money from the university scholarship- if that makes sense. And that’s good to know about book costs. </p>
<p>Do either of you see any other university expenses that I am missing in my estimate? Is $730 right for the fees? I suppose they could go up? Does anyone know what the fees are for?</p>
<p>The fees are “course fees.” They are to cover lab fees, technology fees, art fees, etc. Many schools charge these. I didn’t realize that Bama’s are actually lowish…some universities’ course fees can be over a 1000 per semester.</p>
<p>My kids’ fees ranged from 200-325 a semester. The more STEM courses you take, the higher the course fees.</p>
<p>Is NMF plus Pell Grant permissible? If I can get both then I would just about break even.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Absolutely! Pell is an entitlement.</p>
<p>and if you qualify for Pell, then submit FAFSA asap, because you might also get SEOG and other aid. SEOG is limited, so it’s first come/first serve.</p>
<p>Thanks m2ck! I’m crossing my fingers for the NMF status (although it’s technically NAF in my case). It might possibly be my only viable option for financing college. =P</p>
<p>If your GPA is fine and you don’t have any problems at school, then you’ll likely make it. :)</p>
<p>Also…apply for some local scholarships…ask your GC about those.</p>
<p>Will be sure to do once I get back to school next week. Thanks. I feel as if I’ve applied for every scholarship possible on Fastweb. Ha.</p>
<p>Well, your best chances are probably the local ones…from local clubs, lodges, businesses, etc.</p>
<p>What does SEOG stand for?</p>
<p>Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
Google it for more info</p>