No Point in Getting Outside Scholarships?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>Because my parents make less than 60k a year, I (and my parents) don't have to pay anything to Columbia, besides the Student Summer Employment fee. </p>

<p>I have a few outside scholarships in mind right now, and I know two that I am pretty much guaranteed to get. However on the FA website, it says
[quote]
The scholarships you receive from outside sources will be used to reduce the work study portion of your financial aid package. For example, if you are awarded a $2,000 National Merit Scholarship, your work study expectation will be reduced by the full $2,000. Only after your work study has been completely eliminated will your scholarships begin to reduce any Columbia Grant you may have received.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>How is this good for me if the scholarships I get are basically used to reduce my Work Study pay which goes DIRECTLY to me? A Federal Work Study job is going to be immensely helpful to me in college cause I'm going to need to make money for my regular expenses. If my outside scholarships reduce my Work Study allotment to $0 then I won't be guaranteed a job by Columbia. </p>

<p>Am I misinterpreting anything here? Since I don't have any tuition to pay for, is there any way the scholarship money can go directly to me and not the College?</p>

2

<p>Regardless of what you or your parents make, every Columbia Undergrad is expected to pay the Student Summer employment fee. It’s a set “tuition bucket,” amount in order to make sure that students have “skin in the game.” </p>

<p>Your outside scholarship money will go towards what they term “workstudy” but it’s not manditory if the scholarship money equals the workstudy/student employment “debt.”</p>

<p>So yes, your scholarships will cancel out the workstudy and make it hard to find a job on campus but there are opportunities out there to raise money for non-book expenses. Sure, it’ll suck to have to do extra legwork for employment but the fact that they’re fitting the 60 grand difference on the yearly bill does more than soften the blow . . .</p>

3

<p>My D does not receive financial aid, but she has outside scholarships that cover over her expenses. Therefore she gets a cash refund ( direct deposited to her checking) of the credit or overpayment. So it may be worth it as you may get some of the money in cash. Ask your financial aid officer or dean.</p>