<p>I feel bad about even asking this question after reading all the heartbreaking FA questions this month. Please forgive me - I know we are blessed.</p>
<p>DS has been offered a full ride plus personal expenses and travel. Believe me, we are grateful. He's been told that because this meets the full COA (cost of attendance) that any outside award he receives will reduce it dollar for dollar. I don't have a problem with that in theory and don't want to be greedy after all we've received.</p>
<p>Here's the situation, though. We've had an incredibly hard year financially. It is going to be a huge struggle to get him what he needs for next year (like a laptop and dorm supplies, clothes). I am still wondering how we are going to pay the deposit I charged to a cc last week. DS has received a $1500 outside scholarship and may receive another small one. </p>
<p>Is there a way to make the argument to the school to allow him to spend that outside scholarship on the things he will need to purchase this summer for college?</p>
<p>I have read on FinAid that the COA is based on Federal regulations, but when I look those up, all I can find is general statements of what kind of expenses to allow, not specific amounts.</p>
<p>I've never seen that COA is based on Fed regulations. Tuition, fees, room and board are pretty much set at each college, but the amount allocated for living expenses and travel varies from school to school.</p>
<p>I would give the school a call and explain your financial situation. The fact that your son's college reduces merit aid by outside scholarships is a school specific policy; I know at my D's school, kids on full rides are cut a check for any outside scholarships that they earn, and it is sometimes a substantial amount. Your S's school may be flexible, particularly if they really want him to attend. It never hurts to ask, good luck.</p>
<p>Some schools allow the one time purchase of a laptop to be included in the cost of attendance. I know that two schools that my son has been accepted to have a separate form to fill out. </p>
<p>You didn't mention if the full-ride is need or merit based. If it's need based and part of the aid he received is from federal funds, the school is not allowed to exceed your EFC, however, including a laptop into the cost of attendance could help. If it's merit based they basically make their own rules and they've let you know what it is.</p>
<p>If your son got any local scholarships you may ask if they can be deferred to a year when he may need them (ie full COA is not met). I've read that some people have been sucessful at that. </p>
<p>I personally think that you will not be sucessful in your attempt to request that outside scholarships be used for college purchases over this summer (except the laptop as previously mentioned.) They would probably expect that full-time summer employment would more than cover those expenses, especially in light of the fact that his FA package includes personal expenses and travel. So basically all summer earnings can be used for purchasing things he needs that are not covered. </p>
<p>You can always give it a shot, but I don't think you will be sucessful.</p>
<p>Eeach school should have a list of items they will consider for increased COA- for most people this is about increasing loans, in your case it would be about not having the outside scholarship reduce their gift to your son. Computers are usually an easy one, actual travel costs above your budget, medical expenses, etc are some typical ones. But it is sometimes school specific- some have flexibility, some do not</p>
<p>It is a merit based full ride, but they are including a Pell grant this year that we are eligible for (if we are not eligible in the future it goes back to full merit). </p>
<p>DS is hoping to use summer earnings to buy a jalopy. Otherwise it will be very hard for him to come home to visit. </p>
<p>They've already shown a little flexibility without being asked, as when the actual FA statement came it was $900 more than stated in the scholarship letter. Also, they allow like $145 travel expenses, when gas for one trip would be close to that.</p>
<p>Has anyone successfully appealed to raise the personal expenses allowance to cover outside scholarships? </p>
<p>I do understand that they are completely free to make their own rules, I just want to know how to ask :-)</p>
<p>huguenot
I can only give you S's experience with his "free ride" package at University of South Carolina. He was packaged up to the COA and when his major dep't wanted to give him an extra scholarship he had to turn it down .All $$ was internal to the institution. Any funds not used to pay tuition,etc are deposited for him in his personal checking account. He is free to do with them as he sees fit.As he is moving off campus next year, the amount of his $$ that had been deducted for on campus housing will also be deposited ( his $$ awards are not dependent on living on campus).We expect his housing/food coasts to be lower off campus.
We have found the COA used by his school to be very generous and he has had $$ left over after expenses each semester.He was awarded a computer as part of one of his merit awards so we did not have that initial expense.
I can't see how talking to the financial aid office, or the office on the campus that might handle the special scholarships (if that does exist at that school, it does at S's.) would hurt in your situation.</p>