Scholarships Replacing Financial Aid???

<p>Is it true that student earned scholarships do not count as Parent Contribution???? Does it only count as Student Contribution?</p>

<p>The thing is, the school only expects $1200 student contribution... so my large scholarship of $15,000 a year is wasted and placed in for the grant money?!!?!</p>

<p>Ahhhh, I can't go to school if the parent contribution is not taken care of... Can someone point out a link that shows this? So basically, large outside scholarships are essentially pointless for Harvard? This is extremely disappointing...</p>

<p>My suggestion would be to contact the Fin aid office immediately and ask all your specific questions to them. Situations are unique and they are very willing to work with you. Do it now!</p>

<p>Wait, is this actually true? Although I am not attending Harvard, it is difficult to believe what the OP is stating is correct. Harvard has one of the best financial aid programs in the world, but they replace outside scholarships for grants? That doesn’t seem right…</p>

<p>Outside awards cannot count towards parental contribution. First the money will replace your term time job, then your summer earning expectation, then you can use some of it ($2000?) to buy computer/etc, then it begins to replace grant money. They are basically resources that reduce your need for financial aid.</p>

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<p>Right on the Harvard Financial Aid website:
[Outside</a> Awards](<a href=“http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k51861&pageid=icb.page244017]Outside”>http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k51861&pageid=icb.page244017)</p>

<p>Yes, outside scholarships reduce Harvard FA amounts. You are still expected to contribute your share of student or parent contribution.</p>

<p>See: [Questions</a> & Answers](<a href=“http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k51861&pageid=icb.page244009]Questions”>http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k51861&pageid=icb.page244009) </p>

<p>What happens to my financial aid award if I receive additional outside assistance?</p>

<p>A large percentage of each entering freshman class receives one or more outside awards from national or local organizations. When adjusting the Harvard financial aid package, 100% of the total outside award amount is first deducted from your job expectation, and then from your summer earnings expectation, up to the total amount of those expectations. If the total of outside awards exceeds the combined amount of your job and summer earnings expectations, that excess amount is deducted from the Harvard Scholarship. Since outside awards are additional resources that help to meet need, they may not be used to replace your parents’ contribution or other expected family resource.</p>

<p>For example, if you were originally offered a financial aid package with a $2,500 job, a summer earnings expectation of $1,500, and an $8,000 Harvard Scholarship and subsequently receive a $2,000 National Merit award and $1,000 from the Elks Club, then we will reduce your term-time job expectation to $0 and your summer expectation to $1,000. Only if outside awards exceeded $4,000 would they have any impact upon the amount of Harvard Scholarship.</p>

<p>Wow… all right thanks for the explanations and links. Can someone point out where Harvard states that we can use a maximum of $2,000 for a computer?</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

<p>writinghelp, it was in my son’s brochure with the fin aid paperwork. I also called and they told me what the restrictions were on purchasing computer. We purchased the computer and submitted the receipt.</p>