<p>So me and my parents are trying to figure something out here. After you apply for FAFSA and recieve all sorts of grants, do those grants only apply towards you college TUITION? Or do they apply for the overall cost of attendance?</p>
<p>For Example...
let say the total cost of attendance for a college is 15,000 (7k for tuition and 8k for the other things aka housing etc.). My family has a low EFC can I be awarded grants that apply to my tuition and than more grants to help me with other things such as pay for housing. Or do those grants only help pay your college tuition?</p>
<p>I thought grants help pay for it all and my parents say they only help with the tution. HELP PLEASE!</p>
<p>If the college expects you to live there the entire cost, including room and board, is considered when awarding financial aid. Of course, often part of your financial aid is not a grant but loan and a work-study job.</p>
<p>FAFSA does not "give" you anything. FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal financial aid, in the form of PELL grants for very low income students, and Stafford and/or Perkins loans. The amounts available for PELL grants are not large.</p>
<p>Many colleges will also require that you fill out additional fomrs to be considered for institutional aid. That money is the school's to dole out as they see fit; the government has nothing to do with it. The most common form is the CSS PROFILE. The PROFILE considers income and assets that the FAFSA does not; your EFC from the PROFILE may not be the same as your FAFSA EFC. It may be lower; it's usually higher.</p>
<p>Room, board and books are considered as part of the school's Cost of Attendance ("COA"). Generally, your "need" is determined as COA - EFC. Your need can be met by grants, loans, work-study or a combination of the three. Any aid you get can be applied to tuition, room, board, and books, and sometimes to other costs such as transportation.</p>
<p>However, be aware that many schools do not meet 100% of your need. Quite often (and this is generally true of schools that only require the FAFSA), there will be a "gap" between the amount of your need as determined by the school, and the amount they give you in aid. It is up to you to find the rest of the money somehow.</p>