<p>@mom2collegekids: Tufts didn’t send me a complete breakdown of what the financial aid package covers. It was mainly about the amount of COA their grants and federal grants would cover</p>
<p>Tufts:
Total Expenses $59,300.00
Family Contribution $3,200.00
Need $56,100.00
The total package was $56050 with work study factored in </p>
<p>UTK:
The COA (copy and pasted):
Tuition & Fees $8,396<br>
Room & Board $8,480<br>
Subtotal $16,876
Indirect Costs<br>
Books $1,448
This is an estimate of what a student will spend on books for Fall and Spring.
Transportation $1,654<br>
This item is for budgeting purposes only and will not be billed to you.
Personal $3,593 </p>
<p>The pledge scholarship says this: The scholarship, when combined with other federal, state, and institutional aid, will cover a students mandatory coststuition, fees, room and board, and a book allowance as determined by UTwithout the use of student loans.</p>
<p>I’m the first in my family to attend college so I don’t understand how these financial aid packages work. My state school will not cover transportation or personal expenses however, it’s only a 2 hour drive away so transportation would be inexpensive. I’m not sure what personal expenses covers. The pledge does not cover work study but the school does have a work study program available. Since transportation expenses aren’t applicable to me at my state school, wouldn’t the pledge scholarship cover the majority of my cost of attendance (with personal expenses being the exception)?</p>