<p>I see on website that board has just approved tuition hikes. Press release also notes that UVA meets 100% of aid. I know I have only received preliminary offer of aid. Will I get any update aid offer to reflect tuition increase? I'm just concerned final aid award will be 2,000 more in loans vs 2,000 in grants. Do you think I will have any more info before decision day?</p>
<p>I would assume it will be like it was last year. Any increase in tuition will not change the amount you have to pay - your contribution amount is a set amount, so that would not change from the preliminary award level. As for loans, if you are not already at the max amount then it’s possible they could add additional loan amounts, but if you’re already getting the max amount, and are receiving AccessUVA funds, then you would just see an increase in the AccessUVA amount. </p>
<p>The financial aid offers by UVA are based upon the University’s estimate of expected costs of attendance for the next year. Those estimates for the next year are typically posted on the financial aid website. Usually, the U. has a good idea of the amount of tuition and room and board increases they intend to get approved by the Board. If the Board of Visitors would approve costs that were different from the U.'s estimated cost of attendance, financial aid would be adjusted.</p>
<p>By the way, a student can typically lower their work study or loan amounts by getting outside scholarships. The easiest scholarships to get are the local ones - which may not be large, but they can add up. If it is not too late, chase after them, and butter up the teachers who may be making the decisions.</p>
<p>Good points Charlie - it’s important to note that when you receive outside scholarships (or any internal, such as a band scholarship) they are first applied to your loans - reducing your loan amounts. </p>
<p>However, my only question with that is this: since loan amounts for FA are capped over the 4 year period, and that amount is often hit prior to 2nd semester 4th year - giving 4th year students more AccessUVA grant money that term - does this simply mean that you’ll just get saddled with the same total loan amount anyway because you’ll then have not reached the cap and will have loans in 2nd sem 4th year too, so these outside scholarships really have a net $0 value in the end because you’ll still end up with the same amount of loan $? Don’t know any recent grads to ask to get an answer to that one.</p>