<p>One of the schools that my son is considering is a private university that has offered him a significant need-based institutional grant (over $25k) as part of the FA package. If our EFC increases in subsequent years, would a grant like this typically be affected, or can we count on this money being there as long as he maintains appropriate academic progress?</p>
<p>You need to check the criteria for keeping the grant with the school. Some schools award institutional grants and DO renew them with a certan GPA. In other cases, the institutional grant is a need based award only. Need based financial aid is computed annually and if your financial need changes…it’s likely that the financial aid will too.</p>
<p>But ask…our dd got an institutional grant her freshman year (her brother was in college too). We specifically asked the school the question. Turns out HER grant was one that was an institutional award that was renewed annually dependent on maintaining a certain GPA. We were very happy to hear that because we KNEW she would not qualify for need based aid once her brother graduated from college. BUT we also got it in writing…and it also was clearly stated on her financial aid award letter.</p>
<p>SO…call the school and ask.</p>
<p>*a private university that has offered him a significant need-based institutional grant (over $25k) as part of the FA package. *</p>
<p>I would think that if this grant was awarded based on need alone, it would be reduced if your income went up in future years (more than just low cost of living increases).</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are usually kept due to maintaining a strong GPA. </p>
<p>As Thumper says, you need to ask the institution if this grant will get reduced if EFC rises in future years.</p>
<p>Ask. I did this when for my son’s award, after another parent spooked me by saying the school was notorius for reducing awards after freshman year. They assured me that if my income stayed about the same, the award would stay the same (or increase, with cost of attendance). They even told me how much my income would have to increase before the award would be reduced/reevaluated.</p>
<p>people sometimes think the school is reducing the grant when in reality they are counting in the expected student’s contribution. this is not included in EFC. Some schools not only count the EFC but they expect student’s to also contribute. My D school has different amounts with the senior year been the highest amount. Because this amount gets factored in, the grant could be less. It has been so far, but still more than the cost of tuition. You need to ask the school, not us.
I am confused by your question, since it does not seem to match your post. To answer the title question, you also must ask the school. Some apply scholarships to your expected contribution, not the grant.</p>
<p>*I am confused by your question, since it does not seem to match your post. To answer the title question, you also must ask the school. *</p>
<p>Sorry for the confusion - I did mean to ask about how obtaining outside scholarships might affect a university’s need-based grant, but got sidetracked when I wrote the post.</p>
<p>I do intend to contact the school (Boston U.), by the way - I asked the question here first to see if there was a general rule about how schools handle this type of issue. I appreciate everyone’s time in providing their insight.</p>
<p>I hope your school applies it to the expected contribution like ours do. Our school applies it to the loan first, then WS and last the grant. They even ask how you want them to apply it. There is no standard rule, not for private schools anyway. Good luck. We ended up with a credit because of outside scholarships.</p>
<p>To answer your title quesion, that too depends on the school. Many will reduce work study and loans first. Some will reduce institutional grants. But, afaik, none will award more than COA, including the outside scholarhship, so expect some reduction if total aid is at or near the limit.</p>