<p>In my Stanford aid package, it says "Federal Work Study Eligibility - $2500"
Does this mean I have to work part time at Stanford, as part of the work study program, and the money I earn will be automatically used for academic costs? Can I choose not to get a job? If so, where would the $2500 come from? Thanks!</p>
<p>You dont have to work. That is up to you. You can ask for additional financial aid if you need it. If you choose to work, you can use the money for whatever you want.</p>
<p>I recommend not working your freshman year. Wait and see how you handle your classes, homework, and adjusting to college.</p>
<p>What do you mean you can ask for additional FA? My D is a distance runner who will be training and competing for the school all three seasons, and she supposedly has to earn $2700. Frankly, I was unpelasantly surprised that Stanford would make a 3-season athlete work too, and work more hours than the non-athletes she knows.</p>
<p>I’d love to tell her she doesn’t have to work, but once we pay our parental contribution, we’re simply not going to have any extra cash to give her for spending money!</p>
<p>i’m a freshman and i’m work through federal work-study. a lot of my friends do the same thing. it’s actually been a great experience --it’s made me learn to balance my time/money so much more.</p>
<p>you work to pay for college (most schools also increase your work expectation after freshman year)
tis life kiddos</p>
<p>That is not the policy with Stanford. The expected student contribution is based each year on family income. If your family income goes down, your expected student contribution goes down.</p>
<p>Some of my son’s friends did not have the funds to pay their account balance (around $500/$1,000; not that much) at the end of some quarters. They went into the financial aid office and explained the situation. Their financial aid was rearranged to cover the balance. This is just anecdotal evidence so I don’t know the official policy on this. However, Stanford seems very willing to work with any student having financial difficulty if they ask for help.</p>
<p>contrary to above statement, the Stanford Financial Aid doesnt just give out money. The poster is correct that they will reevaluate the financial aid, but they almost always choose to do so because financial situations have changed for the parents. </p>
<p>you can not expect your work study to be replaced with a simple grant, but they will offer loans instead. you are expected to work for that portion. the money is paid to you so you can choose how you would like to spend it. the only difference is that the government is paying part of it instead of stanford paying all of it. </p>
<p>this is what I have been explained by the Financial Aid office when I have spent hours on the phone with them trying to figure out my situation. I personally have a $2750 expected work study. If I choose not to work, I have to pay it out of pocket or take a loan. However, the way that they work it out is that the $2750 ends up consisting of many of the Personal expenses, transportation, etc. that are not technically “paid” to Stanford. </p>
<p>What other students have experienced may be different from me, so the above statements may be true for those students, but they are not what I have seen.</p>
<p>Many schools allow students to use outside scholarships to cover the student’s summer earnings expectation and term-time job expectation. See Stanford’s policy here: <a href=“https://www.stanford.edu/dept/finaid/newadmits/index.html#faq_8[/url]”>https://www.stanford.edu/dept/finaid/newadmits/index.html#faq_8</a></p>
<p>"8. I am expecting to receive outside scholarships. How will these affect my financial aid award from Stanford?</p>
<p>If you receive outside scholarships or grants, we will reduce the academic year job expectation of your financial aid award and/or the student contribution from income.</p>
<p>By obtaining outside scholarships, you will reduce or eliminate the amount that you are expected to work. If the value of your outside scholarships exceeds both the academic year job and the student contribution from income, we will reduce your need-based University scholarship.</p>
<p>Please note that for a few students, we are not able to fully reduce the student contribution portion in order for you to retain need based federal and state grants such as Pell and Cal Grants.</p>
<p>You are obligated to notify the FAO of any outside scholarships that you receive. "</p>