<p>FA officer here. I would most certainly consider a musical instrument an educational expense for a music major. If you are wondering if you can use the proceeds of the loan that are refunded to you for an instrument, yes. If you pay your bill & the loan ends up being a refund, you can buy the instrument with a clear conscience.</p>
<p>However, there is more to the question than meets the eye. Do you plan to ask for a budget increase in order to pay for the instrument? I often see students submitting budget increase requests with the assumption that the expense for which they seek reimbursement will yield additional loan eligibility. Loans are capped by year in school - $5500 freshman (if to 3500 sub, depending on need), 6500 sophomore (up to 4500 sub, depending on need), and 7500 jr/sr (up to 5500 sub, depending on need). So, if you already got the max loan for year in school, you could increase your budget up to a million dollars & it won’t do you any good - when the aid is maxed out, it’s maxed out. OTOH, if a budget increase will yield additional need you may end up with more sub in your mix, which isn’t a bad thing. In that case, requesting a budget increase may be a wise idea. Or if you are at COA with all your aid without using the max loan eligibility for year in school, a budget increase will give you more loan eligibility. In that case, requesting a budget increase makes sense.</p>