<p>How will I know when the Gates pays for my school? I’ve sent in my paper filled out by the financial aid office at Baylor and I also send them the award letter I got from Baylor. Do I just wait and it will all work out? Should I call someone? How does this work?</p>
<p>I’m currently a sophomore, going to be a junior (class of 2012) and I’ve been looking into the Gates Scholarship. I have a few questions I was hoping somebody could answer.
- I know you have to be eligible for the Pell Grant and you must fill out the FAFSA form to know. I’m confused with how it all works together because the Gates Scholarship has it own deadline and I know the FAFSA form should always be filled out as quickly as possible and then you get a SAR form (how long does it take for the application to the processed?), but how exactly do you get this information to go along with your application?
- Let’s just say that for some reason I do get chosen as a scholar… what happens after I receive the notification? Is there a ceremony or something?</p>
<p>I hope I wasn’t too wordy. I would appreciate any help.</p>
<p>1) On your application, Gates asks for your income (that way they can know if you definitely aren’t eligible because your income is too high) but at that time they have no idea of your Federal Aid package. You should get your FAFSA done ASAP. It doesn’t take that long; it’s much shorter than the CSS Profile. It only took about 2 days for my FAFSA to be processed, and I received an estimated EFC upon completion and verification. Gates asks for your SAR after you have been selected as a scholar. You can file our FAFSA any time before then, just make sure that you do so in enough time to meet the deadline.</p>
<p>2) I don’t think there is a ceremony for those not selected.</p>
<p>Our state (Georgia) had a rewards night thing for people who got Gates in Atlanta. But I didn’t go because it was a school nigh and like an hour and half drive. So depending on where your from, they may honor you with something. My teachers threw me a surprise party =)</p>
<p>There’s no national ceremony or anything, but my school gave me a nice mention and certificate at the Senior Awards Night, and mentioned that someone got the scholarship (but didn’t say my name) at graduation.</p>
<p>So today I was checking my financial aid info online, and my college said that I will receive $24,979 in aid total, and so my net cost is $6095. But my EFC is $4573…I thought Gates was supposed to pay everything except EFC. Now when I did the math, 6095-4573=1522, the exact cost of the student health insurance. So does Gates not pay for student health insurance? I thought it did 
I mean, I already have health insurance, but my dad says it’s more convenient to do the on-campus insurance too.</p>
<p>From what I understand, they do cover health insurance. The way they told me they would fit the health insurance cost in is by filling out a budget increase request (you have to do this yourself) and turning into the FA office. The FA office will then decide whether to approve your budget increase (Health Insurance Qualifies), and will offer you assistance to cover the extra costs (in the form of loans). During the spring semester, you contact Gates and notify that you have new unmet financial need because of these new loans, which they will then cover (IF they approve the extra expenses.) In reality, the whole process is extremely complicated, and my FA office told me that you only get one shot a year to report a budget increase to Gates, so try not to mess up. The fact that Gates has the ability to ultimately decide whether to cover the extra expenses makes it a bit risky to go over your budget at all.</p>
<p>Does your school not have mandatory health insurance covered in their COA? That is the key, having it listed under COA.</p>
<p>It is in the CoA…but it’s not mandatory, that’s probably why. And I’m considering waving the health insurance anyway because student fees already cover on campus clinic visits, just not hospital visits, but I already have health insurance that can pay that.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info!</p>
<p>Hi im soon goin to be a junior and im dont know if im elligible for the pell grant because my annual income is 75,000, is that too high???</p>
<p>I would think so. My parents’ income is around $62,000 and my EFC was pretty close to not being pell grant eligible.</p>
<p>Does Gates cover a Gym Membership at the University?</p>
<p>Im a new gates millennium scholar and i plan to marry with in a month or two. i was wondering if this effects me in any way.</p>
<p>mexicandelight: only if it’s specifically listed in your CoA, which I doubt.</p>
<p>Not listed in CoA but specifically says that a loan will be given out to cover the extra cost, if needed.</p>
<p>How much money are people getting from Gates? I’m getting $5300 for this year. Also is it easy to renew the scholarship for next year?</p>
<p>How much money one gets varies for every student. There is no set amount, it is your “unmet need.” Renewing your scholarship is easy, there is a renewal packet on gmsp.org that you print off, fill out the student portion, then send it to your school for them to fill out the rest. I believe a transcript is the only other document required.</p>
<p>Does anybody know how late the conference activities go/how early they start? I’m worried because I registered and then realized that I have a chemistry midterm on the wednesday after the conference, and a paper due on thursday that same week. So do they have activities going from early morning to late night, or will I have time at night to study/work?</p>
<p>Wait does Gates consider need as a criterion for selection? Because my family makes about 8k a year.</p>
<p>So are students whose family incomes are about 60k get considered as much as students whose family income is 8k? If yes, than that sucks big time.</p>
<p>About the LA Conference! Have you guys received any confirmation latter in the mail of the traveling/shuttle pick up time yet???
It is 2 weeks away and Iam freakin out since i havent received anything since the invitation to the conference. Helppp scholars!!</p>