Colleges can’t give you aid in excess of the cost of attendance in most cases. You are required to inform the college of any outside scholarships you receive. It is up to the college to determine what happens.
- If you student received a FULL cost of attendance merit award, and he got an outside scholarship, it is possible he would be able to keep that award. Not a need based award...a full cost of attendance merit award.
- If your kid is a Pell Grant recipient, he would be entitled to get that award, and if his costs were otherwise covered, he would get that Pell award anyway.
- If you can defer receipt of any of these awards to other years when the total aid won’t exceed the cost of attendance...that would be good.
- As noted, check that you are looking at the full cost of attendance.
Just be honest. Report what your son has gotten in scholarships. The school will apply those to his costs. If they reduce the aid awarded, it usually starts with self help like loans and work study…then dips into grants. In many cases merit awards are bit reduced.