From Dad or from Uncle Harry?

TheGFG
Sun, 23 Apr 2006 19:56:58 +0000

Can someone please explain why schools care where you get the money to pay the family contribution portion of the cost? Why should it matter to them whether the money comes from Mom and Dad’s savings, Uncle Harry’s retirement fund, or from some company who wants to reduce their taxes via a scholarship program? Why must colleges penalize a smart student who has taken the initiative, and put in the time and effort to enter and win scholarships? Why is it different if the student earns money by working at McDonald’s than if he does so by writing essays for contests?

I know that first outside scholarship money can be applied to school-given loans, work-study, and the student’s contribution, but if the student were to win a large award, their grant would be reduced accordingly. I’m not sure why people keep suggesting outside scholarships as a good solution to paying for a school when financial aid is inadequate. It can help a little, but only for the first year since the vast majority of scholarship are for HS seniors.