<p>a student doesnt have to “qualify” for work study or for student contribution. Again, why are you so upset at this? Take your frustrations up with FAFSA. They are the people who put the forms together.</p>
<p>I didn’t say that we are “full pay”. What I am trying to tell you is that you should not assume to know everyones situation without any facts. A student who is full pay does not have any more right to attend Harvard than a fin aid student. Why are we arguing this point when DocT stated this had to do with grad school not undergrad?? </p>
<p>Did anyone use College boxes last year? if so, how much advance notice did you give for delivery of boxes? If rooming assignments don’t come out until Aug, is that going to be enough time for schedule a drop off?</p>
<p>I think you both (Guitars and Sewhappy) are confused as to what the other is referring to. I may be wrong, but I think Guitars is simply referring to the job that her child has while her time at Harvard to pay for her “Personal Expenses,” as is stated in the financial aid package. This is essentially “working while studying,” but it may not be part of the “work study” program per se. This is not based on financial aid. </p>
<p>I think Sewhappy is referring the “Federal Work-Study Program”, which, in fact, is based on financial aid.</p>
<p>Thanks floridaboy. I believe the original topic took a different turn. Yes, I do understand about the fed. work study program but the student contribution is still in place whether or not a family is full pay or not. </p>
<p>Even if a family is full pay they can still qualify for the computer reimbursement IF their student has outside awards (scholarships) which exceeds their student contribution. The student contribution increases every year. The computer reimbursement is NOT dependent on your financial aid. Those students who received the computer reimbursement are NOT only the students on financial aid.</p>
<p>If you are not on FA you have not got a “student contribution” defined by Harvard. </p>
<p>And this issue of paying for the computer is just silly. If you have a Byrd and a Toyota and a NMF and a local Kiwanis scholarship then all of those reduce what mom and dad are paying and presumably leave room in the budget to allow for a computer from H’s perspective. But the tallying up of student contribution v. outside awards v. parent contribution v. term time job are simply not defined or documented for the full-pay student.</p>
<p>Like the vast majority of Harvard students, my son has outside awards. He has never received documentation from Harvard detailing his expected work contribution or allowances for a computer. And if he had it would have been completely meaningless to us.</p>
<p>We communicated with Harvard the spring of his acceptance via email and phone calls to ascertain if son was eligible for FA. Harvard was very clear in telling us that he was not. After that, our fiscal relationship with Harvard is to verify his outside scholarships are duly noted each semester and pay the bill.</p>
<p>I called Harvard just to be clear and Harvard said ALL students are expected to contribute to their education regardless of whether or not parents are on financial aid or not. Look at your bill, it’s listed as “student contribution” and it increases every year.</p>
<p>and yes, if ANY student has outside awards (scholarships) which exceed the amount that is required for their student contribution and/or work study, then they do qualify for the computer reimbursement. It’s very simple. This reimbursement is a one time only situation. It’s so the students can use all of their scholarship money. </p>
<p>Sewhappy, I’m really not trying to argue with you. I just want you to know that ALL students are equal at Harvard whether on financial aid or not. Is you child an new incoming Freshman? if so, maybe you just have not had sufficient time to know these things yet. Really, I don’t want to continue this discussion. I am only telling you what Harvard told us. That’s all. Just don’t be so angry about this situation. We are all in this together and our children are getting a fabulous education and experience.</p>
<p>sewhappy, I would like to comment on the tone of your posts. With all due respect, I sense some hostility. The Harvard Parent Thread on CC has been a very helpful source of information for many of us, and not a forum in which it is implied that other posters are untruthful or indicating that arguing with them is preposterous. </p>
<p>I bring this up, not to criticize you, but to give you my perception.</p>
<p>guitars,
If I may say so, your repeated response to others’ frustrations about H’s pay structure with “if you don’t like it, go elsewhere,” may be what ticked sewhappy off. I know I found it offensive. These are stressful economic times, and everyone is equal in their right to vent about the perceived unfairness of the system.</p>
<p>Guitars- After multiple conversations with Harvard regarding outside awards, my understanding of the computer “reimbursement” is that the validated expense is credited to the student’s term bill. This only impacts those who have had their Harvard grants (financial aid from Harvard) reduced by the amount of outside awards that exceeds the student’s required contribution. Thus, if the parents are “full pay” there are not Harvard grants that would be reduced and no value in the so called “reimbursement” for a computer from the excess outside awards. For example: If S has $10,000 of outside award money and the required student contribution is $4000, there is a $6000 excess. If S is receiving a Harvard grant of $10,000, it would be reduced by $6000, leaving the parent contribution the same (parent contribution is not impacted by outside awards). But S can apply for “reimbursement” for up to $2500 for computer expenses in freshman year. Thus the Harvard Grant is bumped back up to $6500 with a credit on S’s term bill for the $2500 of computer expenses. For a full pay family, the outside award pays billed fees since they are paid directly to Harvard. The $6000 excess outside award merely helps the full pay family by paying an additional $6000 of the term bill. If S then applied for $2500 reimbursement for computer expenses, if would just leave more for the parents to pay, because then only $7500 of outside awards would be applied to the term bill. So it appears to me Sewhappy is correct in saying that “student contribution” and “computer reimbursement” are irrelevant to full pay families, as far as the bottom line is concerned. They do state that students have this required contribution, and I use that to indicate to my children what they should contribute out of summer earnings and term jobs to assist with the costs of college.</p>
<p>Here are some quotes from the “computer reimbursement petition process” letter:
“you may petition for a one-time exception to Harvard’s outside award policy. This exception allows you to apply up to $2500 of your “excess” outside awards toward the purchase of a computer before your Harvard Scholarship is adjusted…the reimbursement will appear on your term bill as an increase in your Harvard Scholarship.”
The standard outside award policy is that if the total of outside awards exceeds the self-help and summer earnings expectation of $4000, the “excess” amount replaces the student’s Harvard Scholarship dollar for dollar.</p>
<p>I am only saying what harvard told me about the computer reimbursement today on the phone. </p>
<p>Bay, it is not on your term bill. You have to call to ask them about the computer reimbursement. I called them last year because my son had $27,000 in outside scholarships. So I asked them how this works since this amount is more than his work contribution and his student contribution. They said in order for him to use all of his scholarship $, he could use the one time $2500 for a new computer. The remainder of his outside scholarship just reduces the amount that Harvard has given him. My amount is still the same (parent contribution). Mine was not on my term bill last year either. The “student contribution” is on the original financial paperwork you get at the beginning of the year where the breakdown of costs is for a student. I don’t remember if it was on there for new incoming students, but it is definitely there for continuing students. for example, tution xx, room xx, board xx, etc. The student contribution is also listed there.</p>
<p>Bay, your post 1428 is well taken. You are right and for that I do apologize. I too was frustrated at the sewhappy. These are very tough economic times and I was only trying to help those with outside scholarships get the full amount that’s due to them. </p>
<p>This thread was started to help. Those that have experience with a particular subject can help those who need it and so forth. I am only advising on what we did to get the full benefit of my son’s outside scholarships. I also learned about the computer reimbursement from another CC parent who had gone through the same thing. So, I’m really not sure why sewhappy keeps wanting to tell me that it can’t be. We did it and that’s what Harvard told us was the way to do it. I was only sharing our experience to help others in the same situation. Again, you see her response - very negative and rude.</p>
<p>Here’s a new question to help everyone move on :-)</p>
<p>I’ve been out buying extension cords for my D. Does anyone know if the outlets over there are generally 2-pronged or 3-pronged? We don’t want to get there and not be able to plug our cords in … </p>
<p>All of the extension cords that we bought or brought were three-pronged. I am reasonably sure that the electrical systems in the residence halls are up to date. You might consider a surge-protector for the computer system.</p>