Something else not expressly mentioned but that @mamom is talking about is that some schools/ scholarships / aid only cover up to tuition or specify it cannot be used toward room and board. However, other schools look at the total cost including fees and room and board when deciding. It’s good to know how your school views all this and exactly how your outside scholarships are worded. In theory, you could have a school that says they are ok with applying the outside scholarship to room and board, but the outside scholarship could state it can only be used for tuition. Though rare, you can also have schools who will accept more than the cost of attendance, and in those cases, students actually get checks back which can then be used toward out of pocket expenses such as books, school supplies, or transportation costs, basically anything directly linked with getting your education. The point is do your research because it does vary so much from school to school.