<p>Under the new financial aid program, Vanderbilt has a “one-to-one” policy. This means that the value of any scholarships you receive (from the school or from outside sources) will be subtracted from your need-based aid. This isn’t a big deal for those students who receive more scholarship aid than need-based aid, as their family will still save some money from additional scholarships. However, if you are receiving a large amount of aid, it’s quite difficult to earn a scholarship in such a high amount to save on your bill.</p>
<p>When I was a high school senior touring the school, I remember Vanderbilt admissions bragging that they did not have a “one-to-one” policy, and that it was always worthwhile to keep applying for scholarships (i.e., if you got a $5000 scholarship, they would only dock $3000 (or some amount less than $5000) from your financial aid). I’m a senior at Vandy now…my, how times have changed.</p>