Schools can choose to cap the amount you can borrow through stafford loans anywhere between 18500 and 38500. You may have hit your school's cap. I would encourage you to call and ask, however. Frequently things in your award that don't look right actually aren't, and if it was a mistake, it can be fixed. One of my three offer letters had an EFC 8K higher than the other two. I called and asked, and lo and behold, the person entering my info into the computer had overlooked some crucial details. It got fixed, but only 'cause I called.