Federal Aid confusion

[Foreverworthless]

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Hi all,
I hope everyone is staying safe. I’m not really attuned to how aid works and I’m freaking out and would love some advice( it’s hard to get clarification with my school being remote now)

So I submitted for aid (direct unsubsidized and grad plus) for the upcoming school year. Today in my offer letter I was not awarded the full amount of aid: the COA at my school is about 75K. They awarded me 40K and they said my contribution would be 35K....I have like 2K in my bank account x/

How does aid work? I thought since it’s a federal loan I’m eligible for the full COA?

 

[ciestar]

Doesnt sound like gradplus was factored in here

 

[Foreverworthless]

Doesnt sound like gradplus was factored in here

They awarded 5K of Grad plus :/

 

[ciestar]

They awarded 5K of Grad plus :/

That’s bizarre. Contact your financial aid office and see if they can increase that. Idk why it isnt at full COA

 

[efle]

You have to file some paperwork to replace family contribution with additional loans. Email your aid office!

 

[Foreverworthless]

You have to file some paperwork to replace family contribution with additional loans. Email your aid office!

So, I’d be able to take out the full amount?
Yup, emailed—their just delayed since they are remote now.

 

[efle]

So, I’d be able to take out the full amount?
Yup, emailed—their just delayed since they are remote now.

That's the way it worked for me. Initially they asked for $X in loans for me and $Y in parental contribution. I told them my parents were not supporting me and to please give me $(X+Y) in loans, and they did.

 

[Foreverworthless]

That's the way it worked for me. Initially they asked for $X in loans for me and $Y in parental contribution. I told them my parents were not supporting me and to please give me $(X+Y) in loans, and they did.

Oh thank goodness! I was freaking out lol. Thank you!!

 

[mmchick]

I think that's so stupid that schools do that. Even if your family does make X amount, why would a school assume that family will still give you X amount? Many families are unable/unwilling to support their grown adult children in post-undergraduate education and even aside from that, it's a very personal decision you should make with your family and not be imposed on you by the school. They should always give you full COA and allow you to either deduct from that full award or not. Doesn't quite make sense.

I do suppose however, this could potentially be enforced upon them by FAFSA though to mitigate the amount of full COA awards being cashed in.

 

[medstud56]

I think that's so stupid that schools do that. Even if your family does make X amount, why would a school assume that family will still give you X amount? Many families are unable/unwilling to support their grown adult children in post-undergraduate education and even aside from that, it's a very personal decision you should make with your family and not be imposed on you by the school. They should always give you full COA and allow you to either deduct from that full award or not. Doesn't quite make sense.

I do suppose however, this could potentially be enforced upon them by FAFSA though to mitigate the amount of full COA awards being cashed in.

I agree, we are full-blown adults by the time we apply to medical school . Why would they assume our parents would help us? They only signed up for 18 years, 21 at most lol. Even if my parents could afford to help (which they can't) , not sure they would .

 

[chaim123]

I think that's so stupid that schools do that. Even if your family does make X amount, why would a school assume that family will still give you X amount? Many families are unable/unwilling to support their grown adult children in post-undergraduate education and even aside from that, it's a very personal decision you should make with your family and not be imposed on you by the school. They should always give you full COA and allow you to either deduct from that full award or not. Doesn't quite make sense.

I do suppose however, this could potentially be enforced upon them by FAFSA though to mitigate the amount of full COA awards being cashed in.

For most offices, the idea isn't to withhold funding from students. It's a decision that is made - are all students given full funding and then people who don't want it have to communicate to give it back, or do students get a breakdown, and then people who need more need to communicate to increase loans?

My school uses the same method to show your breakdown - where do they see different portions of your aid coming from so that a student isn't initially given more loans than needed. We are always able to increase that amount however.

 

[mmchick]

For most offices, the idea isn't to withhold funding from students. It's a decision that is made - are all students given full funding and then people who don't want it have to communicate to give it back, or do students get a breakdown, and then people who need more need to communicate to increase loans?

My school uses the same method to show your breakdown - where do they see different portions of your aid coming from so that a student isn't initially given more loans than needed. We are always able to increase that amount however.

As OP put it, looks like they withheld funding on the grounds of the withheld amount supposedly to come from his family because that is their calculated estimated family contribution (EFC). To me, it's stupid that EFC even exists. It's a figure that means absolutely nothing if your family is again, unable/unwilling to support you and there shouldn't be an assumption that a family will support a grown adult that chooses to pursue something so expensive as medical school.

In my particular case, they have shown the full COA. I don't need the full COA, but to me this is more efficient for me to reject the amount I don't need and supplement the deficit as I am able to vs them assuming that calculation out for me with no other contextual understanding of my situation. As OP's school should've done with OP.