Understanding Your Financial Aid Award

Use this example as a guide to your financial aid award letter. Please contact your college financial aid office if you have questions.
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COST OF ATTENDANCE

Tuition

Health/Computer Fees

Books/Supplies

Room/Board

Personal

Transportation

Cost of Attendance

$10,228

$212

$820

$5,220

$2,570

$730

$19,780

Cost of Attendance (COA): 

The total direct cost (tuition, room and board, etc.) of one year’s education. Your school may also include indirect costs (books, fees, transportation, personal expenses, etc.). This example includes both.

Estimated Family Contribution (EFC)

COA-EFC=Financial Need

Total Cost of Attendance

Federal Student Contribution

Federal Parent Contribution

Financial Need

$19,780

-$632

-$115

$19,033

Family Contribution:

Amount per year parents and students are expected to pay, determined by the FAFSA results

Federal Pell Grant

Awarded

Financial Aid

Direct Stafford/Ford Loan

Direct PLUS (Parent) Loans

Total Financial Aid Package Offered (grants and loans)=

Fall            Spring           Total

$814           $814             $1,628

Total Federal Pell Grants=     $1,628

 

$2,750  $2,750      $5,550

$5,952  $5,952      $11,905

Total Federal Student Loans=$17,405

                                          $19,033

Financial Aid Award:

The award is broken down into grants and loans. This student’s award consists of: Federal Pell Grant (free money) Federal Stafford Loan (student repays). Federal PLUS Loan (parent repays).

Unmet Need

COA

     -EFC

     -Financial Aid

       Unmet Need

Cost of Attendance

-EFC

-Total Awarded Financial Aid

Unmet need

$19,780

-$747

-$19,033

$0

Unmet Need:

Is the COA minus the EFC and total Aid. Our example indicated that the financial aid matches the student’s need, so the unmet need is $0.