I will be attending a private college in the Fall and I have been working on finding ways to afford it. As part of putting together money to pay for school, I decided that I would register for the fastweb website. In fact, the school I am going to suggested it. So...as senior year progressed...I wrote essays, applications, etc... for different scholarships. Some applications requested financial documents (tax returns...) and some didn't. All of the organizations that offered me money did not want tax info, rather the scholarship was based on merit--my actions, my essay, my school record. When I received those letters saying that I had won, I felt great. While the money didn't add up to much, it was better than nothing. If anything, it would defray the costs of supplies, books, computer, etc. Last week, I received a letter from my future school telling me that my financial aid package had decreased by the amount of money I received via the scholarships. When called, the school said that it had to do with the federal government's procedures regarding financial aid. Basically, my financial need was "determined" by the Feds to be less.

So, at the moment, I am now waiting for a revised financial aid package. I probably won't get much back, if any. Hopefully I can keep my work study, but it seems as if I wasted my time to write essays and put together apps for scholarships. It is a very frustrating process.

Now its time to find a decent loan...

Anybody else run into problems like such? Any comments? Suggestions? Speak up, speak out!

I haven't received the updated financial aid package yet, but from the conversations, I believe that I will still have my work study aid, which is a very good thing.

I also got some state TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) money...

I was going to put the money from one of the scholarships towards a computer, but that plan is out the window. I guess I'll have to work a little more at camp...

Well that's depressing...I am going to be applying through fastweb.com for scholarships because I will be attending college next fall (I'm so excited!! ) and your story makes me wonder if the same thing might happen to me...Please let me know if how you solve this dilemma, I'd like to gain some insight on this issue.

This subject actually came up in my summer class today. A LOT of people are getting screwed over.

I've never gotten need-based aide, aside from unsubsidized loans that wouldn't cover the cost of my education anyway...and I love how that is supposed to mean my family can afford to pay all of the tuition that my merit scholarship (which does not increase when tuition increases $1,500 or so a year) does not cover.

I really wanted work study...the chance to work to help with my expenses, I even had a job offer from one of my professors. BUT apparently that is only for people who NEED it. Everyone who is able to find a job in the pathetic Michigan economy on their own just gets screwed.

Northeast

The system can be pretty screwed up. What irks me is that for merit based scholarships and grants given by my school, I got less than people who had C averages. I know they may have had financial need with siblings, but I also had a brother in college the past two years as well as me, which led to a financial burden on my parents.

What sucks is I have savings bonds-- which won't mature until I'm like 30-- and they count against me. I can't use the money, and all it will be useful for when I cash it is to pay off loan interest. Joy.

Just cause I'm curious, what area of the country are you going to school in?