Start with the cost of attendance
Most letters begin with an estimate of what a year at the school may cost: tuition and fees, housing, food, books, and some personal and travel costs. It is an estimate, not a bill. It gives context for everything below it.
Find the free-money lines
Grants and scholarships usually appear in one section. Check the amount, whether it covers the whole year or one term, and any conditions printed beside it, such as minimum credits or a grade requirement.
Spot work-study and loans
Work-study appears as an amount you could earn, not as money applied to your account. Loans are listed too, and they must be repaid, so many students look at them separately from grants. If the letter does not make the difference clear, ask.
Do the simple subtraction
Take the cost of attendance, subtract grants and scholarships, and you see what remains to be covered by savings, work, family contributions, or anything else you choose. Doing this for each school makes comparing letters much easier than comparing totals.
Questions to bring to the office
- Is each award for one year or renewable?
- What happens to the offer if I change enrollment?
- How and when do I accept or decline each piece?
- What is the deadline to reply?
General information only. Stipelo is not a school, lender, scholarship provider, or financial aid office, and this is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Programs, rules, and dates vary and change; check with your school’s financial aid office or the official program website.
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