How Does UConn Treat Additional Scholarships?
The State of Connecticut requires us to notify you of how UConn treats outside scholarships. There are situations where your aid offer may be adjusted due to regulations regarding need-based aid and Cost of Attendance.
How do need-based aid and Cost of Attendance regulations impact me?
Federal regulations require that your total financial aid, including funds from federal, state, university, and other sources, not exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA) and demonstrated financial need.
If your total financial aid exceeds your demonstrated financial need or Cost of Attendance, the Office of Student Financial Aid Services will reduce your aid in the following order:
- loans first (federal and/or private),
- then work-study,
- followed by need-based grants and/or scholarships (grants and scholarships are counted towards a student’s demonstrated financial need, unless the above aid is not listed on the financial aid offer).
How do I access my Cost of Attendance and financial need information?
You can review your Cost of Attendance and financial need through the Student Admin portal by visiting studentadmin.uconn.edu and navigating to the "Financial Aid" tile on the homepage. Within the Financial Aid tile, select "Financial Aid Summary" to view a detailed breakdown of your Cost of Attendance and remaining financial need after your financial aid has been applied.
How Do I Determine My Unmet Financial Need? Or How Do I Determine if Additional Aid will Impact My Current Aid Offer?
To calculate your remaining financial need, use the formula: Cost of Attendance - Student Aid Index (SAI) = Unmet Financial Need.
Here is a detailed example to help you calculate your unmet financial need and to determine if receiving additional aid will impact your current aid offer:
- 1.) Determine Unmet Financial Need:
- Formula: Cost of Attendance−Student Aid Index=Unmet Financial Need
- Example: $41,606 (COA) − $2,301 (SAI) =$39,305 (Unmet Financial Need)
- 2.) Determine Remaining Financial Need:
- Financial Aid Received: This includes all grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial aid you've already been offered.
- Formula: Unmet Financial Need−Total Financial Aid Received=Remaining Need
- Example: $39,305 (Unmet Financial Need) − $36,378 (Total Financial Aid Received) = $2,927 (Remaining Need)
- 3.) Understanding the Impact of Additional Aid:
- Remaining Need: The remaining need ($2,927 in this example) is the amount you can receive in additional gift aid, such as grants or scholarships, without affecting your current financial aid offer.
- Exceeding Remaining Need: If you receive a scholarship or grant that exceeds the remaining need (e.g., more than $2,927 in this example), it could reduce other financial aid you've already received. Refer to the Cost of Attendance regulations section for the breakdown.
How will I be notified if there are adjustments to my financial aid?
If we need to adjust your financial aid, you will receive a revised award notification. This communication will detail the reason a change was made to your aid offer. We provide this information to ensure there are no surprises.
How can a departmental scholarship affect my financial aid?
Departmental scholarships are subject to the same financial aid rules as other forms of aid. Since departments may not be aware of your total financial aid offer, receiving an additional scholarship could impact your existing aid.
What happens if I receive a scholarship that does not apply to charges on my fee bill?
Scholarships that are not counted towards charges on your bill are still considered financial aid and are accounted towards your total Cost of Attendance (COA). If you expect a refund from a scholarship, please be aware that it may result in a swap of funds rather than additional funding if you have already reached your COA for the semester or year.