The COA includes tuition/fees, books/supplies, room/board, and personal expenses usually. Most colleges/universities will have this information on their website so you can get an idea. It may be that your room and board is less or more than what the college says, but that is what is listed is the average that the college uses.

Say you have a financial aid package that includes grants, scholarships, and loans totaling $6000 per year ($3000/semester) and that you live off-campus. Say your tuition/fees for one semester is $1000. You would receive a refund of $2000 that you would be able to use toward your rent/groceries for that semester.

If you have not already looked, here are some scholarship links:

College Board Homepage

www.collegeboard.org

FastWEB

www.fastweb.com

Free Scholarship Search

www.freschinfo.com

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

www.gmsp.org

You should also check in your community for local/civic scholarships you may be eligible for.

Finally you should talk to a financial aid officer at your school for more specific information/guidance for your situation. Good luck!

Still, look for scholarships and other financial assistance, not always does the free money cover the bill. The more scholarships and tuition waivers you get (check your school’s financial aid office or scholarship department), the less loans you will need.

Are you taking out any student loans? all schools offer the low-interest Perkins loan and it’s based on need and income.