RegGuheert
07-30-2009, 11:17 AM
VA Tech's statement for our son's Fall 2009 tuition and fees contains a credit entitled "Fed ARRA Tuit Mitigation Grant" for all of $65.00. And it comes with a footnote that reads:
"This is an estimated Financial Aid credit. This amount may be changed or cancelled subject to your fulfilling all necessary responsibilities with the Office of Financial Aid. You will be responsible for any remaining balances should this credit not be applied. For questions related to this, please call the Office of Financial Aid at (540) 231-5179."
I googled "Federal ARRA Tuition Mitigation Grant" and got various websites about massive government spending packages, but nothing that tells much about the impact at an individual level. I also found this article (http://this%20article) about Va Tech's tuition increases this fall. One paragraph reads:
"The use of federal stimulus monies (The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, ARRA) allows for partial mitigation of tuition increases over the next two years. "Without the stimulus monies, we'd be looking at significant tuition increases and/or major impacts on our academic programs. A portion of the ARRA funding is to be returned to students in the form of a 'mitigation grant'. Otherwise, tuition would have risen by 6.9 percent," said Shelton."
I don't see how $65.00 can be construed to reduce the increase in tuition and fees from increasing 6.9% to just 5.0%. Fact is, if I compare the Fall 2009 statement to the Fall 2008 statement, ignoring entries that are variable, then I see an increase of 8.1%. Knocking off the $65 dollars gives an increase of 7.2%.
We have never filed a FAFSA and I'm not inclined to do that over $65.00 because I'm willing to bet they will disqualify us anyway. But who know? Does anyone know any more about this latest handout from Uncle Sam?
"This is an estimated Financial Aid credit. This amount may be changed or cancelled subject to your fulfilling all necessary responsibilities with the Office of Financial Aid. You will be responsible for any remaining balances should this credit not be applied. For questions related to this, please call the Office of Financial Aid at (540) 231-5179."
I googled "Federal ARRA Tuition Mitigation Grant" and got various websites about massive government spending packages, but nothing that tells much about the impact at an individual level. I also found this article (http://this%20article) about Va Tech's tuition increases this fall. One paragraph reads:
"The use of federal stimulus monies (The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, ARRA) allows for partial mitigation of tuition increases over the next two years. "Without the stimulus monies, we'd be looking at significant tuition increases and/or major impacts on our academic programs. A portion of the ARRA funding is to be returned to students in the form of a 'mitigation grant'. Otherwise, tuition would have risen by 6.9 percent," said Shelton."
I don't see how $65.00 can be construed to reduce the increase in tuition and fees from increasing 6.9% to just 5.0%. Fact is, if I compare the Fall 2009 statement to the Fall 2008 statement, ignoring entries that are variable, then I see an increase of 8.1%. Knocking off the $65 dollars gives an increase of 7.2%.
We have never filed a FAFSA and I'm not inclined to do that over $65.00 because I'm willing to bet they will disqualify us anyway. But who know? Does anyone know any more about this latest handout from Uncle Sam?