Grants and Scholarships

How universities calculate whether you've been "over awarded"?

Does anyone know how a university calculates whether you have been over awarded with financial aid and scholarship packages? I have been awarded financial aid of a Pell grant and a Texas grant through my university but I recently received a letter about a scholarship. I just want to make sure that I don't accept the scholarship and then have my grants decreased because of it. So I need to know the federal guidelines for "over awarding" of financial aid. Is there a limit that you can't go over?

Public Comments

1. Your school should have listed somewhere (prob on the website) the "Cost of Attendance" to attend there per year. This figure is more that just tutition and fees and includes living expenses, transportiation, entertainment, (yes) and personal items. When you find this number, compare it to your award letter. If the total amount of all your finanancial aid (grants, loans, scholarships, parent PLUS loans, work study, private loans, etc.) is more than the cost of attendance, you have been over-awarded.