Outside Aid Policy

Outside aid is considered a resource and will reduce the amount of need-based financial aid you are offered in the initial financial aid package. Reductions in need-based aid will occur in the following order:

1. Work Study*
2. Rice Grant Aid
3. State and Federal grants*

*If your initial financial aid offer did not include work study, then Rice grants and other institutional/state/federal need-based grants/scholarships will be reduced first. Pell grants and merit scholarships are not affected by outside aid.

For outside aid over $500 not designated toward a specific semester, the outside aid will be applied evenly to the fall and spring semester. Example: If an outside scholarship is received for $1,500 and is not designated for the fall semester, then $750 will be applied to Fall and the remaining $750 will be applied to Spring.

One Time Technology Adjustment Policy:

• The one-time technology adjustment maximum amount is $2,000.
• Students must have an outside scholarship to qualify for the adjustment. In special cases students can request to take out a student loan for half the amount for the technology purchase.
• If an outside scholarship is less than $2,000, then the student's limit for the technology adjustment is for the smaller amount. Ex: $1,000 outside scholarships means $1,000 limit for the technology adjustment.
• If the outside scholarship is over $2,000, then the students limit for the technology adjustment will be the maximum amount of $2,000.
• Students can send an email to confirm the one-time adjustment for the technology purchase. The student will need to include the amount of the purchase, if it's a one-time scholarship or if it's renewable and should include the amount of the scholarship.
• Approved technology purchases are: laptop, computer, tablet, mouse, keyboard, apple pen or others like it, monitors, and computer bag.
• Once the technology purchase is processed if a student has a balance on their account the balance will be reduced and not yield a refund. Otherwise, if there is no balance on the account at the time of the adjustment a refund will be issued by the cashier's office.

Example of a Technology Adjustment: If a student has a $10,000 outside scholarship and they would like to utilize the technology purchase the adjustment will take place as follows:

• $2,500 reduction of work study
• $2,000 add technology purchase
• $5,500 reductions in need-based aid

* Please keep in mind Gates and Jack Kent Cooke Scholars are required to submit proof of purchase.

Outside aid from all sources must be reported to the Office of Financial Aid. This includes outside scholarships received from:

• High schools
• Local communities
• Scholarship foundations
• Parent’s employer tuition benefits
• Yellow Ribbon Program Match
• Other government, state, city or private agencies

Notification of Outside Aid

Outside aid must be reported to our office using your ESTHER account or by email. To report outside aid using ESTHER, navigate to the Resources and Additional Information section on the Financial Aid tab as follows:

Financial Aid / Award Status/Award for Aid Year / Resources and additional Information

When reporting outside aid, be sure to state the following:

• Name of scholarship
• Amount of scholarship
• If scholarship is one-time only or renewable
• How scholarship will be disbursed (i.e. paper check, wire transfer, etc.)
• Frequency of payment (i.e one payment at beginning of the year or sent each semester)

This information may also be sent to the Office of Financial Aid by the following methods:

Email: fina@rice.edu

Mail:
Rice University
ATTN: Renelda Robles
Office of Financial Aid MS–12
PO Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892

Checks should include the student's Rice ID number and be made payable to Rice University or co-payable to the student and Rice University. Use the mailing address above when sending checks. In the event a scholarship organization sends the payment directly to the student, the check should still be reported to the Office of Financial Aid.