Request for Cost of Attendance (COA) Increase to
Purchase a Computer
The U. S. Department of Education permits institutions of higher education to include in a student’s Cost
of Attendance (COA) the purchase of a computer for educational use. The Office of Financial Aid will
include this expense for students upon request and according to our policy.
• The maximum COA increase for the purchase of the computer is $3,000, which may include the cost of a
printer and maintenance contract. If you plan to use Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP)
funds, the maximum increase to the COA is $1000.
• A student may receive this increase only once as an undergraduate and once as a graduate student.
• Additional purchases of software, printer supplies, online service fees etc. will be assumed under the
allowances already included in the COA for books and supplies.
Adding the computer cost to your cost of attendance does not guarantee that you will be eligible for
additional financial aid. Loan programs have requirements that may limit loan eligibility. These include:
loan limits – annual and aggregate, dependency status, classification (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior,
Senior) for Federal Direct Loans; dependency status and credit approval for Direct PLUS Loans; and in
some instances, credit worthiness and an approved co-signor for Alternative Loans. You can never borrow
more than the cost of education, less other financial aid received.
Below are the maximum amounts you may borrow.
If dependent, your combined subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan annual eligibility is as
follows:
Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate
Subsidized $3,500 $4,500 $5,500 $5,500 N/A
Unsubsidized $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 N/A
Total $5,500 $6,500 $7,500 $7,500 N/A
If independent, your combined subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan annual eligibility is as
follows:
Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate
Subsidized $3,500 $4,500 $5,500 $5,500 N/A
Unsubsidized $6,000 $6,000 $7,000 $7,000 $20,500
Total $9,500 $10,500 $12,500 $12,500 $20,500
The cumulative maximum amount that may be borrowed as an undergraduate is $31,000 for a dependent
and $57,500 for an independent student. The cumulative combined maximum for both undergraduate and
graduate loans is $65,000 for subsidized only and $138,500 for unsubsidized and subsidized combined.
THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION FOR A LOAN
Rec’d By: __________ FAO Action: __________
Date: ______________ By: __________
Date: __________
Office of Financial Aid Telephone: (800) 891-4596
Professional Judgment Committee Fax: (662) 915-1164
Post Office Box 1848
Suite 257 Martindale Student Services
University, Mississippi 38677
Computer Purchase
2013-2014
Section I. To be completed by student (please print):
__________________________ _______________________ ____________________________
STUDENT LAST NAME STUDENT FIRST NAME STUDENT MIDDLE NAME
_________________________ _______________________ ____________________________
OLE MISS STUDENT NUMBER TELEPHONE NUMBER OLE MISS EMAIL ADDRESS
Please check the appropriate box indicating your student status:
__________Undergraduate/Pharmacy (EE 1-3/PY1) _______Graduate/ Law/ Pharmacy (PY 2-4)
If approved, you will be awarded Federal Direct Loans up to your maximum Federal Direct Loan eligibility.
If you are at your Federal Direct Loan max and want to use a Direct PLUS Loan (parent loan) or a
private/alternative loan, you must indicate so by checking here._____
If your scholarships have been reduced, you must indicate so by checking here._____
To increase the Cost of Attendance to include the Purchase of a Computer, print this form
AND
Attach the appropriate documentation and return to the Office of Financial Aid
In order to have the cost of the purchase of a computer added to COA, the student must provide this completed
form with a dated receipt/proof of purchase attached, OR must complete form with a dated, itemized
estimate of the cost of the proposed purchase. (If you are using METP funds, you must submit the dated
receipt/proof of purchase. We cannot accept an estimate of the proposed purchase.)
I request that my Cost of Attendance be increased to cover the purchase of a computer. I understand that increasing
my COA to include the attached costs for purchasing a computer does not guarantee that The University of
Mississippi’s Office of Financial Aid will have funds available to increase the amount of financial aid offered to me
for the academic year.
I certify that the information submitted to support this request is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I
understand that I must adhere to the conditions articulated in the policy above and will not again be eligible to
receive a budget increase for the purchase of a computer during my current program of study.
____________________________ _______________________________
Student Signature Date
THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION FOR A LOAN