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Award letters
Add each college's offer to see what it adds up to: grants and scholarships, loans, work-study, and the net price. AidAhead reads the letter on this device; you check every line before it's saved.
Steps
- Tap Colleges, then the college.
- Under Award letter, tap "Add the award letter".
- Pick "Choose a PDF or scan" for a letter you downloaded, "Choose photos of the pages" for pictures, or "Type it in".
- Wait for the bar to fill while the letter is read.
- Check each line: its name, the amount for the whole year, and its kind. Fix anything, then tap the circle beside the line.
- Lines marked with a triangle need a closer look. Lines under "Pick a kind" need you to choose one.
- Tap Save once every line is confirmed.
- To change a saved letter, tap "Review lines".
Good to know
Kinds of lines
Grants and scholarships aren't repaid. Loans are repaid with interest; Parent PLUS is the parents' loan. Work-study is earned during the year. Costs are what the letter lists for tuition, housing, food, books and travel.
Net price
The cost the letter lists minus its grants and scholarships. Loans and work-study help pay it but aren't taken off.
What's kept
Only the lines you confirm, in your family file. The PDF or photos are read on this device and never kept or sent anywhere.
Scans and photos
Reading pictures needs iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26. A PDF downloaded from a college's portal works on any version.
Estimates, not advice
AidAhead shows what the letter says. It isn't advice about which offer to take or whether to borrow. The FAFSA® is free at studentaid.gov.