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Enrollment Services
FAQs

Computer Purchase Allowance Requests

The Computer Purchase Allowance is a request (rather than a petition), available to undergraduate and graduate students. It allows for a one-time increase of $1500 to your Cost of Attendance (COA) for the purchase of a computer.

If you have already received the annual Federal Direct Loan limit or you do not want to borrow additional loan funds, requesting an increase to your Cost of Attendance will not benefit you. This request can only increase your COA to potentially increase your federal or private loan eligibility. It does not increase or give you eligibility for Pell Grants.

Note: For MSB and first-year law students, we automatically include a one-time allowance in your COA for the purchase of a computer since it is required by your program.

When submitting a request

We will review your request to determine if a previous request has been approved. If you have previously received a request, we will not be able to increase your Cost of Attendance for the allowance, unless you meet one of the petition circumstances listed below.

If you have additional federal subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan eligibility, we will offer the loan(s). You will then be able to accept the amount you wish to receive on your My Aid Dashboard.

Computer Purchase Allowance petitions

If you previously received approval for the Computer Purchase Allowance request, you may be able to petition for an additional allowance in the following circumstances:

  • It has been over 4 years since you previously received approval of an allowance
  • The computer you previously received the allowance for has been lost, stolen, or damaged
  • You need a computer for your program that costs more than the $1500 limit

Contact us

If you have any questions about Computer Purchase Allowance requests, or to find out if you may be able to submit a request for the allowance, we invite you to contact Enrollment Services to make an appointment to discuss your situation. Counselors are happy to assist you.

For information about BYU's Cost of Attendance, see our COA page.