user: Hi, can you tell me how you can determine the amount of federal aid?[NEWLINE]agent: Various data are used to determine the amount of aid.[NEWLINE][BOUNDARY][NEWLINE]user: Can you tell me what the COA is, please?[NEWLINE]agent: Sure, it's the amount it will cost you to go to school.[NEWLINE]agent: It is also worth noting that you must attend at least half time.[NEWLINE]user: Can you explain that procedure to me more?[NEWLINE]agent: It is noteworthy that COA is always an estimate.[NEWLINE][BOUNDARY][NEWLINE]user: Regarding informing my school about the aid that I will accept, what should I do if I am offered help through a printed offer?[NEWLINE]agent: You might have to sign the offer and mail it back to the school[NEWLINE][BOUNDARY][NEWLINE]user: I understand.  I have another question about the Direct PLUS Loans for Parents.  At what point would a parent on a Direct PLUS loan get the assistance money for their daughter's school?[NEWLINE]agent: The school will give out the loan money by crediting it to the child’s school account to pay tuition, fees, room, board, and other authorized charges.[NEWLINE]user: Another concern about student aid from the federal government. What is non-need-based assistance?[NEWLINE]agent: The person in charge of estimating how much you can receive is your school.[NEWLINE]agent: For example, suppose COA is $ 16,000 and you have been awarded a total of $ 4,000 in need-based aid and private scholarships.[NEWLINE]user: Excellent.