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<li>At the end of the parent financial information, it asks "Do you want to skip the remaining questions about your and your parents' income and assets?"</li>
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<p>Should I skip the questions or not?</p>
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<li>Do you get more financial aid if you choose to live on-campus or off-campus?</li>
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<p>Someone told me you get more if you live off-campus, but it makes sense if you choose to live on-campus because that means you have to pay more for dorms and such.</p>
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Are you an independent student? If not, it sounds like you answered YES to one of the questions pertaining to this (orphan, guardianship, married, have dependent children, have bachelors degree, over age 24, veteran)…if you answered NO to all of those question you would NOT have gotten that option. </p>
<p>If you are independent really…then no you do not have to put the parent info in…but if you goofed and you are a dependent undergrad, you need to figure out what you answered incorrectly.</p>
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<p>Your need based financial aid is based on the cost of attendance at the schools (one criterial) as well as the school’s policies re: awarding aid. The cost of attendance usually is higher for on campus than commuters…but it’s usually the same or similar for students living off campus (but not commuting from home). BUT remember, if you are living not with your family you have to pay those costs…so consider that too.</p>
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<p>If you live OFF campus you have to pay rent, utilities, food, etc. It’s not free to live off campus either. BUT really you need to check YOUR schools.</p>
<p>Regardless…you need to check the option you are REALLY doing. Simply put…the school will KNOW if you are living on or off campus and will adjust your aid accordingly. So just be honest. Don’t try to get more money…just answer the question with what you really will be doing.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>For the dependency questions, I answered “No” to everything.
Is there anything else that I’m doing wrong?</p>
<p>*2. Do you get more financial aid if you choose to live on-campus or off-campus?</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Depends on the school.</p>
<p>What schools are you applying to? Many schools don’t meet need, so some won’t cover much or any of your room and board either way. </p>
<p>What is your likely EFC?</p>
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<p>I think you may have qualified for one of the simplified formulas (low income, ability to file 1040A/EZ, federal mean-tested benefit received). If so, you can skip the remaining questions if your state aid doesn’t require that data. If you choose to enter it and are qualified for the alternate EFC formula, the additional data will not be used in the EFC calculation.</p>
<p>*Someone told me you get more if you live off-campus, but it makes sense if you choose to live on-campus because that means you have to pay more for dorms and such. *</p>
<p>You’re applying to UCs and it sounds like you have a very low EFC…maybe 0. Even if the UCs indicate that offcampus requires a higher COA, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will give you more money. UCs do not promise to meet need.</p>
<p>Once you get Pell, Cal Grant, and Blue and Gold (UC grant), the rest may be loans and work-study. You don’t want to have to borrow more to live off campus…that’s not getting more money. And, living off campus has its own costs and issues…parking, gasoline, furnishing an apt, utilities, cable, etc.</p>
<p>Pertaining to the uc blue and gold, my parents income is under 80 grand but after filling out fafsa, my efc is 50k … What now ?</p>
<p>Go over the inputs you used. Something must be entered wrong (unless your parents own a business or have $M in assets).</p>
<p>Ah that’s what I was afraid of 
they own a small business and have half a million in assets, but even with that I can’t afford to pay full tuition without my parents having to sell one of their other real estate properties.</p>
<p>Everybody has priorities. ;)</p>