I was somehow able to get myself accepted to UCSB this year despite performing atrociously for most of high school. It honestly was a dream come true for me, but comes with a potentially huge caveat.
Because of bad sophomore and junior year grades, my unweighted GPA came out to be 2.82, thus disqualifying me for Cal Grant A (requires 3.0). Based on family income, I’m also disqualified from Cal B. Reading my unofficial UCSB award letter, I would have gotten around $12,000 in Cal Grant aid this year.
I want to go off to UC Santa Barbara EXTREMELY badly (for reasons including the education quality, the setting, and a stressful home environment), but don’t know how to handle the extra $12,000 debt I will incur. I know I can excel at SB, having drastically improved my grades this year and scoring a 35 on the ACT, but should I just give up on my dream for now and attend community college?
If I ultimately do choose to attend UCSB, what exactly are my options for additional aid? (How does Blue & Gold work? Work-study?)
@rebmob - it’s $12k per year. That’s $48k, which is a significant amount!
@Trousers, you couldn’t borrow that much even if you wanted to, not without help anyway. Someone would have to cosign for you… And to take on that amount of debt, on top of your federal loans, would be insanity. Is there any way you can recover the Cal Grant for future years if you do well this year? You need to speak with one of the financial aid counselors at UCSB and find out what your options are. Call them on Monday.
Keep in mind, though, that if you start at a CC, you’ve got a really good shot at transferring to a UC later. So, when you speak to the counselor, ask if that would make any difference - if you’d be eligible for more aid if you wait and come in as a transfer student. Not an ideal solution, I know, but worth asking, anyway.
I’m not sure that’s correct, @rebmob. I’ve just reviewed the Cal Grant publications, and it’s not entirely clear, but here are the only two options I was able to find:
(1) If a student’s sophomore/junior year GPA is below the cutoff, the student can reapply the March 2 after graduation, at which time sophomore, junior, and senior year GPA will be considered.
(2) Alternatively, the student can attend community college for two years (or until the student has the 60 credits required for transfer to a UC), at which point the student’s community college GPA will be considered (in place of the high school GPA).
I do not see any provision for including UC credit in the GPA calculation. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done - I just couldn’t find it.
So, first question, @Trousers: Will adding in your senior year GPA make enough of a difference for you to qualify for Cal Grant A? If so, then you may be able to reapply next March and qualify for the grant starting in your sophomore year. You would still have to ask UCSB what alternate assistance would be available to you during your freshman year.
But don’t take my word for any of this. As I said, the information on the Cal Grant website was not entirely clear, and I could be mistaken about the options available to you. You should call the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and ask them these questions directly. You can reach the CSAC at (888) CA GRANT (888-224-7268). When you speak with them, make sure they understand (1) you’re currently a high school senior, (2) you’ve been admitted to (and want to attend) a UC, and (3) you need Cal Grant A, not Cal Grant B.
Good luck - and please let us know what you find out!
You are right Dodgersmom. If the student doesn’t qualify for Cal grant now, they cannot use his first year college GPA. OP will need to go back to the high school and have his GPA re-submitted again before March 2nd of the following year, which will include his senior year grades as well. If that still doesn’t qualify OP, then after 2 years at a community college, OP can try to qualify for a Transfer Entitlement award with the community college GPA.
So, @kgos16, the student needs to look at his/her cumulative GPA for sophomore, junior, and senior year, and if that’s high enough, then s/he’d be eligible starting in Fall 2016. Have I got that right?
Yes, that is correct. You have to have at least 26 units at a college for the college to submit the GPA. Freshman will only have completed 12-18 units by the March 2nd date, so the college is unable to submit their GPA to CSAC - so this is why the college freshman has to go back to their high school to submit the GPA, which now will include the senior year GPA.
The UCs cover your financial need so does it matter if it’s with a Cal Grant or University grant? We didn’t qualify for a cal grant in my son’s freshman year because of our income but our need has been met for three years at UCD. We have 3 kids in college so our EFC is fairly low.
My unweighted 10-12 GPA has risen to 2.9655, which is close but not quite there. So qualifying for Cal Grant next year is contingent on me performing well in my current and final semester of HS? That’s a bit stressful.
According to the UC Blue & Gold program, which I qualify for, UCSB will provide whatever money still necessary to bring my total grants to $12,804 (the tuition cost). So in this case it would act as a sort of substitute to Cal Grant (I think?).
That means my total Cost of Attendance for 2015-16 would be $23,000. Is that a manageable amount? I’m so scared.
Tuition $12804
Campus Based Fees $1673
Books And Supplies $1403
Health Care Allowance $2772
Loan Fees $122
Room and Board $14192
Personal Expenses $1713
Telephone/Cell Phone $402
Transportation $753
Total $35834
Off Campus
Tuition $12804
Campus Based Fees $1673
Books And Supplies $1403
Health Care Allowance $2772
Loan Fees $122
Rent $6345
Food $2352
Utilities $412
Telephone/Cell Phone $352
Transportation $1012
Personal Expenses $1895
Total $31142
If you are on a health ins plan with your family you can put a waiver in so they don’t charge you. If you are on their cell plan you won’t have that additional cost. That’s about 15k per year. If you buy used books, cut personal and transportation you could save another 1,500 and with a p/t job make another 1,500 and summer plan to work and make 3,000. That’s about 11k you need, less your loan of 5,500 (6,500 sophomore, 7,500 jr & sr) and you will need about 6k off campus and university apartments are lower too.
350 for cellphone? LOL. Their estimate are just sometimes too funny. My cellphone bill is 96.00 each month! But they’re estimating 350 for 9 months? Haha.
I would have thought so also . . which is why I don’t understand why your award letter didn’t mention a UCSB scholarship. Unless there’s a GPA cutoff for the Blue & Gold also, but I’m not aware that there is.
@LuckyName that is just an average. Many people can get a cell for 10 by adding onto a parent account. If you are paying that much that’s your problem.
Did you get your aid letter yet? Even of you don’t get awarded work/study you may still be able to find a p/t job. But you can’t count on add’l aid over your initial letter. Sometimes you can pick up small department awards later, but again you can’t count on it.