<p>It is my understanding that any private scholarships I receive go toward decreasing what UC pays for my tuition, not what I pay.</p>
<p>So my question is, unless I earn enough in scholarships to cover more than what they are offering to pay, what is my incentive to continue applying for these scholarships? It seems like I'm doing a lot of work and only UC is benefiting. Am I missing something?</p>
<p>I don’t think you are, but I wish you were. Hopefully someone will correct me.</p>
<p>Actually you have a good point. I received Blue & Gold for a little over 11k, but if I were to win the UCI Town and Gown Scholarship for 5k then Blue & Gold would be reduced to about 6k. >:(</p>
<p>There’s also the possibility that Blue&Gold won’t consider those outside scholarships as going towards meeting your systemwide fees. All that it allows is the ability to consider all forms of aid as meeting its promise. This does make Cal Grant all the more appealing, though, since it satisfies Blue&Gold and can’t be reduced by outside scholarships.</p>
<p>I’d be interested to see a scholarship that was earmarked for room and board. That would throw a wrench in any Blue&Gold plans to count it! ;)</p>
<p>Blue&Gold: it’s good in theory until you realize just how vague it is and how little it actually helps unless you do not have any other sources of aid (no Cal Grant, Pell Grant, outside scholarships, etc) or some other circumstance like Cal Grant B as a freshman or a mid-year systemwide fees increase.</p>
<p>@Kender I’m one of those students (independent) who makes too much for Cal Grant and Pell Grant, but makes just under 80k so Blue & Gold is the shiiiit!</p>
<p>I was considering going to CSUN due to $$$…turns out CSUN offered me no grants, only 5k in sub and 6k in unsub loans. So it’s cheaper for me to go to UCI, go figure. If I get into UCLA, I think their FA will be similar to UCI’s 11k B&G grant.</p>
<p>SMCguy:
Haha, awesome! See, you are one of the lucky ones that sees an actual benefit from it and not a “we’re going to say you have this when really it’s just piggybacking on the glory of your other grants/scholarships” :). I’m really glad to see someone getting the benefit it parades itself around as having.</p>
<p>And interesting with the CSU versus UC package… reminds me of how some middle-income families find that privates can sometimes cost less than the in-state publics simply because of different calculations of need. Also, I would venture a wild guess that UCLA’s package would be similar to UCI’s in relation to grants for systemwide fees ;). If not, complain because it should be! But complain politely, of course. More flies with honey, right?</p>
<p>It’s weird…I have a younger cousin who had awesome stats in HS…she got a huge merit scholarship to USC. Her parents (my aunt and uncle make over $300k) so she was only offered loans from the UCs and no scholarships…so USC was actually cheaper than the UCs for her. She wanted to be a trojan since jr high so it all worked out for her.</p>
<p>This is why I always tell people to apply everywhere and then weigh options. It’s so silly when ppl say “I want to go to UCLA or USC, but they’re expensive so I’m going to a Cal State.” You really never know…</p>
<p>Precisely :)</p>
<p>It’s also why it’s a very good idea not to fall too in love with a school and shun all others. It can lead to heartbreak if the financial aid isn’t good enough. Financial aid forum tears at the heartstrings when you see how many kids received an accept/deny package.</p>
<p>COMPLETELY agree with SMCguy. I know so many people who pay way less at USC than they would at a UC or State school.</p>