Applying Financial Aid towards Housing

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
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<p>Does anyone know how to do this? I'm not sure if this is a stupid question, but I'm completely unsure as to how to use my financial aid. And as a first generation college student, my parents are unaware as well.</p>

<p>I know there's a 'financial aid' payment option, does anyone know how this works?</p>

<p>Thanks (:</p>

2

<p>If it helps:</p>

<p>Options for Financial Aid Recipients</p>

<p>Plan G (FINANCIAL AID QUARTERLY) Only students who are eligible for Plan G will have this option displayed on their Housing Offer Letter. If you receive financial aid and plan to use your disbursement during the academic year to make your housing payments, you may be eligible for this payment option. Students who receive financial aid are required to make an initial payment submitted with your on line acceptance of the housing contract prior to the due date stated in your offer, followed by three payments due October 1, January 1 and April 1. These due dates are scheduled to coincide with the dates of your financial aid disbursements.</p>

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<p>How financial aid (in general) works:
(Wish someone told me this when I was younger.)</p>

<p>Money —> BAR Account* (University fees and the like are paid automatically.)</p>

<p>Money Left over ----> Check Refund (mailed home) OR transferred to your personal checking (need BruinDirect** 4 this)…</p>

<p>Money from check / in account —> you use to pay for housing(that includes meals) online, books, party in the bahamas etc. </p>

<p>Here’s a visual version:

<a href=“http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/2719/56660277.jpg[/IMG]”>http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/2719/56660277.jpg

</a></p>

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<p>The housing payment option just means that the times you pay are in sync with when financial aid is disbursed, so that you’ll actually have money went UCLA wants you to pay up. </p>

<ul>
<li>Bar account = Billing and receiving account. Works sorta like a checking account. Except it tells you how much you owe to the school. When you make a payment to it, the amount you owe decreases.
** Bruindirect = the thing that links/transfers your refund money into your personal checking</li>
</ul>

<p>Oh, BTW, if you don’t have a checking account, look into opening one. It’ll make your life so much easier.</p>

4

<p>That makes so much more sense! Thank you! :D</p>

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<p>Your posts have been extremely helpful, especially the visual aid (: Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>Just to be as clear as possible, university fees are just tuition right? Or is there something I’m totally missing?</p>

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<p>^ Tuition & random fees that the school tacks on</p>

<p>Ex: funding for certain clubs, student government, the student newspaper, a “Green”/environmental fee (I think), maintenance?, the UCLA band etc.</p>

<p>I would show you the exact list of what random stuff I’m paying for now, but URSA currently doesn’t allow for me to view my BAR account after 1am. xD But I think you get the idea.</p>

8

<p>Haha yes, thank you! Does this mean that I don’t worry about those university fees until I pay back my loans?</p>

<p>And I was also wondering if I need to contact the financial aid office to ‘accept’ the loans I was offered, or if they will be used automatically…</p>

<p>Thank you for humoring my asinine questions!</p>

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<p>No, the university fees (tuition & other) are automatically paid when FA is disbursed to your BAR account. </p>

<p>About your second question, if you choose to take loans out from a “UCLA friendly/compatible” lender, you accept the loans offered from your eFAN (financial offer), and then you actually have to sign up with the lender and do some other stuff… I’m being really vague because I don’t quite remember how I did it exactly, but the UCLA FAO/Loans(?) site will have a list of things you’re supposed to do to lead you through it. </p>

<p>If you still have questions, I’ll try to find what page I used to help me through the loan process tomorrow, 'cause I gotta sleep now for my midterm tomorrow. xD</p>

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<p>Thank you so much! If you do happen to find the page, you could always PM me or post it here, again, much appreciated (:</p>

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<p>You have to take some kind of loan education test (not at all difficult) to make sure you’ve read and understand (or just read) the terms. The rest varies depending on whether it’s Perkins or Stafford (or something else, I guess).</p>

<p>

</a></p>

<p>What program do you use to make these?</p>

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<p>^^For the Perkins loan, I was pretty much led through this.
[Student</a> Loan Services & Collections - E-Sign On-Line](<a href=“http://www.loans.ucla.edu/epnote.html]Student”>http://www.loans.ucla.edu/epnote.html)</p>

<p>I do remember there being a UCLA link that had a more comprehensive check list of things to, but I can’t seem to find it… For most people who are in similar situations as I, we eventually figured out what to do when the time came. A lot of these financial aid stuff never really made sense until I actually had to do them.</p>

<p>^ Photoshop. =D It can also be done in paint too, but not as fast or efficiently.</p>

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<p>Agh, I have GIMP. It doesn’t work like Photoshop does.</p>

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<p>^ Really? o.0 I looked at a screenshot of GIMP and the layout and toolbar seems nearly identical. </p>

<p>All the buttons I used in photoshop to make that image above was the line tool and the text tool, which are both present in GIMP.</p>

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<p>It does look similar, but somehow it doesn’t seem to work the same, lol. Making flow charts probably wouldn’t be that bad, but working with images isn’t as fun. I guess I need to spend more time working on it</p>

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<p>Okay, I know I’ve already asked this but I’m still a bit confused as to how I accept certain loans. Should I sign up with Sallie Mae in order to do this or speak to the financial aid office?</p>

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<p>You can’t really do much until you receive your actual financial aid offer (FAO), rather than your provisional award (PAL). Once you get the FAO, you pick a lender for the Stafford loan and then it will be clearer.</p>

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<p>do we have to send in any financial documents such as tax forms for verification?</p>

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<p>Okay I’m in a very unique and stupid situation. I won a $25,000/year scholarship at my high school… And that covers my room&board and tuition fees. That money is going to get paid by my high school counselor around August. So on the housing offer when I select how I should pay the housing, I should select FULL payment right? Not financial aid… Because if I selected financial aid I would have to pay $400… Even though the scholarship should pay that. Someone help me, I’m so lost :S I’m going to email Housing right now too… But I was just hoping you guys could help…</p>

20

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<p>I think so. You’ll get an email anytime they want something</p>

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<p>Pretty sure you’ll still want FA, unless you’re receiving the money as a lump sum in August. Even so, it might be better to space out payments (so that you can get interest on the money sitting in your bank account). You’re also supposed to tell them that you received an outside scholarship.</p>