Berkeley financial aid award changed after I switched housing options

<p>I was originally awarded $23,566 of gift aid (when my housing option was residence hall).</p>

<p>I switched it to university apartments to see how the award would change. It lowered to $19k. then I switched it back to residence hall, but the amount didn't change to the original number. I mean the total berkeley attendance cost back got up from 27k to 31k, but the gift aid didn't come back to $23,566, it stayed 19k. So my net cost now displays $12,472 instead of $8,000. So pretty much, before the difference between the university apts and residence hall costs was included in the gift aid, now it's in my net cost. Why?</p>

<p>Did I just lose 4k????
Or is it because it's a weekend and a live person has to update it back to the original number?</p>

<p>Please help!!!!</p>

<p>Call on Monday, they’ll straighten it out, I’m sure you didn’t lose the $4k.</p>

<p>Our son’s award also changed when he changed housing options from off-campus (private) to an on-campus dorm by a few thousand not in his favor. I don’t know if we ever got a straight answer but the monies never got readjusted back. It was hard to track for him because his numbers were all provisional because FAFSA was filed originally with provisional tax info and he also later went through the verification process–so the numbers of his award were shifted many times. That isn’t an answer for you, but just another anecdotal piece of info. Let us know how it turns out, I’d be curious what the policies really are with regards to just the housing possibly affecting the aid numbers.</p>

<p>I know a family whose kid changed college choices in the summer because this happened. The school was not a UC, and she changed to commuter status. The change in fin aid was not commensurate and parents got mad. </p>

<p>Call fin aid and talk to them.</p>

<p>oh god…
this is scary. it’s $4,500 for god’s sake. they can’t just take it away because I switched options around…</p>

<p>weekend ruined now… :(</p>

<p>So here’s what I was told today:</p>

<p>"The University apartments is considered “off campus” not
“dorms-living on-campus”, therefore, the budget is less.</p>

<p>If in fact you decide to live in the dorms then we will change the gift
aid back to maximum. We will receive a confirmation of your dorm housing
late this summer and make the change at that time."</p>

<p>I guess, it’s all good now. I still don’t like seeing 19k instead of 24 thou :)</p>

<p>i had a similar situation where my gift aid went all the down to zero and stayed there. its still at zero right now. i emailed the FA people and they said they’re down for maintenance and to check back in a few days for it to be fixed</p>

<p>On another thread the student was told the servers were down and to check next week.</p>

<p>they put it back to 23k today :)</p>