<p>I was told by a CSAC rep and the transfer advisor at my CCC that on March 2nd they start awarding Cal Grants is this true or when are they typically awarded? Maybe someone who read through last years forums would know just really curious and anxious!</p>
<p>Damn, I wish I knew.</p>
<p>I’m fairly certain that it’ll take longer than that for most people, though. Wouldn’t the cal grant be part of your fin. aid package that the UCs you get accepted to offer you anyway?</p>
<p>Yeah it’s part of the fin aid package so you should know when you get it.</p>
<p>But so their supposed to let at least some people (probably mostly people that applied on Jan 1st and 2nd) in the next couple days and keep sending out award notifications from there.</p>
<p>I’m gonna go ahead and hijack your thread, Matt. Sorry.</p>
<p>What’s the deal with “financial aid packages?” Does the college basically summarize your eligibility for Pell Grants, Stafford/Perkins loans, Cal grants, UC grants, scholarships, and the rest? Do they just suggest you apply to some stuff? Do they give you money for no official reason? </p>
<p>@sega18</p>
<p>Probably the most hilarious instance of someone’s thread being hijacked. Kudos, lol.</p>
<p>Basically, I believe they use the information on your FAFSA application to generate a financial aid package for you, so it’ll let you know what you’re qualified for and all that stuff.</p>
<p>To give an example: If someone like me gets accepted to any UC and my EFC is 0 according to my FAFSA application, I’ll receive a pell grant, cal grants, loans should I need them, and possibly work-study. Scholarships don’t seem to be included in these packages from what I’ve read; you apply for them separately. I believe UC grants are only awarded to those who should’ve received a cal grant but didn’t for some reason. YMMV depending on your EFC.</p>
<p>@Cayton - Are there a lot of UC threads from last year that people post their financial aid package?</p>
<p>I’m kind of curious because I have an EFC of 0, and on the UC app it asked what scholarships you’d like to apply to based on my circumstances.</p>
<p>Also when I use the financial aid estimator for all 4 UC’s I applied to it said about 23k-24k in grants/scholarships and 5k-6k Self Help award (work study, or loans)</p>
<p>Well Pell Grant is $5,600, and Cal Grant is Roughly 13k, that’s only $18,600 roughly, there’s about $5,000 missing do you know what that might be? </p>
<p>Would it be things like FSEOG grants, university grants, or what?</p>
<p>@sega18 - They give you money to help you with your Cost of Attendance if the government has told them that you qualify for Federal or State based aid, and the school will verify the information provided most of the time.</p>
<p>@Matt4200</p>
<p>Yeah, there are some threads from last year about fin. aid packages, but you’ll have to google them in all likelihood.</p>
<p>I think you answered your own question in that the $5,000 will have to be covered by student loans/work-study. Generally, the UCs only meet like 70~85% of need. </p>
<p>No but the total COA is about 28k and out of that on the aid estimator I was estimated id get about 23k covered and a 5k self help award.</p>
<p>But the Pell Grant and Cal Grant combined only comes out to about 18.5k so it’s short 5k even with the other 5k self help award.</p>
<p>Does that make sense?</p>
<p>So I was looking at the financial aid calculators, and I gathered the following data:</p>
<p>Yearly Room and Board Estimates for an independent, 22 year old, off campus student:
UCSB: 9725
UCLA: 10446</p>
<p>My approximation for yearly rent costs for a studio (assume food costs are constant):
UCSB: 12000 (11400 - 14400)
UCLA: 18000 (15600 - 21600)</p>
<p>UC estimate - My estimate:
UCSB: 2275
UCLA: 7554</p>
<p>Error to UC estimate ratio:
.234
.723</p>
<p>This shows that UCLA underestimates the cost of living, if the student wants to live alone in a studio so he can have totally rad fancy-pants dinner parties. Even if I get into LA I might go to UCSB to save myself some money on rent</p>
<p>Did I mention that I want to be an actuary?</p>
<p>@sega18 - I think the Aid Calculator on UCSB site is messed up, I haven’t tried the other campuses yet.</p>
<p>But I was reading over the Page titled Cost of Attendance, it’s based on a survey of all UC students on their campus.</p>
<p>(Off Campus University apartments)
It says: Room and Board $5337
And Tuition: $12,192 + $1551 fees</p>
<p>Both of these combined comes out to:
$19,080.</p>
<p>On the UCSB Aid Estimator it lists costs as:</p>
<p>Estimated Total Price of Attendance (off campus/ university apartments)
Tuition and Fees $16,160.00
Room and Board+ $9,725.00</p>
<p>Added up those 2 combined come out to: $25,885.</p>
<p>That’s over a $6,000 difference.</p>
<p>That’s crazy </p>
<p>Also when I use it and put on campus it costs about 13k for room and board and it gives me an estimated additional 4k in grants as opposed to the 9.5k living off campus for room and board and the aid estimator estimating 4k less in grants what’s up with this???</p>
<p>The latter tuition number (16160) includes health care, which I think is like 1500. </p>
<p>But ya, there is sooooooo much contradictory information on the internet. The Society of Actuaries posts information about colleges, but some of that info isn’t consistent with some things I’ve seen on club websites and university websites. Blah!!!</p>
<p>I think I’m going to go to SB for the cheap rent, beach next door, and rampant herpes.</p>
<p>And where’s the other $4500?? Lol</p>
<p>I think you’re thinking of Chico state man!</p>
<p>Haha, I had a buddy who went to Chico for a while. I think he got drunk one night, and woke up back in his parent’s house. Then he went to Northridge.</p>
<p>And the other 4500 is in the understated room expense in the first estimate. </p>
<p>Why don’t they just say specific things? Why do they think I’m so dumb that I can’t handle all the real information about who gets what? What if they don’t even know, and they just throw money at people with mild constraints? I was a pretty hardcore libertarian in high school, and I think that if I think hard enough about this, I might regress. But I do like financial aid money. Oh well :)</p>
<p>@matt4200</p>
<p>In that case, I think Blue & Gold will kick in to make up the difference.</p>
<p>@Cayton - I don’t think you can get blue and Gold and Cal Grant Though :/</p>
<p>Also on my FAFSA I put On Campus because I thought University Apartments counted as on campus will this increase my financial aid or decrease it or what?</p>
<p>Or do university apartments count as “on campus” for UCSB?</p>
<p>@Matt4200</p>
<p>Hmm, if you’ll be on campus, then your financial aid should go up—at least according to the UC fin. aid calculators. I don’t know if uni apartments count as “on campus” for UCSB; the definition of “on campus” seems to vary from UC to UC and colleges in general.</p>
<p>You might want to consult a UCSB rep or their website to obtain the information you need.</p>
<p>Okay lol I just wasn’t sure but it sounded like on Campus to me at first so I picked that</p>
<p>Actually maybe you can get both the cal Grant and Blue and Gold. 2nd paragraph.</p>
<p>From the UC site: "If you are eligible, your systemwide tuition and fees will be fully covered by scholarship or grant money. The plan combines all sources of scholarship and grant awards you receive (federal, state, UC and private) to go toward covering your tuition and fees.</p>
<p>Students with greater financial need can qualify for even more grant support to help defray other educational expenses (like books, housing, transportation, etc.).</p>
<p>You don’t need to fill out a separate application to qualify for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan. You will receive the benefits of the Blue and Gold plan automatically if you qualify."</p>
<p>Tuition at UCs is ~15k each year. Cal Grant A is ~12k. So if you get cal grant then b&g will only give you 3k in grant (assuming you aren’t eligible for that money in some other way; pell grant)</p>