<p>Okay, long story short...I was (obviously) accepted into UCLA, and the financial aid package that I was offered (a whopping $4000) was based entirely on my father's annual income. The thing is, we struggle from paycheck to paycheck, and, what's more, the country's "fantastic" economy has finally hit home; my dad will lose his job in three weeks.</p>
<p>This obviously puts a real dent in my financial options. Obviously, the money that UCLA was expecting my parents to pay is no longer there, and other things, such as my health insurance (yikes...), will soon go away.</p>
<p>I didn't even qualify for a **** Calgrant (if I sound bitter about that, well...it's because I am), and I desperately need UCLA to put up more gift aid, if at all possible.</p>
<p>Hence my question: Is there any way that UCLA would be able to reevaluate my new financial situation and give me more gift aid? What is the process that I would have to go through to do that? What are my chances? Are they good, or, given California's swell economic climate, are my chances slim to none?</p>
<p>Thanks fellas.</p>
<p>CM57</p>
<p>If you struggle from paycheck to paycheck as you say then that means this has been going on for quite some time now, Im guessing all of last year. Did you update your federal tax returns on FAFSA? That might do the trick. Ive heard of some people getting $10k or so from that scholarship recognition award alone, most likely because they were well below the $60k average.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Blah…the kicker with that jazz is that the FAFSA doesn’t factor in mortgage payments (the biggest expenditure).</p>
<p>The other huge expense which was kinda-sorta-but-not-really fully amalyzed by the FAFSA was the ongoing effect of child support/alimony on the monthly income…basically, my parents’ divorce left us financially crippled, but it doesn’t really look that way on paper (at least for this year)…</p>
<p>It’s really all just one big mess, and a nightmarish one at that.</p>
<p>CM57</p>
<p>Just go to the financial aid people at UCLA and work something out. They’re not out to get you. Just get all the necessary documents and information and explain your situation and you should be able to get your financial aid adjusted. As for Cal Grants and FAFSA stuff, that is already done with (deadline passed and whatnot) and I doubt that can be reevaluated until next year. But UCLA gift aid is not set in stone so you should have better luck with that.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>There are some 3rd party scholarships that you can get ([fastweb.com</a> : Scholarships, Colleges, Job Search, and more!](<a href=“http://www.fastweb.com/]fastweb.com”>http://www.fastweb.com/)) for gift aid. Some of them are merit-based, but most of them are financial-based, so I think you’ll have a good chance of getting them.
But you can contact the UCLA Financial Aid Office (send them an email, call them, or even talk to them in person) and explain the situation. They may offer you more gift aid. But as for FASFA and CalGrant, they have already been evaluated. They might be reevaluated for special circumstances, but don’t count too much on it.
You can also do federal work study and getting jobs on campus to help you pay your fees. You can also take out a loan (a lot of students do that), and your loan probably would be subsidized (so that means that you don’t need to pay the interest), so you can just pay it back after you graduate and find some steady work.</p>
<p>Okay, I realize that what I’m about to say may seem like blasphemy to most of the kids on CC, but screw it. To me, sorting out my lousy financial situation is infinitely more important than the immediate gratification of starting my postsecondary education.</p>
<p>Would I be able to put off enrolling at UCLA for a year in order to (obviously) work and make more money to finance my first year? Basically, can an entering freshman defer enrollment for a year?</p>
<p>CM57</p>