<p>Hey so I recently got accepted to UC Davis and the estimated cost of attendance is about $32000. I received about $23000 from financial aid, but that still leaves a $9000 gap. So I was just wondering if the estimate is a lot higher than the cost really is? Any answers will help!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The direct costs associated with attending UC Davis (tuition/room/board) are $27,820 leaving you with a $4,700 gap.</p>
<p>The indirect expenses (which can be controlled by you) are </p>
<p>Books and Supplies $1,589
Personal Expenses $1,226
Transportation $564</p>
<p>Sybbie is right. </p>
<p>There is often padding in COAs. And, you can save money by buying used textbooks, renting textbooks and/or buying online.</p>
<p>What was your EFC?</p>
<p>Ooh ok got it, thanks! This clears up a lot of things.</p>
<p>And the EFC is $0. Our income is incredibly low. I thought they would help me out a little more too, but I guess not.</p>
<p>Since you have an EFC of 0, can you give us the breakdown of your aid pkg?</p>
<p>You’re instate, right?</p>
<p>How much did you get for:</p>
<p>Cal Grants
Pell
SEOG
UC Grant
direct loan unsub
direct loans sub
Perkins loans
work-study</p>
<p>Usually, a Calif student with a 0 EFC doesn’t get that big of a gap at a UC.</p>
<p>By any chance, when you filled out FAFSA, did you indicate that you didn’t want any loans?</p>
<p>In my four years of college I have never spent $1500 in a single year on books, and that’s including my first year when I didn’t know any better and bought them at the bookstore.</p>
<p>My sophomore year, I bought a biology book for $5 from Amazon. It was $80 used in the bookstore. It was an older edition, but the only thing that had changed was the page numbers.</p>
<p>I agree on the books. My son is a STEM major and he never paid more than $45 for any book and many of the books are $100-200 new. Other than Amazon, check if the school has a trading web site or other method for students to sell their books used.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the information! It’s really shedding some light for me. Haha. But do you guys think that the 23000 is good enough my freshmen year?</p>
<p>I’m wondering if you should have been given more…</p>
<p>Can you give the breakdown of your aid pkg?</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>Federal Perkins Loan - $2K
Cal Grant A - $12924K
Federal Direct Loan - $3500
Entering UG Scholarship - $4604
Feraral Pell Grant Program - $5550
UCD Campus Fee Grant - $525</p>
<p>This all come to about $29000. I haven’t included the possible loans so far because I don’t want to take out loans. That’s why I’ve been asking if the $23000 would be enough or else I’ll be forced to take the loans. Haha. Thanks!</p>
<p>Ah…now it makes sense. i couldn’t figure out why you’d been gapped so much with a 0 EFC as an instate UC student.</p>
<p>The UC’s usually depend on about $6-7k in loans to help meet need.</p>
<p>Weren’t you given any work-study? Ask about that. </p>
<p>you’ve been given over $23k in free money…that is substantial for a state school. :)</p>
<p>Ooooo okay! Thank you so much. Everything is finally making sense. And yes I think I’ve been given work study. I’ll look & ask about that once I’m on a desktop. Currently using a friends phone. But thank you for your help!</p>