<p>I got about 16,000 in aid from Cal Grant A and some small additional merit scholarships. I’m also applying for their various scholarships that will bring the cost down a bit. We were expecting my housing to be around 12,000 but the arrangement they gave me was about 18,000. It’s doable but I just felt guilty that my parents would have to pay more than they planned initially. I mean its not like they gave me little to no aid. The total cost was basically cut in half, but the actual amount was less than I received from other colleges (Santa Clara covered essentially all costs, and NYU was surprisingly generous this year but still more expensive than UCLA). </p>
<p>Maybe I overreacted to this whole financial situation. I mean its not like we’re gonna go broke if I continue on at UCLA. I’d rather just save as much money as possible for graduate school, and minimize the stress on my parents to pay. I’m just looking for any possible alternatives but the slight extra amount we’d have to pay isn’t a total dealbreaker. And plus, housing costs will most likely be cheaper after the first year if I can rent an apartment off campus with 3-4 friends, right?</p>