<p>I just want to just spill it all, since the deadline for UC and CSU applications are approaching. I am starting to worry more and more about the finances in college. I am aware of the FAFSA and Grants, etc, that are provided for us but I cannot help but be worried. My parents are basically making less than $13,000 yearly together and I don't want to burden my parents with any more financial needs. </p>
<p>I am aware of the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan for the tuition fees. However, I was looking around the forum and apparently that is only if you are beginning the the UC with freshman status/no units? (Can someone clarify that?) The thing is, I attend a school where we are able to attain college credits; therefore, I have earned around 60 college units already...putting me at about Junior status. Nonetheless I am still applying as a freshman. I have a decent GPA and decent test scores also. </p>
<p>I don't exactly know where I am getting at, but basically how much money will be coming from my family and me? I want to attend a UC and live there, which is predicted to be an average of $31,000 or more...</p>
<p>If you’re still in high school and you’ve been earning Dual Enrollment Credits, then that should not hurt your chances for Blue and Gold.</p>
<p>You should apply to UCs since they give the best aid to low income students like you. Also apply to some CSUs for safeties.</p>
<p>However, what you have to look at is that there have been posts that some kids with DE credits and AP credits are only given aid for 2 or 3 years. If that’s the case, then you’ll have to carefully plan your major so that you’ll graduate on time.</p>
<p>If you have AP credits, then perhaps you can decide not to send your scores to your future college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. I do not have any AP credits, they are all college credits from a community college. Do you have any guesses around how much is the Expected Family Contribution? I would try to calculate it, and it would say zero. What exactly does this mean?</p>
<p>seniorsf, with an EFC that low you would have (or should have) also received a federal Pell grant and possibly SEOG and work study. You might want to check your awards again and figure out what else you received.</p>
<p>OP, with an EFC of 0, you can expect a Pell grant of $5500 and probably work study and a small SEOG grant in addition to a Stafford loan of $5500 (of which up to $3500 may be subsidized, meaning you will not be charged interest while you’re enrolled at least half time). Depending on availability, the school may also offer you a smaller Perkins loan which is also subsidized. These are all federal programs and would be in addition to the CA state aid programs. If any of these programs are unfamiliar to you, there are descriptions on finaid.org and on the federal ed website.</p>
<p>*I am a UCSD student (2nd year with Junior standing)</p>
<p>My EFC last year was $201.
I got a loan for $5500</p>
<p>This year my EFC is $2039
I got a loan for $6500 and my parents got loan for $2300 = total $8800</p>
<p>So anyway you will have a loan.*</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Is that ALL you got? You should have gotten a Pell Grant.<br>
And, if you qualify for Blue and Gold, you should have gotten more. Did you go to high school in Calif for the req’d time. </p>
<p>*I do not have any AP credits, they are all college credits from a community college. Do you have any guesses around how much is the Expected Family Contribution? I would try to calculate it, and it would say zero. What exactly does this mean? *</p>
<p>If your parents are only earning $13k per year, then I’m rather certain that you’d have a 0 EFC. </p>
<p>Your issue may be that you won’t get B&G for all 4 years. If you enter college with junior status, then you may only get 2 years of aid (if I’m understanding what the B&G rules are saying).</p>
<p>This always makes me nervous for low income kids…why do they persist in advising HS school kids to collect all of these college credits when it may affect their ability to actually finish college?!</p>
<p>To seniorsf, so did all that loan basically cover EVERYTHING? I guess more particularly, like excluding all the money from Cal Grant, Pell, Blue and Gold, and all those other aids. How much did you receive from those kinds of aids? And was the 5,500 and 8,800 loan for your first two years at UCSD sufficient for your first two school years? Thanks :)</p>
<p>To sk8ermom, thank you for all the information about other loans and grants. When I applied for my high school, I was more interested in the fact that they offered college units for free, but I never really realized how it would affect students’ ability to finish college?</p>
<p>Regarding my question for the EFC…I guess I am more confused as to where else the money will be like coming from? Since mine would most likely be zero, do I need to get the other money by working and loans because the grants and government aid will not cover everything, right? Sorry for my questions, I guess I’m just getting more and more confused with the technicalities of financing for college.</p>
<p>Also, you might search for threads by a poster named Kender who has provided excellent info on the CA aid programs in the past…or send her a PM.</p>
<p>*This always makes me nervous for low income kids…why do they persist in advising HS school kids to collect all of these college credits when it may affect their ability to actually finish college?! *</p>
<p>I know…it’s crazy! With AP/IB/DE credits, too many are starting as sophs and juniors and then they can’t get thru their majors within the financial aid time restraints. </p>
<p>And when you think that some are collecting too many credits in areas that won’t be needed (like too many history credits or too many science credits). </p>
<p>*egarding my question for the EFC…I guess I am more confused as to where else the money will be like coming from? Since mine would most likely be zero, do I need to get the other money by working and loans because the grants and government aid will not cover everything, right? Sorry for my questions, I guess I’m just getting more and more confused with the technicalities of financing for college. *</p>
<p>Other instate UC kids with EFCs of 0 have reported getting:</p>
<p>A combination of UC/Cal/Pell Grants that total at least the fees and perhaps more (like up to $17k or so)</p>
<p>Student loans including Perkins up to about $7k</p>
<p>Work study of about $2500</p>
<p>Some are getting small scholarships as well if they have good stats. And some are getting (I think) SEOG grants as well.</p>
<p>A student can elect not to have AP scores sent (if he’s been given the heads up about this problem)…but I think he would have to send the CC transcripts when he applied, right?</p>
<p>I wonder what would happen if a student didn’t send AP scores until he was a senior in college? that seems like it might be a “work around”… (I know that the OP’s situation isn’t dealing with APs)</p>
<p>To mom2collegekids, thank you for the exact numbers. I am getting a little more idea of the numbers that I will be dealing with next fall. I see what you are saying about the time restraints for those with college units coming into universities. Man, at least those with AP classes have a way to work around it. Oh, how I wish I considered these type of things four years ago.</p>