<p>Hey Everyone,
I got accepted into SDSU in late January, and I just received my financial aid package today; and it is really REALLY confusing me. From what I've read, or think I understand, my financial aid package is comprised of all federal loans, however my cost of attendance for fall and spring semester is $26,014; about 13k for each semester..On the website, 26k is the standard cost of attending the school if you're a freshmen living on campus, so am I not getting any help from the school to help cover that cost? </p>
<p>I was wondering if any of you guys received your financial aid package yet, because no matter how many times I reread the distributions policies, I don't really understand if I'm paying that full amount without no federal work study or university scholarships? Whether I really do have to pay 26k a year [(@.@)!!!!], or not, I'm shocked and scared. Please help.</p>
<p>I’m in state student, and the financial packages says:</p>
<p>Estimated Cost of Attendance for Fall and Spring Semesters
-Basic Tuition and mandatory campus fees combined fall and spring : $7076
-Expenses related to Your Cost of Attendance : $18938
-Total Estimated costs : $26014</p>
<p>And then there is a list of three estimated loans; one for fall semester/spring semester</p>
<p>One is a Subsidized federal direct student loan for: $1749/$1750
Unsubsidized Fed. direct student loan for: $1000/$1000
Federal Direct Parent Loan : $10712/10713</p>
<p>Total $13461/$13463</p>
<p>There is no mention of grants, scholarships, or work-study. :[</p>
<p>Your FAFSA efc is too high to qualify for the pell grant. I don’t believe the CSUs have a lot of state aid. Give their financial aid office a call on Monday and ask if this is your complete package.</p>
<p>Did you apply to any schools where you would get the calgrant? You efc would indicate a family income where you would receive this</p>
<p>well, just a few days ago I received an email that said I did not qualify for the Cal grant A, B, or C, so that’s out of the picture. And the only other state school I applied to was UC San Diego, AND UC Berkeley. Although, I did apply to seven privates: Stanford, Brown Columbia, Boston U, New York University, Loyola Marymount University, and Northeastern. I’m just shocked that SDSU, really my safe school, is a school I can afford. I was so sure I would have been able to afford this school…
But I do plan on calling their FA office on Monday, and hopefully clear this whole mess out.</p>
<p>I hope someone with better knowledge of calgrants responds. </p>
<p>Your FAFSA efc was in the $8000 range. I thought the Calgrant income limit was $80,000 for a family. If your efc was $8000 how is it that your family income is higher than $80k? That doesn’t sound right to me. </p>
<p>If your family income was higher than $80k for the year, your efc would have been higher, and your aid package from SDSU about right.</p>
<p>so, they expect me to pay 26k with no help but loans? and my family income is higher than 80,000 for the 2011 tax year, it is around 94k. But, since my dad got a new, lower paying job, it would be about 71k for 2012-2013. Would they take that into consideration?</p>
<p>I must be missing something. If your family income was $90,000, your FAFSA EFC would be in the $20,000 range, unless you have a sibling in college. At least that would be my guesstimate. </p>
<p>I believe the Calgrant is based on your 2011 income.no exceptions for this school year, I don’t think.</p>
<p>I do have one sibling in college, and another that it about to start the the 2012-13 academic year. I’m just surprised to think that SDSU offered nothing, even with a 90k income from LAST YEAR, it isn’t like we have a spare 26 grand laying around, or even 10 grand. I mean, car payments , mortgage payments, dental insurance, health insurance, regular food costs, and gas money suck up a good chunk pf that 90k. Thumper1, thank for for helping me sort this out, but right now I’m just surprised and p*ssed off at the CA educational system. I’m definitely calling the SDSU FA office Monday.</p>
<p>Just FYI California isn’t the only place where you would receive only those loans for financial aid. Many public universities don’t have other need based aid to offer their students unless they are low income…and your 2011 income would not be considered low income in most places. </p>
<p>Thank you for the clarification. That makes your FAFSA EFC make more sense. I honestly don’t know what CA does re: the Calgrant income threshold if there are multiple siblings in college at the same time…hopefully some one else will pipe in. </p>
<p>SDSU doe not have deep pockets. My understanding is that the vast bulk of need based aid In CA comes in the form of the Calgrant.</p>
<p>I looked into cal grants for my niece. Apparently for a family of four around 81,000 is the cut off for receiving a Cal Grant. I guess they believe a family of four can indeed pay for two children in college at the same time with out any Cal Grant money. The income level isn’t adjusted to take into account how many people in the household of four are college students. I was shocked when I realized this, because the media make it seem that “middle class” families in California do indeed get help paying for the ever increasing tuition at California state schools.</p>