<p>I was just wondering if you generally get more aid for living on campus than living off campus? Or does it not make a difference? I would rather live on campus but it is so much more expensive. It probably depends on the school. The one I'm asking about is UCSD.</p>
<p>You usually get less aid if you decide to live off campus since they realize dorms are way more expensive than apartments, etc… At the end, you’ll still receive the same % of aid though. I went on to check how my fin aid would be if I were to choose “off campus” and my Net Cost was still the same (Berkeley). So I assume you’ll still have to look for the same net cost.</p>
<p>In my school, the aid given remains the same since they estimate how much to give you based on standard charges. Whatever you don’t use from the aids, you can request a refund at the end, which can then be used to reimbursed off-campus rents. The thing about my university is that they require on-campus housing for the 1st 2 years.</p>
<p>*The one I’m asking about is UCSD. *</p>
<p>Since you’re talking about a UC, much is going to depend on your EFC and whether you’re Pell, Cal Grant, and Blue and Gold Eligible. For those who qualify for these, the UCs seem to do a good job meeting need or close to it (of course with loans). However, for those students who don’t qualify for those, they are often gapped.</p>
<p>What is your EFC? Do you qualify for Blue and Gold and Cal Grants?</p>
<p>It depends on the cost of attendance (COA) for your school. Financial aid is based on COA. Some schools only have one COA so it makes no difference whether you live on or off campus. Some have 2 COAs - one for living off campus and one for living on campus. Some schools have 3 COAs - one for living off campus not with parents, one for living off campus with parents, and one for living on campus. My daughter’s school has one COA and she gets exactly the same aid whether she lives on or off campus. But your school may be different. You need to check with your school.</p>
<p>The vast majority of schools’ grant aid (free money) will not increase or decrease based on your decision to live on or off campus. Your loan eligibility may be affected by your choice, however. You can find your school’s cost of attendance published on the school website.</p>