<p>happymomof1…I am in college, not high school.</p>
<p>Instead of getting advice, I feel like I am getting attacked when nobody really knows another persons situation so it is inaccurate to assume things such as many of the opinions above. Yes, public schools in CA are in fact “a bargain” when compared to private schools, but for somebody that could not even fathum the idea of going to a private school because of the $$$ it is obvious that these “bargain schools” arn’t such a bargain for me or my family. I am going to be going to school full time. As malishka31 says, it will be impossible for me to work full time/go to school full time with the schedule that UCLA puts out. I need help, as well as my parents, because unfortunetely they didn’t think ahead in terms of saving for college and in reality never had the opportunity to do so because they had to use the money on living expenses just to get by day to day. It is unfair to assume that all parents are obligated to save money for their childrens education, that is a luxury not an absolute given and for all those that had that done for them, they are very lucky. </p>
<p>Malishka31, you sound like you have a lot on your plate, its really refreshing to see somebody as responsible and determined as you and good luck in all that you do (you have given great advice over the last few months on this college board, much appreciated :-))</p>
<p>So, Malishka31 - you don’t want to take food out of your kids’ mouths to pay for your college education, but you expect the taxpayers to take food out of THEIR kids’ mouths to pay for YOUR education??? Sorry, but that is so ridiculous I would laugh … if I didn’t know that you are serious.</p>
<p>Sweetnez998, I will ask you … who is the mysterious entity that will provide money for you to go to your choice of school? There is no money tree in the college courtyard. The money comes from somewhere. Federal aid attempts to help the very poorest among us, and the formula used is supposed to determine who needs the assistance most. If you are assessed a high enough EFC that you aren’t getting a Pell grant, then you are making more money than a whole lot of other people. How you spend it is a choice you make. The people getting Pell grants are generally not getting enough money to bridge the gap between aid and cost - so it’s not like they are getting a free ride. And they don’t have any options for funding - they don’t have much of a “lifestyle” to cut. If you can’t afford a particular school, the answer is not “someone should pay for it for me,” but “find a less expensive school.” What we want is not always what we can have.</p>
<p>just forget this thread, i wish i never posted anything.</p>
<p>Financial aid money is not coming out of anyone’s food. It is there. We are arguing over how it should be distributed. Both Sweetnez998 and Malishka feel that they shoud get some of it. They can feel, believe, think what they please. FAFSA determines who is entitled to the money and under what terms. Colleges will give their money to whomever they feel they want to “pay”. Fairness is not necessarily the main theme here.</p>
<p>If there is no family money available for college, and the financial aid apps say that you don’t meet their definition of need, you go for merit money. If the well is dry in that area, you have to look at what options are available to you. Most kids in that situation, live at home where certain basic needs like shelter, food are covered and go to a nearby school with the least expensive tuition. You pay the tuition by working (my son gets most of his money bussing tables at night), going to school part time and borrowing. Maybe parents, relatives are able to help out here and there. Maybe a scholarship will pop up that will pay something if you keep your eyes open. My one son got a job that reimburses tuition for grade B and above. The options are out there but them may not be immediately within arm’s length. </p>
<p>My next son is likely to commute to school unless some things open up. I would love to send him where ever he wants go with no thought of the money, but it would not be a wise thing for our family to do so.</p>
<p>I agree. My son was interested in a particular school, so we did the math. There is no way we can afford it. He knows to look elsewhere. His sister is at a very expensive school, but her situation is that the school has made itself affordable. So, same family, different outcomes. My son will be fine - just as you will, sweetnezz, if you end up somewhere else due to finances. I don’t mean to be so harsh, but there truly is only so much money to go around. I understand feeling disappointed or even bitter - but it is best to understand that it is what it is & move on to something that will work for you.</p>
<p>sweetnezz, I think the bottom line problem for you is that for whatever reasons, your parents are not helping to pay for college. With a family income of $150k a year, yes, your EFC is going to easily cover the cost of any UC. It’s unfortunate that you and your parents didn’t realize this before. It’s unfortunate also that you didn’t seemingly get any kind of heads-up on finances from the UCLA transfer reps at your community college. I know that some students use their CC time to bank money from a full or parttime job towards their eventual transfer to a UC.</p>
<p>If you haven’t talked to your parents yet about your EFC, you might want to have a very frank discussion with them and find out if it is possible for them to contribute anything, even if it’s less than the EFC. If they’re buried under debt, or they’re obligated to support other family members, there might not be anything your parents can do. It doesn’t sound as if there are medical bills or other exceptional circumstances where you could ask the UCLA Financial Aid office for a review. And if your relationship is strained, then there’s also nothing to be done. If, however, they simply do not realize that parents are called upon to contribute, they may surprise you. Even in Los Angeles, there are ways to cut expenses. If you can squeeze out some money from them, and then take a part time school year job on yourself (and a fulltime job during the summer), your total loan indebtedness will be far lower.</p>
<p>Sweetnez, don’t be so discouraged. You are young, and there are opportunities out there. With my first son, I thought it would be the end of the world if he did not get right into the college he wanted. Now, I see there are many ways to get to self sufficiency, and sometimes the most immediate and expedient is not the best.</p>
<p>Can you commute to UCLA? If so that cuts the cost to the tuition, fees, books, day expenses, and commute. That may be doable for Stafford loan amounts. UCLA is one fine school, and I think worth the Stafford amounts.</p>
<p>It would probably take me over an hour, hour and a half to commute, plus gas money, everything is just so stressful it makes my head explode trying to come up with the money for this stuff. If I don’t get into UCLA, I’ll find out at the end of April, I am going to end up at UCSD where commuting will definetely not be an option. </p>
<p>Thank you very much for your kind words, they are greatly appreciated and helpful.</p>
<p>UMMM Excuse me, i am a TAXPAYER, just as well as any of you are. SO it is ok to take food out my kids mouth to pay for someone else but not ok to take it out of your kids mouth to pay for me?</p>
<p>Sweetnezz, hang in there. You are clearly a talented young student to get into these UCs. Talk to your parents about options. See if you can find a room or bunk to live in near UCLA at low cost. Find a job bussing tables or such. My kids are working multiple jobs this summer for college expenses and some thing they want to do. It isn’t easy for anyone. For your information, I live outside of NYC in a very expensive area and our family makes about $50K more than yours does. We have two in college and two in private school, and little money to spare after I pay the too high mortgage on this too expensive house I can’t unload right now that I would love to sell. If you look at my posts you’ll see that we have been on an “austerity regiment” that is not so easy to do. I shop at GoodWill and Salvation Army or not at all. I plan my driving to keep car and gas costs low. I have been trying since fall to get together enough money to pay for a new dishwasher without charging it. Any splurge, brief as it may be sets me back that month. I use Sharpies to color my roots. BUt I love my kids, we have our home and we eat well. I have a handle on the bills. I pay what I can for the kids, and they are busting their tails to alleviate that burden on us cuz they know I’m on their side.</p>
<p>Malishka, the money is out there and not from anyone’s kids food. The question is whether YOU are going to take money from your food out of your kids’ mouths to pay for college because you are not going to get a big enough piece from the pot of financial aid that is out there whether you go to school or not.</p>
<p>You are getting a bit more of a tax break for the school year, and if you adjust your taxes accordingly, you can get some money from the school credits. My oldest is making out like a bandit. $2500 tax break on unemployment, increased, longer unemployment, lower taxes, tax credit for tuition. He is going back to school. But he chose not to start a family or have other commitments so he is footloose and fancy free that way.</p>
<p>Malishka, I think the sad fact is that some people’s life circumstances give them more choices than others have. Some are circumstance (born into a low-income family in an area with few resources), some are the accumulation of choices made – either the parents’ choices or the student’s. There’s no such thing as an all-things-being-equal world.</p>
<p>My mother married and had children young. She ended up finishing college (community college) when she was in her 40s, because she worked full-time and had young children.</p>
<p>Sometimes it sucks that this assemblage of circumstance and choices leads to a frustrating situation. I feel that way about my own life in general. However, it is what it is. It’s good to ask questions about any ideas or knowledge others might have regarding resources, because someone may tell you about something you didn’t already know, but it can be frustrating to you and to those from whom you are asking for advice to insist on some kind of universal justice when almost everyone deals with the limitations of their own circumstance and past choices every single day. But good luck to you. You do sound like a stong and determined person. That’s worth its weight in gold.</p>
<p><<i use=“” sharpies=“” to=“” color=“” my=“” roots=“”>></i></p><i use=“” sharpies=“” to=“” color=“” my=“” roots=“”>
<p>Frugal tip of the year!!!</p>
<p>Of course, I would need the wide point tip to fix my hair issues.</p>
</i>
<p>I just gave up…(on hair coloring, that is).
It is quite exhilarating!</p>
<p>Malishka31 - you’re 24 married, have 1 kid, are pregnant and have been on these boards for almost 4 years. I’m surprised this whole EFC, how to pay for school thing is so new to you. I commend you for getting as far as you have with your education. I assume you have factored child care arrangements into your financial plans.</p>
<p>You (none of us) can have it all. You CHOSE to marry and have 2 kids very early in life. That in an of itself is expensive. Maybe you can commute to a local school and go part time (when dad is around to watch the kids).</p>
<p>If you finish by the time you are 26-28, that would be great.</p>
<p>Actually there was a lot of medical reasons which stated i wouldnt have kids AT ALL. So i cant really say that it was much of a choice to keep the child when being surprised by pregnancy. </p>
<p>Secondly, how is 24 young or early in life? </p>
<p>I do go part time and commute 1.5 hours. This wasnt my issue.</p>
<p>My issue is that my EFC right now is like 50 bucks over the Pell grant limit… meaning i do not qualify for anything. With 2 kids and our income that is is ABSURD beyond belief. But i THINK i will be able to augment my FAFSA to say i have 2 kids when the second one is born and that should cut my EFC substantially. </p>
<p>64000 for a family of soon to be 4 in NYC paying 200/week for health insurance is not enough money to have 10k+ laying around for school expenses. Maybe if we lived in a normal country that at the very least had socialized medicine… </p>
<p>And we can not afford child care… that is like 1500 / month for 2 if we get something really cheap. It is absolutley NOT POSSIBLE to make it financially on that amount of money. We live in a STUDIO for crying out loud. And btw, we cant just up and move to Kansas… you live where you work… so there you go, it is not like we are somehow wasting our money or living beyond our means. With taxes taken out and health insurance and rent nothing is left… and we can not downgrade any further on rent unless we go outside and live in a box.</p>
<p>Your young family of soon-to-be-four makes more than my old family of currently 4 (with two kids in college.) We don’t live in NYC, but we used to live on the westside of LA --also exorbitantly expensive on even less than we make now. Life is life. It’s not easy.</p>
<p>Heck, this is the first year our AGI squeaked above 60K. But life is good. My kids are in college and I’m back at the CC trying to update my job skills. I can only take one class per quarter and it’s a stretch to even afford that. No financial aid for me because I already have a BA from back at the dawn of time.</p>
<p>We pay for our health insurance too, and we have a HUGE deductible because it’s all we can afford. Consquently, we never get anything from the insurance because we’ve never met the deductible.</p>
<p>Like you, we also found it more manageable to have one parent stay at home and take care of the kids when they were little since daycare was so expensive. Hubby and I sometimes took turns working, although he has generally always made more than me so it made more sense for him to work most of the time. We lived in small apartments while our other friends were buying houses. We’ve never had more than one car at a time… in fact we’ve been married for over 20 years and have only had two cars total. The one we have now (our second) is 17 years old.</p>
<p>But it’s all fine. The upsides: living in such close quarters with our kids has made us an incredibly close family, having a parent at home with them was an amazing luxury in this day and age, and they are very non-materialistic young adults now. There were times of great stress surrounding money, but that stuff comes and goes and life winds its immeasurably precious path throughout.</p>