<p>Hello everyone. I am wondering if anyone knows if the private schools in the LA area will meet 100% of demonstrated need. I am looking to know what to expect for tuition, if I'll need loans, if I'll have enough for off campus living, and what to expect with loans included and without them. I got accepted to a number of schools, but we found an infected tumor in my back, so I'm staying at community college an extra semester, maybe year. Hoping for UCLA abouve all private schools, unless USC (My goal is to network the LA scene).</p>
<p>Credentials: Male, 60 units so far, (Retaking courses to go to 3.8) Right now I have a 3.6, plus student body senate experience (Will continue to serve). I also am a member of the track team, PBL, and I work part time doing Bartender gigs and part-time as a Massage Therapist/Personal Trainer (Hoping work experience will increase my chances). Due to my financial hardships I have an EFC of Zero off of my parent's income. I receive veterans dependent benefits for UC's and State schools (Tuition is covered by this).</p>
<p>P.S. I'm also looking in transferring to Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, or Chapman for spring 2011 (I'm waiting to see if I will be financially assisted to were I could afford to go, as well as off campus living expenses.</p>
<p>Dsg, I am sorry about your tumor. I hope all goes well with that. </p>
<p>You can google need blind schools that meet full need and see what come up in California. . You can look at USN&WR, among other sources to see what percent of need a specific school meets and also what percent of those kids get full need met. As a transfer student, you are going to have to call each financial aid office and find out their policies for transfere students in terms of meeting aid, because many of the full need met schools do not have that policy for transfer students. </p>
<p>What schools accepted you this year, and what did they offer? Since you applied this year, it can be a dry run. See what schools offered what to you.</p>
<p>Thanks CPT. I recently had 2 PAINFUL back surgeries, (First on I felt Everything) but I am very lucky, I am humbled because some kids get a tough break, but luckily I just need to heal up. This last semester I applied to 8 schools, CSULB, CSUDH, CSULA, CSUSD, UCSD, UCLA, UCSB, UCI. I got accepted to all state schools, but I think because I didn’t take my essay seriously I lucked out, but Only got into UCSB for UC’s. Next year I’ll grab UCLA for sure I’m hoping (I really want to network in the LA scene to build my future, along with my degrees).</p>
<p>I called all the private schools, but they either say come in for counseling, (I can’t drive yet due to my surgery) or they tell me they can’t answer me. I also e-mailed each school as well trying to get answers on what to expect. I hope to transfer out in the spring, but I have to be able to get by as well. Thanks for the tip on the USN&WR. I hope I can get a hold of the financial policies for transfer students, and if they will honor my Dad, veteran benefits, like public schools do.</p>
<p>None of the UCs meet need, all require pretty significant debt. The privates you mention don’t either. Schools that meet need, especially for transfers are tipy top and require very top grades and scores. 3.6 is iffy and very hard to analyze without scores.</p>
<p>Chapman meets 100% of need, based on the FAFSA. However, they are need-aware in admissions. That means they are careful with how many high-need students they admit.</p>
<p>Thanks Red for the honesty, I really need to prepare myself for whats ahead. Luckily with UC’s I have my Dad’s Veterans fee waiver and that will cover my tuition, and I can apply for aid as well. Ideally then, I will go to UCLA. My friend just graduated UCR and is recommending them, but I really want to be in LA and make network connections out there (Join a Frat, Student government, build relationships for my future opportunities). The private schools would be great for me to transfer and not be stuck at a JC another year. Thanks Cal for the info on Chapman. I am VERY happy to hear they would help me out. I also understand that my EFC (Zero) may hurt my chances as well.</p>
<p>If you are a CA resident, and have an EFC of $0, wouldn’t you also qualify for a Cal Grant in addition to the Pell and a Stafford loan? I’m not sure what the totals would be, but it’s very possible they would come very close to covering your cost of attendance at one of the Cal States. Someone from CA would have to verify numbers about the Cal grant.</p>
<p>Who did you call at the colleges? The director of admissions can directly answer questions such as “Are you need aware for admissions, specifically for transfer admissions?” and “Do you meet 100% of need for transfers, and what average % do you meet if you do not?” The answer that it varies means that they are need aware and that they do not meet 100% of need 100% of the time for transfers and likely that the answer is pretty danged low. I nailed several admission reps at presentations with such questions, and yes, they HATE answering such question unless they can say that they are need blind for admissions, or nearly so–say, 90% or more of the time, and that they do meet full need or close to it. They brag about it if they can meet those stats.</p>
<p>What kind of financial packages did you get from the Cals states and UC?</p>
<p>As for veteran benefits, that is a direct question that can be answered. If they never have had that issue, they will then have to decide to go down that path.</p>
<p>CPT, thump, you guys are right. I was able to get some answers (Reluctantly from the staff over the phone). I was told that by a counselor that he didn’t want to answer and be wrong, giving me wrong information. I later emailed every school and have received quite polite responses. Pepperdine will not meet 100% of demonstrated need, and none of the privates schools are included in the veteran dependents benefits. The pell grant, seog grant, and loans are guaranteed. It looks like I should hold out for UCLA next year; My tuition would be covered due to my benefits waiver, and I would still be able to apply for financial Aid I still have a low EFC. I’m looking to re-take my courses or the equivalents, and try to pull a 3.8 GPA. </p>
<p>2 of my friends were accepted everywhere including CAL, USC, UCLA. One also has an EFC “0”. My friend has been in the Cal state system until graduation and he has an EFC “0”. I wanted to prove something to myself so I took 32 transferable semester units this quarter, all the while I helped my little brother with his first college class, helped my sister with her college work (Almost did her full course lol) and helped my older sis with nursing school studying, in addition to me working and not having books the first half the quarter (Couldn’t afford them because we didn’t get financial aid at all - Now our EFC is zero); due to my schedule this I haven’t made time to check my packet because I could ask my friends who got into the same schools I did. I’ll fill you in though once I know the full answers to these packages for my EFC “0”. </p>
<p>I’ll tell you this, DON’T take 32 units at once lol. I had the tuition covered so I was able to go to 2 JC’s. I’m told I’m a really attractive man I guess, but I gained like 20 grey hairs this semester from the stress (had like 3 before hand), and had to withdraw a course (dropped the easiest class I ever took, but I neglected it so much I forgot about a couple of projects; couldn’t let it hurt my GPA). I was up to 3:AM Almost every single night, and wrote literally over 20 pages on my easier hard days (Eventually, I did have to leave my job until school got and I tried my best to made a point to not study or go to school everyday. My tumor didn’t help, but overall I earned a 4.0 this semester - Thank God.</p>
<p>On a side note CBU offers the chance to transfer 100 semester unit (30 upper division max, 30 CLEPS or Dantes max, 70 CC max). I could just graduate there if needed within a semester, but I want to use this opportunity to build an empire from my networking in LA. I think I need an “LA” school, or CAL Berk. I learned sometimes, its not all about what you know, but also who you know. I want to use this platform to get to where I need to be so my family and even my future kid’s kid’s are set up because of my hard work, luck, and charisma now.</p>
<p>Seog is not guaranteed aid…it’s federal aid that is campus based. That means that different schools will award different amounts based on their own policies. The max may be as much as $5K but that would be very rare - it’s often as little as $200 if a school has many students with low EFC’s.</p>
<p>Good luck…and stop doing your siblings’ work for them, you need the rest!</p>
<p>I am DONE helping my siblings with their homework lol! It was just because they know I write well when on the spot (please don’t count the gibberish I post here), I don’t get intimidated by school, and I work fast. Believe me, I’m no genius. Its too bad not all the schools will guarantee the Seog, and that its not much. Pepperdine was the first school to email me back. They said, </p>
<p>"However, a zero EFC does mean that 100 percent of your need is met by the University. When you are able to apply then your FAFSA will be evaluated and we will be to see how much aid we can offer you. The only aid that is guaranteed is federal aid meaning pell grant, seog grant and loans (student and parent if it applies due to age of student). We do not meet 100% of the need. Please let me know if you have any specific questions. "</p>
<p>I am a little confused though after re-reading this message - I’m still not completely sure if she is saying the need is 100% or not. I’ll have to re-email her.</p>
<p>I think the first sentence omits the word “not”…Pepperdine doesn’t meet 100% of need afaik and would not be including parent loans if they did (student loans count toward meeting need, parent loans do not unless used to finance the EFC, which is 0 in your case). You can find their average need met data by looking at their CDS, or on College Board or College Navigator.</p>
<p>It may be that they are guaranteeing SEOG at a certain level for all their 0 EFC students but they don’t specify how much that grant would be. It could be anything and they also don’t mean (I don’t think) that the award is guaranteed to be the same every year.</p>