<p>hi...
Could someone tell me about the fin aid process/ how generous they are?
.. whether they give grants or loans.. etc etc..
basically talking about UCLA and UC Berkeley</p>
<p>Thnx</p>
<p>Have you tried the on-line calculator for the UCs?</p>
<p>[University</a> of California - Financial aid](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/financial-aid/index.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/financial-aid/index.html)</p>
<p>California public schools (especially the UCs) are not generous with financial aid to out-of-state residents. UCB has been very open that they accepted more out-of-state students because of the higher cost these students must pay to attend.</p>
<p>The UCs are only very generous to in-state residents and even then, the bulk of the money that is offered is reserved for in-state residents who graduated from a California high school as such. There are some scholarships available, but they are very few, very competitive, and hardly a “drop in the bucket,” so to speak.</p>
<p>As an OOS applicant, you’re going to have to jump through A LOT of hoops to get good aid from a UC. My advice; apply to UCs but have a couple of in-state options in your back pocket in case something doesn’t work out.</p>
<p>UC financial aid is not good (and definitely not “generous” by any stretch of the imagination) for instaters; UC does not meet full need except for the few Regent’s scholars. So, finaid is guaranteed to be worse for OOS’ers. Look into UVa, which does offer full need to OOS’ers.</p>
<p>UNC-Chapel Hill also offers the same benefit. but not its satellite campii, of course.</p>
<p>bluebayou: I have had my full need met by a UC and I am not a Regent’s Scholar. I have not had to take out an unsubsidized loan either (I use savings for this amount and live on a very limited budget), only subsidized. But I’m also an in-state student who is Cal Grant and Blue&Gold eligible. My aid package is exceptionally generous because of this.</p>
<p>I should have clarified I meant that they are generous to what they define as low-income in-state residents :). For low-income (and low asset) in-state residents, the UCs (and the state of California) are incredibly generous.</p>
<p>Kender:</p>
<p>I’m glad UC works out for you and your family. But, an OOS’er is not eligible for a Cal Grant. </p>
<p>According to the UC Financial aid estimator, even with a zero EFC, an instate student needs to come up with $9k (work study and federal loans). The estimated COA at Santa Cruz is $30k. Thus, UC kicks in $21/30, or 70% – not bad, but not “generous” IMO.</p>
<p>The same EFC, but OOS, yields a $20k grant on a total cost of attendance of $53k, i.e., less than 40%; alternatively, 60% is out-of-pocket, even with a zero EFC.</p>
<p>In contrast, the same student would receive a true, full ride at several colleges, i.e., no cash out of pocket.</p>
<p>bluebayou: If you read my previous post before your initial one you would see that I said the UCs are not generous to out-of-state students and never once suggested that Cal Grants were available to out-of-state residents. Where did I even suggest this? Please do not put words in my mouth I did not say.</p>
<p>I was merely correcting your comment (and clarifying my previous one where I failed to specify who of the in-state residents generally receives the UCs’ generosity) that the UCs are not generous to even in-state students by “any stretch of the imagination.” Obviously I am living proof that there is at least one scenario in which the UCs are generous to in-state students. Please read more carefully in the future and save the lecture of the cost of a UC for someone who does not get those bills every quarter and is not already fully aware of the cost.</p>
<p>My family does not support me financially (I am an independent student) so it is not my family that benefits from my generous aid package. The cost to attend is solely on my shoulders and I am the only one who benefits from my aid package. I am very lucky and very grateful that California and the UCs are so generous to low-income in-state students. Now if only they would start passing the state budget on time so I stop getting a new ulcer every time they delay it and thus all of the Cal Grant monies…</p>
<p>Uc schools only give good aid to low income students. If u don’t qualify for blue and gold, cal grants, and pell then u won’t get decent aid.</p>
<p>Kender:</p>
<p>normally I try to avoid getting into personal details, but would you share how much of your finaid package is loans and work study?</p>
<p>Blue…I’m not Kender, but this is a typical FA package for a low income 0 EFC Calif resident at a UC school. </p>
<p>Estimated Cost of Attendance
Basic Living $13,854.00
Books and Supplies $1,601.00</p>
<h2>Fees $13,082.00</h2>
<p>Total Cost of Attendance $29,259.00</p>
<p>**
Contributions**
Student Self Help Expectation $2,750.00
Student Contribution $0.00
Parent Contribution $0.00</p>
<h2>Additional Resources $0.00</h2>
<p>Total Contributions $2,750.00</p>
<p>Financial Need $26,509.00
**
Estimated Financial Aid**
Ac. Competitive Grant Est.-NH $750.00 (note: this will go away next year. probably will be replaced with UC aid)
Cal Grant B Estimated-NH $1,551.00
Federal Direct Loan Sub-NH $3,500.00
Federal Pell Grant Program-NH $5,550.00
Federal Perkins Loan-NH $2,000.00
UCD Campus Fee Grant-NH $630.00</p>
<h2>Entering UG Scholarship - NH $12,528.00</h2>
<p>Total Estimated Financial Aid $26,509.00</p>
<p>Remaining Cost $0.00 </p>
<p>The strange thing about UCs is that it’s either feast of famine for in-state students. If you come under the thresholds for Pell, Cal Grants, and Blue and Gold, then you get the great aid. If you just miss those thresholds, you get crappy FA. </p>
<p>It really creates an incentive for lying/cheating for those who can manipulate the system (such as claiming a low income parent as the custodial parent, when that’s not really true)</p>
<p>thanks, mom2, but that just reinforces what I posted earlier. The loans and summer earnings in your example total $8250; 28% of total is self-help. On the its Finaid calculator, UC estimates an additional $1k in self-help, which some campuses may cover in additional, or one-time grant money. Again, the total is $8-9k even for a zero EFC. Perhaps some might consider that ‘generous’ but I do not.</p>
<p>In contrast, a ‘generous’ public, UVa replaces federal loans with grants for low income folks. And no-loan Vandy has zero loans, period.</p>
<p>To each their own, bluebayou. I still find over $20k in grant aid generous (especially considering that I do not have a zero EFC). Also, considering that the UCs do not give much of any aid to any students who do not qualify for Cal Grant or Blue&Gold even if they have need, it is beyond generous in comparison. Zero grant aid versus $20k+ grant aid. That’s not a large gap at all. Nope. Not at all.</p>
<p>I get you’re comparing them to schools that do not include loans, but those schools are rare and many have ceased to operate this way. The schools you have mentioned have a lot more available funds than the California money-strapped schools. They give what they can and, considering the economic state in California, are very generous in comparison to that as well.</p>
<p>To debunk your theory some, the information I gave you privately for myself is only for this year. Last year, my loans totaled only 5% (closer to 10% if you include the work study) of my overall package. However, it was also only for two quarters. Polite thing to do would have been to thank me for giving you the information, by the way ;).</p>
<p>Also note that I requested my loans. I could have been gapped without them, yes, but it’s also possible I might not have. I will never know and honestly could care less. I personally enjoy having an investment in my education. I wish I could afford the whole thing without grant money or only scholarships.</p>
<p>All that said, I agree that the OP should seek out schools that meet full need for even out of state students. Poking through the OP’s history, it seems that they are in India, but a US citizen. OP, what state are you a resident of? There might be exceptional grant aid available to you for your own state. The UCs are definitely ones (as indicated several times in this thread) you should cross off your list as unaffordable if you need financial aid to attend them.</p>
<p>The loans and summer earnings [self-help] in your example total $8250</p>
<p>Just my opinion, but it seems to me that there is a correlation to self-help amounts and transportation/personal expenses/meal plan costs. </p>
<p>It seems to me that many schools (not just UCs) expect their instate students to pay for their own shampoo, deodorant, travel, daily meals and Friday night pizzas from summer earnings, work-study, and student loans. That seems reasonable to me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not “my” theory at all. Just facts from UC’s own financial aid website. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Fair enough…your definition of “very generous” is roughly equivalent my definition of “generous”. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And, IMO, gapping is not “generous.” (But just my opinion and we’ll have to agree to disagree.)</p>