<p>Any and all questions about Financial Aid go here. I see a lot of the same ones pop up time and again, and it's simply much tidier to refer back to a single thread.</p>
<p>Caveat:</p>
<p>PLEASE use this forum as a stop-gap only. Check with the Financial Aid Office itself (UC</a> Berkeley Financial Aid Office ; (510) 642-6442) for the official word. This especially applies to any specific questions you have. Students can give you their experience, but it means nothing if the FAO doesn't agree.</p>
<p>I started this thread for this question, which has been popping up a lot in the past couple days:</p>
<p>When do I get my Financial Aid? </p>
<p>The quick answer is that they can begin disbursing it right now (technically "the end of July." The true answer is that it often takes a lot longer, and usually appears between the week before classes start to the week after classes have started *assuming everything is in order<a href="loans%20have%20been%20accepted,%20MPNs%20submitted%20and%20processed,%20there%20are%20no%20holds,%20etc.">/i</a>. </p>
<p>You will not be considered "Registered" until after the Minimum Payment has been received, but your official status matters very little in the opening weeks of the semester; your financial aid will process long before penalties for student status would kick in.</p>
<p>On that note, the deadline for payment -- August 15 -- is irrelevant to those who are receiving enough financial aid to cover the cost of fees charged to CARS. Financial aid will not penalize you if it takes them after August 15th to credit your account, and they generally do not penalize anyone until September 15th anyway.</p>
<p>Again, please check with the FAO directly if you have any questions.</p>
<p>When financial aid is disbursed, it is automatically applied against all fees assessed in CARS. You can check your Quick Statement in BearFacts to see if you owe any money after this has happened, but I'm afraid if you're looking for a detailed itemization you're going to have to go to Billing in person. </p>
<p>The "Payment Summary" option in the CARS tab will show you payments you've made. The "Award Summary" will tell you which financial aid awards have been applied. Your e-Bill (which will open in another window) will show you what charges have been made to your CARS account, though it's ridiculously vague at telling you what exactly the charges are for. The "Refund Summary" tab will show you when refunds have been processed and checks cut for you (or EFTs processed).</p>
<p>I accepted the maximum amount that I could for the unsubsidized loan and the subsidized, but my registration fees were less than the amount I accepted (including the scholarship and grant). I don't owe any money, but it says they don't owe me any either. Where did the rest of the loans I accepted go? I would like to use them for books and rent and all that...</p>
<p>If what you mean by "it says" is that the CARS balance = $0, don't worry. They don't process refunds for a long time after they process the fee payment, and it's not really reflected anywhere until they go ahead and cut a check for the difference. Have you set up an EFT? If you have, 1-2 days after they tell you you're eligible for a refund, they'll deposit it into the linked account. If you haven't, once they've told you you're eligible for a refund, you'll need to head to Billing to pick up a check.</p>
<p>If it would make you feel better, you can call the Financial Aid Office and ask them directly. The best option would be to go in person, and then they can show you a detailed view of your account, including what you were charged (itemized), what paid into it, and how much money is remaining.</p>
<p>okay so if i have this correct, on the cars quick statement, account balance: positive number is the amount that i'm being refunded?
NOT the amount that i have left to pay at some point?</p>
<p>No, a positive CARS account Quick Statement is the amount that you are being charged. The amount you would be refunded is either reflected as a negative balance on the CARS statement or as a zero balance on your CARS account and an amount in your refund summary (the latter of which occurs after the balance is EFT'd/turned into a check).</p>
<p>Your res hall fee payment is reflected in your CARS statement, yes; what I'm not sure of -- as I haven't lived in the dorms -- is whether it's the entire semester worth or if it's the first monthly payment.</p>