<p>Hey guys, I'm about to be a freshman undergrad for UC Irvine. I've been searching for some financial aid and so far have been unsuccessful. My financial aid status is still "under review" (I turned in some documents late) and FAFSA already rejected me.</p>
<p>Where should I look? I don't know where to start looking for private loans.</p>
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<p>What do you mean “FAFSA already rejected you”. The FAFSA is a financial aid application form that helps determine your eligibility for federally funded need based aid. The FAFSA would compute this and if you are not eligible for federally funded entitlement aid (Pell Grant) the COLLEGES might use that figure to determine your eligibility for need based aid at your school.</p>
<p>Are you a CA resident? If so, you should have applied for the Cal Grant. </p>
<p>If you are not a CA resident…you more than likely need to find full funding for your college costs. It’s August…did you have some sort of “plan” for how you were going to pay your fall tuition bill?</p>
<p>Re: private loans…you will NOT be able to secure those in your name only. You will need a cosigner for these loans. How much were you anticipating taking out in private loans above and beyond the Stafford loans (which you ARE eligible for in the amount of $5500 for your freshman year)? Will your parents cosign? Are they willing to apply for a Parent Plus loan (NOTE…I am NOT advocating for this loan debt…personally I think any loans above and beyond the Stafford loan amounts are TOO MANY LOANS).</p>
<p>Sorry, but you aren’t in high school anymore. When a college says “deadline” it means that you are shooting yourself in the foot to miss it. A day, a week or a month late is your problem – not theirs – and there are plenty of worthy students who DID get their stuff in on time. </p>
<p>If completing the FAFSA got you no Pell Grant, then it means you (or your parents) have resources – resources the college expects the family to tap to pay for your education. It doesn’t matter if your parents hate the notion, that is the way the system works. (Personally I think it stinks!). </p>
<p>Please grab “How to pay for college without going broke” or another similar book from the local bookstore so you and your family can have a crash course in Pell grants, Stafford loans, Parent Plus loans and everything else out there. It’s a bit of a jungle and you need to at least understand the terms before you can go hunting shrewdly. </p>
<p>You’ve left this really, really late. You may be looking at not enrolling in the fall so you have time to put together a path to pay for college. Please get your parents and yourself a quick intro book – and take them to visit the fin aid office at the college with you so all of you can understand your options. Good luck.</p>