So I received my financial aid package for UCR, but it is for on-campus housing. I plan on living off-campus, so I decided to use the net calculator they provided on their website. Here’s what they gave me:
Tuition and Fees: $14,836
Room and Board: $8,600
Books and Supplies: $1,700
Other Expenses: $3,600
TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE: $28,736
Estimated grant and/or scholarship assistance: $17,056
Estimated net cost: $11,680
Are students really expected to pay the full amount they give us for the “total cost of attendance”? I plan on living with a relative while I attend UCR (since I cannot commute everyday) and they will only be having me pay $50 for rent every month. So can I just cut out the $8,600 in “Room and Board”?
Of course not. The only thing that is concrete are the tuition and fees. After that has been paid, you decide how you spend the rest of your money.
@LuckyName Thanks! I’m an incoming freshman so I wasn’t sure how paying for the expenses worked.
@theworrywart You must have put On Campus when you applied. You have to let UCR financial aid office know you will be in Off Campus housing. As you can see from the chart in the link, the estimated Cost of Attendance is different for On Campus, Apartments, Off Campus, and living with Parents. You have to let them know you will be Off Campus so they can give you a financial package for that scenario and not charge you for on campus housing.
http://finaid.ucr.edu/ucrcost/index.html
Once they know you are not in University housing they will not charge that amount. They will just charge for Tuition and Fees and Health Insurance unless you have health insurance and apply for a waiver. Your aid will cover those costs and you will get a refund check you can use for rent, food, personal expense, transportation and books. Any extra money needed you have to supply.
^^ Maybe I’m reading it wrong but it looks like the prices for Off Campus in the chart from the link are the same as what the OP has listed (except for the tuition amount). It looks like he DID apply as an off-campus student.
The school is budgeting $8600 for room and board so if the OP is actually only paying $50 per month, that’s $600 a year for 12 months.plus whatever he spends on food. So that should reduce that Estimated Net Cost quite a bit.