Got Accepted to Berkeley as an out of state applicant! Need help with Financial Aid!

Paying for College
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<p>Ryan: People on this website were so aggressive in their comments because it really did seem to everyone that you were making the wrong choice. Thousands of students from inside and outside of NC would love to go to UNC-CH. </p>

<p>You can take the money that you save and go to Berkeley for a summer (when sublets hopefully are cheap and the weather is much nicer than in CH). You can also save some of your debt capacity to go to Berkeley for grad school (when there may be more reason to travel that far than for undergrad). At many universities, grad school tuition out of state is much lower than undergrad out of state tuition.</p>

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<p>@Ryan: I understand how you feel. Berkeley is your dream school and, from what I gather, you’re determined to attend. You started this thread for a little help, and few people, if any, have tried helping you. “Go to UNC-CH,” is not of much help. I have an idea, but it’s a long shot. </p>

<p>See if you can defer for a year. “Wait, why would I do that?” you might be asking yourself. Well, in the year you defer, I would, if at all possible, move to California–maybe find a sublet and a job–and try to attain in-state residency. If you can prove that you are supporting yourself and that you have been in California an entire calendar year before attending Berkeley, you should be eligible for in-state tuition. I know it’s a long shot and disrupts your path, but it’s the only thing I can think of that would substantially reduce your costs. </p>

<p>If that doesn’t work out for you, I recommend exploring scholarships. </p>

<p>Best of luck with your future endeavors!</p>

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<p>Emerson, your plan would require the student to take 2 years off, since the residency determination date for Cal is May 1st, and one full year of residency is required to be established on the residency date.</p>

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<p>Not to mention the fact that being entirely self-supporting for purposes of residency would include having the ability to pay the in-state COA without parental assistance . . .</p>

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<p>RyanByrd, my brother lives in Oakland. Loves the area around Berkeley and has a lot of respect for the prestige of the uni there. But, he’s the first to say, that it’s a tough school, and not one he wants for his kids, and he is absolutely adamant that it is NOT worth the OOS premium. No suggestions at all for any of my kids to apply to the UCs. They are tolerable in the costs for the instate prices. OOS…that’s a whole other story. You’d have been one of the very few OOSers there and have the distinction of paying more than most anyone there for the experience when you have a very fine uni in your own state that you can get for a reasonable price. You are ever so fortunate to have such a school in your state. I’m in a state where the name recognition, ratings and reputations are not up there for the state schools, and hardly anyone from OOS comes here for college as a result. So to take advantage of our good state college costs, one loses out on those 3 Rs. For you, not the same.</p>

<p>So don’t be the fool paying full OOS freight for a UC. You’d have a lot people rolling on the floor laughing and other such expressions if they found out.</p>

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<p>I want to add that my best friend’s DD is now at a grad program at Berkeley and loving it. With stipend, she has most of her costs paid, and she lives in one of a number of boarding houses there that cater to such students. Most do come from school all over the country, and she is loving it. But she told her sister, that this is not the school to consider OOS, for UG. Better to find a more nurturing known entity, in her opinion, But perfect for grad school. So consider it for grad school.</p>

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<p>*See if you can defer for a year. “Wait, why would I do that?” you might be asking yourself. Well, in the year you defer, I would, if at all possible, move to California–maybe find a sublet and a job–and try to attain in-state residency. If you can prove that you are supporting yourself and that you have been in California an entire calendar year before attending Berkeley, you should be eligible for in-state tuition. I know it’s a long shot and disrupts your path, but it’s the only thing I can think of that would substantially reduce your costs. *</p>

<p>Calif schools are wise to these antics which is why residency isn’t granted for these attemps.</p>

<p>This student needs to go to UNC and not screw around with magical thinking ideas.</p>

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<p>Yes, most states with good public universities make it very hard to establish in-state residency. I understand that Virginia makes a student wait a full year for in-state residency even if their entire family moves permanently into Virginia.</p>

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<p>As an AA, he’s likely referring to Langston Hughes poem with the ‘dream deferred’, which suggests rather unhappy acceptance of his decision. </p>

<p>Where I live, UCB is a popular dream school for UG. But most often, once families grapple with financial realities and closer comparisons of UCB with our own high ranked flagship, they choose our flagship. Ultimately kids are very happy with the choice, but it is quite sad at the time they have to let the dream go.</p>

<p>For my D UNC was an OOS dream school, accepted but no scholarship, so had to cut it loose.</p>

<p>He may not believe it now, but judging by evidence of many students’ experiences, he will come to love UNC and shake his head- ‘what was I thinking?’ at his previous attachment to the idea of UCB.</p>

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<p>Like you Ryan, my son graduating from UNC this year had dreams of going out of state and convinced that x out of state school would be so much better for him. But, it was clear that the gap between what we could afford and the cost of attending was too great. I honestly think he would have made a huge mistake with attending a higher cost school if we didn’t refuse to co-sign loans making the cost impossible. </p>

<p>He has grown to love UNC and has had many opportunities there. Are you not aware that UNC is one of the “go to” places for social sciences. Son’s GF has a great job out of state due to her work at UNC within the social sciences. My son has many more opportunities post graduation since he has no loans to be concerned with. </p>

<p>Good luck with your future and don’t blow it with debt.</p>

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<p>Charlie…there is a one year family residency requirement in almost ALL states to establish instate residency.</p>

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<p>First, don’t take on debt at all, if possible, particularly if you are going to major in social sciences. That would be the same whether you are going in-state to UNC-CH but especially out-of-state to Cal or to any private school for that matter. The cost of living out there is far more than you are going to expect, and there are enough homeless young people living on Telegraph Ave.</p>

<p>That said, if Berkeley is your dream, and you have some practical knowledge as to why Berkeley would best serve your aspirations (not just knowledge of the 60s protest glory days), then one path you might consider is making the move to California, attending a community college for two years as an out-of-state student, establishing residency via a license, job, tax return, etc, and then working with a college guidance counselor from the very start to map your road to Berkeley via transfer as an in-state junior. Of course, there is no guarantee you would get accepted to Berkeley, but I knew many students who did transfer as juniors. They were stronger students, too, having achieved honors records at the community college.</p>

<p>I can recommend Chabot College in Hayward. Worked there supporting the counseling department, and met many students who took that path from Chabot to Berkeley or other UC schools. You don’t want to go to Berkeley just for the opportunity to engage in social activism - Berkeley does not have a monopoly on that anymore - most US universities are as liberal-minded and you can participate in rallies and protests anywhere these days. That said, Berkeley still ranks in the top 10 of universities around the world. There is no denying that being a Cal alumni opens doors, many of the same doors opened to graduates of the Ivy Leagues or schools like Stanford. Getting admission to Berkeley was the most coveted thing when I was in high school in Northern California. Even if you are a more compelling candidate because Cal needs the extra money, I don’t look at your situation so cynically. Cal does not give away its slots - they don’t have to, even under budget duress. I think there had to be other reasons they offered you a spot and felt you would be a good match for the school. Whether you attend or not, you should feel proud about that accomplishment. </p>

<p>Back to Chabot: You could attend Chabot College as an out-of-state student for the same estimated annual cost as going to UNC-CH (including estimated living expenses.) Sure, you would be attending a community college for your first two years, but so what? You would be taking general ed courses - the same as you would at UNC - and you would have access to a very diverse campus, with a lot of supportive faculty and guidance counselors. You would be living in the Bay Area getting acclimated to the life out there, and readying yourself to apply for a transfer to Cal. As a Chabot student, you even have the opportunity to dual enroll at Berkeley once you have completed 20 UC transferable units:</p>

<p>[Transfer</a> Center](<a href=“http://www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling/transfer/partnerships.asp]Transfer”>http://www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling/transfer/partnerships.asp)</p>

<p>You sound like a bright guy with a lot of potential (test scores never tell the whole story) but you might benefit from going to a school like Chabot and it would get you closer to Berkeley. I know Chabot offers several on-campus student assistant jobs, too and you would enjoy getting to know the wonderful staff there. It is a very supportive environment but challenging, too. </p>

<p>Of course, you really should not pursue any of this if it will depend on your parents taking out PLUS loans or you taking on huge amounts of debt given that your estimated earnings as a social science major are not going to be that impressive. Passion is fantastic, but it does not pay the bills as easily as an engineering degree would, for example.</p>

<p>And don’t go anywhere if you are in the least feeling half-hearted about it. Go where you can pursue your dreams with total dedication and without concern that you might have to drop out due to financial issues and be left with school loan bills but no degree.</p>

<p>Best of luck no matter your decision.</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>He wouldn’t be able to get state residency that way.</p>

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<p>Yes, there are some additional hoops he would have to jump through, including not being claimed on his parents’ tax returns, not receiving significant financial support from his parents (he would need to move to California, get a job, do everything he could to establish his intent to live in Calfornia regardless of school, and a list of other considerations.) I am including links to an explanation provided by UC San Diego, Cal State East Bay (an awesome state university, by the way), and DeAnza College - the rules would be the same.</p>

<p>[Criteria</a> to Establish Residence for Tuition Purposes](<a href=“http://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/criteria.html]Criteria”>Criteria to Establish Residence for Tuition Purposes)</p>

<p><a href=“http://registrar.ucsd.edu/studentLink/Reclassification_Info_Handout.pdf[/url]”>http://registrar.ucsd.edu/studentLink/Reclassification_Info_Handout.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>[How</a> to Change Your Nonresident Status to Resident](<a href=“http://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/status-change.html]How”>How to Change Your Nonresident Status to Resident)</p>

<p><a href=“Future Students - Cal State East Bay”>Future Students - Cal State East Bay;

<p>[De</a> Anza College :: Admissions :: Residency Determination and Appeal Procedure](<a href=“http://www.deanza.edu/admissions/residencyappeal.html]De”>http://www.deanza.edu/admissions/residencyappeal.html)</p>

<p>If I were to hone my suggestion, it would be to move to California, get a job, a place to live, a CA driver’s license, work and save money for awhile and then enroll at Chabot, or another community college (DeAnza, Ohlone, Berkeley City, Mission, to name a few in different parts of the Bay Area, from north to south) after a year with a plan to ultimately transfer to Berkeley.</p>

<p>So to the OP, yes, there would be additional steps, but you could do it, if you have such a strong desire to head out west. Out west, we like to find ways to do things - it is the California mindset - and we don’t let strangers discourage us. I may not have included every single step, but you wouldn’t want to rely on my word entirely anyway - you don’t know me at all - don’t put your life in my hands or the hands of anyone else in this forum. But I gave you information I had, and have added some additional links to some more information. It would be worth checking into, at least, if your desire to go to Cal is so strong. You would have to take a unique route, and there would be no guarantee that you would get another chance at Berkeley (though you could take concurrent courses there) and, following the transfer agreements, would increase your odds of admission as well as improve your potential for university success. You would have to be ready to be on your own, an adult, and not so dependent financially on your parents.</p>

<p>I recognize that so many teens these days are not ready for that (that is why so many 25-year olds are still living at home and using their parents’ medical insurance) but it can be done. I met many 18 year olds who were doing just that in the mid-90s-2000s, I did it myself in the late 80s, and my own kids, who are about to begin college in 2014 will be following a similar path (and they won’t have trust accounts and I won’t be cosigning loans.)</p>

<p>I guess I would conclude by recommending that you consider where you think you would like to settle after college in four short years. I know - another huge, and perhaps, overwhelming consideration. If you want to stay in your current home state, or that part of the country, then, by all means, go to school there. If you want to move out West, then head on out, even if that means postponing academic classes for a relatively short time. Don’t go to Berkeley if you have no desire to live in California after college. Sure, some students leave once they graduate, but despite all of California’s troubles, there is something about California that keeps most people there. That used to annoy me a little bit, because of the traffic and ever-increasing housing costs, but I definitely understood why they stayed. It’s different out there.</p>

<p>Again, best of luck! Make your dreams happen.</p>

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<p>^The important part you have not noted is that he CANNOT attend a community college during the time he is establishing residence. From your own links:

If you attend school, it becomes clear that is why you came to the state and your request for residency will be denied.</p>

<p>As mom2collegekids states, it won’t work.</p>

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<p>As far as chesterton’s implication that posters here are in some way denying the OP his/her “dream,” that is not the case. The OP is free to pursue his dream to attend Berkeley, he just will have to do it at out of state rates, because he he is not a California resident.</p>

<p>As a California taxpayer, I am perplexed as to why people like chesterton feel that I have a responsibility to subsidize the education of out of state students. As a parent of a California college-bound senior, it is painful to see out of state students receiving admissions to our flagships while California students are being turned away, so you better believe that California taxpayers like me will demand that the rules governing residency determination made even more strict - I would suggest that any student who ENTERS a California public (UC, CSU or CCC) as an out of state resident be ineligible for instate residency throughout their time at the university.</p>

<p>The clearly stated purpose of accepting out of state students to our California public universities to increase revenue. Discounting tuition for out of state students makes no sense when California students are being turned away.</p>

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<p>Chesterton, did you actually read the links you posted? Here’s one example: “Note: This requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates who do not have a parent living in California to qualify for classification as a resident at a UC campus. This includes transfer students from community colleges and other post-secondary schools in California.”</p>

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<p>Find a new dream. </p>

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As a state taxpayer, that is a GOOD thing. </p>

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<p>The UCs are aggressively courting OOS students for the sole purpose is that they pay more. Why would they then waive the fee?</p>

<p>fwiw: Chester is correct. California residency is rather easy to obtain for financially independent students. That means zero money from the 'rents. That means paying 100% of medical insurance – not hanging onto the parents plan until age 26. </p>

<p>Independent means just that.</p>

<p>Of course, there ain’t many jobs for a 19 year-old that pay enough to cover, rent, lights, food, car, insurance, medical and OOS tuition at a juco. So while Chester’s idea is theoretically possible, it is not financially probable.</p>