<p>I just checked my package at UCSD and totally lost on the money for school. I apologize ahead if my question is silly but I don't understand how the system work.
So my Estimated Cost of Attendance is $30,000
All of my grants add up to be $21,000
So I left with Net Cost of $9,000/year
And my EFC is 0</p>
<p>My parent cannot support me in money so my only options are loans and scholarships, is that correct?
On the Grants list, I do see that I have Cal Grant that covers 91% of my tuition only. Are Cal Grant and Blue&Gold Plan the same?
And the Net Cost, do I really have to spend that $9,000? </p>
<p>Thank you so much for anyone can explain this for me. I am having real headache with this. </p>
<p>Yes, you do have to come up with that 9.000. You can get 5,500 in federal loans - those should be listed somewhere on your awards letter as direct student loans. This would leave you with $4,500 that you need to pay out of pocket.</p>
<p>Blue and Gold is just a guarantee that your tuition will be fully covered by grant aid - which I assume it is. Cal Grant is one of the grants being used to cover tuition.</p>
<p>You can get $5,500 in federal direct loans. You’re most certainly also eligible for a Perkins loan, but those funds are limited, so you may not have been offered that option.</p>
<p>If you take out the direct loans of $5,500, that leaves $3,500 that you’ll need to cover yourself. Between a summer job and work study, that should be pretty easy. Did UCSD include work study in your package?</p>
<p>If you really can’t earn that $3,500 yourself, than you can borrow additional funds if (1) your parents apply for a PLUS loan and (2) their application is denied. That would entitle you to additional federal loan funds. But that is a really bad idea . . . you should not be borrowing any more than the $5,500 if you can possibly avoid it.</p>
<p>Don’t know where you leave, but if commuting to UCSD is an option, that would be one way to significantly reduce your expenses.</p>
<p>By the way, in my experience, the staff at the UCSD financial aid office are both friendly and helpful, so you shouldn’t hesitate to call them if you need additional help understanding your award. (We’re happy to help you, too. Just wanted you to know that contacting the school is always an option!)</p>
<p>If you are able to make money summers, you can reduce the direct loan you take, if you want. Now, here is another way to look at the money. Hope this isn’t confusing but the point is, you don’t actually give the 9,500 to the school.</p>
<p>The school just takes enough to cover tuition, fees, room and board. Any excess goes to you for Other Expenses (books, transportation, personal, health insurance). So they give 21,000 - tuition/fees 13,302 - housing meals 4.470 = 3,328</p>
<p>3,328 has to cover those Other Expenses. With the loan you have 8,828 cash to use for books, transportation, personal, health) If you can live on that then fine. Otherwise you need to come up with a 10-15 hour/week job or work in summer. You might want to buy a laptop.</p>
<p>Maybe I am used to going to CC without paying anything so I’m stroked to see all of these huge numbers. </p>
<p>@dodgersmom: Thank you. I do have $5,500 + $1,200 in loans (I’m not sure which one is which). I also granted work study. I live in Garden Grove, which is 83 miles away so I must stay on campus or share an apartment with someone.
I definitely call them and ask for the break down of my package. And maybe for some other grants they may have. </p>
<p>@BrownParent: the housing meal is so high in my opinion but I have no choice if i do have to stay in dorm. I am willing to work about that many hours if needed. And I do have a laptop… Will I need another one? </p>
<p>Outside questions but I do see a lot of students with high EFC but they only need to pay $4,000/year for the school? What makes that differences? And on the FAFSA, will living on campus/off-campus/with parents make the grants different? What is the cut-off income (without any asset) for a family of 4 to recieve the maximum aid? </p>
<p>You shouldn’t need another laptop unless yours breaks, I just wasn’t sure if you have one. Yes meal plans are expensive at all campuses. That’s one reason why upper division students go off campus if rent is cheaper and they can make some meals. If you get an apartment share, your grants should be the same. However, if you live at home it may be reduced. You are too far anyway.</p>
<p>From what I have seen, for 0 EFC $9,000 package is usual. Self help in terms of 5,500 loan and the rest is expected from summer earnings and Work Study, didn’t you get any work study included?</p>
<p>However I have seen some little bit better packages. Another package I saw was 8,000 from UCLA so similar to yours. That student also got an offer of 10k grant for Regents from Riverside, so could go there at no cost instead. You didn’t get Regents so that’s out.</p>
<p>Another student here with 0 EFC reported that all was paid at UCLA but Berkeley was going to be 9,000. I don’t know if it was regents or not. So I suppose there is some slightly different packaging for different students and from different campuses. I doesn’t hurt to ask, and to go online and see a list of department awards to see if you can ask for any. </p>
<p>Typical UC in-state need-based financial aid assumes a student contribution of about $9,000 ($5,500 federal direct loan plus work or work-study earnings). Getting a Regents’ scholarship (and probably other merit scholarships, although there are not that many) reduces or eliminates the student contribution, replacing it with additional grant/scholarship money.</p>