<p>so I am currently a freshman at UCLA and I really want to stay here for four years - i love the campus and I think it has some great opportunities for me.
The thing is, I am an out-of-state student who's family income really doesn't qualify for financial aid. My EFC was around 50,000, and so I didn't get any financial aid for this year - I mean, we have enough in my college fund to pay for this year, but it's still really unsettling for me to think about my parents having to pay THAT MUCH for college when i know i can lower the cost.
Basically I love UCLA and i don't want to have to transfer to an in-state school, just so I can feel better about the tuition price...</p>
<p>here are some options that I am considering in order to lower college costs:
-look for scholarships: offered by the school and also through online search engines/private companies. Of course, i would have to apply to like a billion of these in order to get any significant amount of money...
-apply to be a resident assistant. I'm trying not to get my hopes up about this since it's pretty competitive, but RAs at UCLA get free room and board. So that's a decrease of about 10,000.
-UCHA (university co-operative housing association). really lowers the room and board costs, but idk if i'd want to live in the co-ops for the rest of my four years.</p>
<p>are there any other ways that i could lower the costs of attending college? This situation is really stressing for me. Can anyone give me any advice or elaborate on the ideas I just posted? </p>
<p>the more i think about my situation, the more motivated I am to do something about it. So please, say anything that comes to your mind!</p>
<p>There are not a lot of scholarships for no freshmen so number 2 and 3 seem most realistic. Can you tell them you will need to leave if you don't get an RA position (only if you mean it)? The coops don't seem like a bad option when compared to leaving, don't most upperclassmen live off campus anyway?</p>
<p>Have you thought about living with a family as a part time nanny/babysitter or in exchange for housework? LA's a great place to do that.</p>
<p>
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You can become a Californian resident, however, I hear that's really difficult because you have to prove that you're financially independent.
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<p>AND you can't gain residency WHILE attending school. Which usually makes changing residency a very poor option.</p>
<p>Yeah when i apply to be an RA, i plan on mentioning my financial position. I just dont want to make it look like that's the only reason i'm applying...</p>
<p>the co-ops are a good option, but I really need to see what they're like before I go ahead and make my decision... i probably should have scheduled a tour last quarter, but i'm doing it in january instead. ahhh, i'm dangerously close to submitting my housing application but i don't even know where i'll live next year :[</p>
<p>i actually plan on petitioning for residency as a junior... its another long shot, but worth the try IMO.</p>
<p>sure, one could obtain residency for tuition purposes while attending school. The way to do that is to obtain a job and become financially independent, for one year+. It might mean going part-time at school, but its doable.</p>
<p>I am facing essentially the same situation next year. I plan to lower costs by applying for an RA job, working outside of school, and living off campus in my upperclassmen years. I know some of these options aren’t fun, but it’s the best way to lower the insane costs of OOS college. Ultimately, though, the threat of transferring to an instate college always looms.</p>
<p>This thread is more than two years old – presumably the OP has figured something out by now!
Why are there so many old threads getting resurrected lately?</p>