<p>Now that we're all well on are way into April, I know many of us are getting an idea of how much it is going to cost to get that BS/BA degree. So, I wanted to know how much the cost of attendence is going to influence your final decision. </p>
<p>So far I've been accepted to UCR, UCSB, and UCI who are each offering me ~$17K, ~$19K, and a whopping $23,500, respectively, in gift aid. Even though I've had my heart set on attending UCLA or Cal, I am wondering if either of those schools will be worth attending if they offer me less aid than UCI. Is it worth taking out a loan to finish your undergraduate degree? This might be a premature thought since I've heard that UCLA and Cal tend to offer the highest amounts of financial aid (fingers crossed).</p>
<p>Anyways, that was a bit of a rant, but how are things looking for the rest of you? Hypothetically, if there was a $5-6K difference in gift aid between your second or third and first college choice what would you do?</p>
<p>I’m thinking the exact same thing. UCD is actually giving me so much that I won’t have to pay a dime for my degree. I don’t know how I feel about paying for UCLA or Berkeley in that light. </p>
<p>If I had to pay about $5,000 a year to go to Berkeley, I’d probably do it still. Hard decision though.</p>
<p>+1 for what solidblu & theregoesevan said. </p>
<p>for me it would make my decision easier, like lets say i got the Academic Achievement Award from Berkeley vs. nothing from UCLA.
However, because i dont know where i really want to go anymore for UCLA i wouldn’t mind paying whatever it is to go there b/c for me, at least, it wouldn’t be that bad.</p>
<p>I used to say that I was going to go to the school that offered me the most money no matter what…</p>
<p>But honestly, I am going to wait (anxiously) for UCLA and Berk and then make my decision based on a variety of variables after I know where I have been accepted. I am going to make a pros and cons list and break it down.</p>
<p>To answer the question, I do not think that the financial aid package will be an overall deciding factor for me.</p>
<p>If you can earn your undergrad degree without accumulating any debt from loans and, also, get assistance for basic living expenses, you’ll probably have more time to pursue research/volunteer/internship positions (the REALLY important things) and probably do better in school. This seems like it would make it much more managable to graduate with a 3.9+ and gain all the necessary skills and experience they’ll be expecting of us when we apply for grad school at say… Cal. </p>
<p>Just a thought… but isn’t our undergrad degree completely meaningless once we’re on our way to a graduate degree? And if the undergrad degree is ultimately meaningless, is it really worth an extra $10K over the course of two years?</p>
<p>I might take the better school even if they offer say… 4000 less, and i would do it BECAUSE of the money.</p>
<p>My goal is to get into a philosophy grad school program with funding. That’s basically 5 years where they pay for my life. If I have to pay a little bit more now, to get a better chance at grad school… </p>
<p>Eh, I guess I have to try and gauge the risk both ways.</p>
<p>If you get blue and gold, what does it matter? I’ve paid my own housing since I was 18 so it’s no different now. I have no problems taking a loan for housing either. I’m going to be making so much money after law school, loans won’t take me more than a few years to pay off. Plus Obamas student loan plan makes it so only 10 percent of our income can (be forced) to go to student loans, that sounds good to me. We finally have a president that cares about the middle and lower class. Thank you god.</p>
<p>really, only 10 percent? thats cool. Has that passed yet? 'Tis official?</p>
<p>Ya, if you can expect to make a bunch of money afterward, I would definitely just pick the better school. But, being a philosophy major, and not wanting to go into business or law, I don’t expect too much money to be forthcoming. I’m already planning how i’ll be homeless.</p>
<p>I wish you the best. But remember that education is no algorithm for success. There are a lot of poor lawyers, and other professionals, out there. One of my neighbors who just moved is a doctor and practice just fell to pieces and his house was foreclosed on.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my other neighbor is a lawyer and he owns half the property on my block. </p>
<p>I think this seems to support the idea that it is not so much where you receive your degree from, but moreso the actual skill and experience you possess.</p>
<p>Obama doesn’t really care for the middle class. We’re always the ones that get screwed the most for being stuck in the middle. We don’t get tax breaks like the lower income class, and we don’t qualify for any financial aid, yet we don’t have the income security of the upper income class. To have just enough money to pay the full tuition, with not much left really really sucks.</p>
<p>Maybe, but at least he is not a president fighting for the upper class. I don’t get why Reagan gets a freaking holiday, the dude broke international law so many times, he buddied up with Saddam before he was on our hit list, he sold weapons to Iran and Iraq, when they were fighting against each other, he invented the god awful economic theory known as trickle down, which everyone seems to be in love with, spent more on defense during peace time than any other president. Seriously, things could be worse. The ■■■■■■ far right republicans are not in power, enjoy it while it lasts.</p>
<p>Money wouldn’t be a factor for me unless it was extreme (and I don’t come from a rich family). Loans can be paid off eventually but the school you went to will stay with you forever.</p>
<p>We’re ‘Self Employed’ by the standards of the government so we never get **** in terms of aid (not to mention we get nailed during tax season EVERY YEAR). </p>
<p>Obama is making it tough enough to put one kid through school in my family’s situation. Now that the Bush tax cuts are ending my family will be in financial hell. And he wants to add the VAT tax? ****ing redistribution of wealth give me a hoo-rah!</p>