<p>Federal Pell Grant Grant Undergraduate 5,550.00 5,550.00
Federal Suppl Educ Opp Grant Grant Undergraduate 1,500.00
CT Aid Public Col Stdnt Grant Grant Undergraduate 2,000.00
Tuition Remission Grant UG I/S Grant Undergraduate 5,420.00
Student Support Services Grant Grant Undergraduate 1,800.00
Carl Perkins Federal Loan Loan Undergraduate 1,600.00 0.00
Federal Direct Subsidized Ln 1 Loan Undergraduate 3,500.00
Federal Direct Unsubsidizd Ln1 Loan Undergraduate 3,734.00</p>
<p>Estimated COA is 25,104 from the website my only concerns are those loans.</p>
<p>This is for UCONN.</p>
<p>The SSS grant replaces the work-study as they said on the website so that explains why I didn't get work study. I want ask for another subsidized loan. I also think the Perkins only covers me Freshmen year.</p>
<p>Is there any other grants or loan options I should look out?</p>
<p>Are you an independent student? The amount of Federal Direct Subsidized Loans (Stafford) seems to be higher than what dependent freshmen are eligible to receive, though they’re within the limits for juniors or seniors. They are within the limits for independent students (actually lower than the limits). </p>
<p>Assuming you’re an independent student freshman, this package covers all of UCONNs COA, which includes transportation, books, and so on. It does have $9K a year in loans; approximately $36K a year by the time you graduate. The school doesn’t have to give you Perkins loan money each year, but you’re well under the cap for Stafford money if you’re independent, so they can substitute that if they need to. It is reserved for students with “exceptional need”, and it appears that you qualify. </p>
<p>Conn hasn’t included any earnings from work, but if you’re an independent student you might need this to live on during the summer and breaks, and that’s the way they may be calculating it. If you can earn $3K a year towards your schooling you could reduce the loans. </p>
<p>For an independent student with no significant financial resources, this is a good package IMO.</p>
<p>Yes, I am considered independant.</p>
<p>Is it possible to get another Subsidized loan then? I’d rather have those Unsubsidized loans for later so they don’t build too much interest when I have them.</p>
<p>I’m thinking far ahead but do I have to keep the loans say I get another grant like the SMART? What happens if I choose not to accept the loans next semester?</p>
<p>When do people get there first aid check? I’m wondering because I heard you don’t get it until after you start classes, but then what about books?</p>
<p>What is a transportation cost?</p>
<p>
You already have the maximum subsidized Stafford loan for a freshman. An independent freshman can get up to $9500 in Stafford loan buy only up to $3500 can be subsidized. As a sophomore that maximum will increase to $4500 and then $5500 for the 3rd an 4th years.</p>
<p>
The SMART grant ceases to exist after the 2010-2011 school year I am afraid.</p>
<p>
Depends on the school. My daughter’s school pays any balance out after the add drop/period which is 2 weeks after school starts. Her refund usually comes about a week after that, so about 3 weeks into school. So she has to make sure she has money for rent and bills and books from other sources. My son’s school was much slower and took 5-6 weeks. Your school may be faster, slower, or somewhere in between.</p>
<p>
In the COA? It is an estimated average that students pay for transportation and is included in the COA for FA purposes. It is not something you have to pay to the school (not in the cases I know of anyway).</p>
<p>With a summer job and/or part time job in the school year you should be able to do without those unsub loans.</p>
<p>Midknite: You’re at the max for subsidized Stafford loans for freshman year. The subsidized amount increase to $4500 in soph. year, and $5500 in jr/sr years. The Perkins loan is also subsidized (the government pays the interest while you’re in school).</p>
<p>You can choose to accept the loans semester by semester. If you can avoid accepting part or all of the unsubsidized Stafford loan second semester, that’s great. You can accept only part of it if you like – if you need $1000 of it for spring semester, you can just get that much. (All of the grants and loans disburse semester by semester; you’re not accruing interest on the money you get for spring semester until that semester’s unsubsidized loan is disbursed.) </p>
<p>Transportation cost: the school builds in a number that accounts for travel costs to and from school at the beginning of the year, winter break, and end of year – maybe more if the dorms close for Thanksgiving or spring break. If you don’t actually incur these costs (because your place to live when you’re not at school is nearby) then that’s a perfect opportunity of where you can save money and need less in loans. On the other hand, if you have to pay for somewhere to live breaks and summers, then you might need the money for that.</p>
<p>You’ll probably need to earn some money over the summer to pay for books and pocket money for the start of school. Can you also earn enough to buy a computer? (Conn probably has some very good prices on laptops now that you’re an admitted student.) While it is possible to get by without a computer of your own at school, it does make things rather hard. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>When does the school itself bill you( After a semester, year, after certain credits are met)? I’m now afraid I mean I have no money where am I gonna get money for 3-6 weeks of school?</p>
<p>Where will I get my books from? Also is there any book things saying I’ll pay them back after I get the refund?</p>
<p>Wait so the school pays for your first weeks until the aid normally comes in? That means I don’t have to worry about money until after the aid comes in?</p>
<p>In our experience it has worked this way. All the grants loans etc. for the semester are credited directly to your bursars account by the start of the semester. Any direct charges such as tuition and fees (and room and board if you are on campus) are charged to the bursars account. If the aid exceeds the charges then the excess is paid to your - when depends on the schools policies. if you don’t have cash in hand you can buy your books at the school bookstore and then they will be charged to your bursars account so will be covered by the aid. However we have found school bookstores to be very expensive so prefer to buy books online which usually saves several hundred dollars a semester.</p>
<p>When a school bills you depends on the school. My daughter’s school the bill is usually due the 15th of the next month. So when she starts class in August the tuition is charged to her account in August before classes start but is not due till mid September. My son’s school it is due the first day of class. I have friends whose kid’s schools expect partial payment a month or so before class starts. But when you have financial aid that should be there by the time payment is due.</p>
<p>Thanks, I was really thinking I needed to come up with ~4k to pay for books. Just to get this clear If I wanted to buy a Greyhound/Plane ticket is that considered apart of the transportation cost? Or is it just stuff like Shuttle buses and school events(away sports games, Student union things)?</p>
<p>@arabarab
Well I have about ~1K in the bank from programs I did in school and a very cheap scholarship. I doubt its enough to pay for books since I’m using it to pay for the Housing,Enrollment, and another fee for the summer program? Which will leave me with about 600 after everything is done. Then that has to pay for stuff i need while housing such as a power strip, A TV, computer. I’m sure I can get old TVs and computers for Free from my family but the TV is huge and the computers are old and big.</p>
<p>I’ll be about three hrs away from my family but I’m doubting I’ll be able to spend entire summers with them since I’ll only be taking up space.</p>
<p>If you are talking about the Transportation # included in the COA, is just an estimated amount that they think average student may spend on transportation. Your personal transportation expenses may be more or less. But your FA is based on the average. You do not pay the school for these costs and cannot charge the costs to the school. You will probably initially have to find a way to pay to get to school. When the direct school charges for the semester (or whatever school period you have) have been payed by FA, then you get a refund if there is excess FA for the semester - but it is likely to be after you have started school. Once you get the refund it is up to you how you spend it. You do not have to account for how it is spent - for instance if the COA transportation costs are $1000 and you only spend $600 on transportation you can spend the other $400 on other expenses.</p>
<p>One thing to be prepared for is that grants and scholarships in excess of tuition/fees/required books are taxable income to you. For instance grants used to pay room and board or travel are taxable.</p>
<p>Ask financial aid if you can apply your financial aid toward any of the deposit charges. Is the summer program orientation? I’d also ask them about that. </p>
<p>And, ask specifically when your funds over-and-above expenses charged by the school are released to you. If it is two weeks into the semester, that’s one thing, if a month or six weeks in you’ll need more to hold you over until you get that.</p>
<p>Will you be able to work this summer to earn some money?</p>
<p>@swimcats
Alright so that means I can file income tax and get a refund? Is that where people get the 2500 I read about on USnews?</p>
<p>@arabrab
I don’t believe I’ll be able to work this summer, I can try but who’ll hire a kid for only 3 weeks?</p>
<p>The program is six weeks and I think school starts august something.</p>
<p>What’s happening to SMART and are there any others being effected? I hope ACG and SEOG are still good.</p>
<p>You don’t need a TV for school. 4k for books seems really high, especially for one semester. Once you know what books you need, you can start looking for cheaper books. Email professors and ask if an older edition is acceptable. I’ve been known to email professors before the bookstore publishes the book list to get a head start on ordering textbooks. School book stores are a rip off, so order online or buy textbooks off another student. See if you can borrow books from the college/ public library. If you get to choose your courses, literature courses have the cheapest books.</p>
<p>SMART and ACG were both always scheduled to “sunset” after the 2010-2011 school years. From what I have been hearing there are no plans to extend them beyond 2010-2011. It is a shame. My daughter was the fortunate recipient of both ACG and SMART (she is a 2nd year SMART grant recipient in 2010-2011) and it was certainly wonderful to have that extra grant money rather than more loans.</p>
<p>
The $2500 is the American opportunity tax credit. It is a tax credit to help offset the cost of qualified education expenses (tuition/fees/required books) a student or parent has paid for out of pocket or through loans.</p>
<p>@College_ruled
4 years withn no TV is crazy, I have very few shows I keep up to date with but still if I have no TV I’ll die.</p>
<p>Do you have a computer you can bring with to college? Because if so, you can find many TV shows online, and thus don’t really need a TV.</p>
<p>Yeah I have a computer but it’s super big and old(I use my Ipod much more because its faster), so I’ll probably try to get some small low GB Laptop(Since I already own a 1TB HDD).</p>
<p>I also have a game system which one of my friends ask me to bring so we can play, while he supplies the games. I also watch lots of sports. TV’s been in my life forever I can’t imagine not having one(I don’t need cable though I lived 16 years without).</p>
<p>Wait I still try and get more SEOG money right? Is it possible for me to still get ACG even if its going down the drain in 2011?</p>
<p>750+whatever money SEOG maxes to means less Unsub loan.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t order a TV. Not only is it a frivolous waste of time, especially during your freshman year where you need to buckle down and prove that you can handle coursework / find your own routine, it is too expensive for you to purchase and transport. It’s better to spend your money on qualified educational expenses and save the extra stuff for when you have your first real job and are actually making money to afford luxuries. That’s not just austerity, but a policy that will serve you well both during college and in your adult life. Stay away from pointless debt! :D</p>
<p>I’ve never had a tv in my room, and I have survived just fine 
Are you living in a dorm? If so, most have communal tvs. Your friends may have tvs too. Tvs are also a pain to store over the summer. If you absolutely <em>must</em> get one, see if any one is giving an old one away for free on craigslist.</p>