I’ve emailed & called them, and they’re basically useless. I made a mistake on my FAFSA and my EFC is $13,100. I called them and they said that I should add the efc+$10,000 to see my cost of attendance which would be $23k. UCSB gave me absolutely no financial aid so the cost would actually be $31k. I updated my FAFSA and UCSD, and UCD gave me grants of $9-11k. I really want to go to UCSB but I don’t know what to do. Will the official award letter show that I’ll also be getting grants for UCSB so the cost would be around $20k? I have to make the decision in 4 days and I’m just wondering if I should go to UCSD. Please help!
What is the alternative?
@DadTwoGirls Those are my only choices if that’s what you’re asking.
Is UCSB going to email you or physically mail you an updated offer? If not, then I think that I would choose between the other two, and probably go to UCSD.
If UCSB does not officially tell you that your COA has been reduced, then assume it hasn’t been. In some cases, it isn’t a matter of a college making a mistake anymore but rather them not being willing to offer you more aid.
Were the grants you received university grants…or were they Calgrant?
@thumper1 they were university grants
@syrix I used their calculator and it said it would give me $8k in grants. Can’t I appeal?
@Syrxis I used their calculator and it said it would give me 8k in grants. Can’t I appeal?
The net price calculators give an estimate of your aid and net costs. Without knowing the details…it’s very hard to say whether this school should be giving you a grant…or not.
These sound like school specific grants.
When did you correct your FAFSA? Are you going to be a college freshman? Or are you a transfer student?
I made a mistake on my fafsa where I accidentally put family’s income as married jointly vs single since my mom became a widow after the date they asked for. I’m going to be a transfer student.
@thumper1 ^above comment
@thumper1 and $10k is a huge difference
Yes you can appeal but you should’ve done a formal appeal much earlier. As it is the weekend, I would call them first thing Tuesday the moment the financial aid office opens unless they open Monday. I would be explicitly clear to them that you would 100% go if they could help you by granting your appeal. That being said, it is unfortunately the university’s choice to give you the money.
@Syrxis Making a mistake on fafsa of accidentally putting down married-jointly vs single wouldn’t warrant such a big contrast aid right? So it’s not a mistake?
Actually, it could make a difference.
When you filed your FAFSA for 2017-2018 school year…was your mom already a widow? If so, she would,have indicated so on the fafsa. The 2015 income used would have been whatever SHE earned in 2015…and your dad’s income would NOT be included.
If our parents were married, then the income from BOTH fro 2015 would have been included.
PLUS…you fafsa MUST accurately reflect your parent status. If married…then married. If widowed…then you can’t put MARRIED. It’s not correct…so yes that IS a mistake.
@thumper1 Yes, my mom was a widow for the 2017-2018 year. My dad passed away in 2016. It could make a difference? The mistake was pretty simple, I did NOT include incomes from both parents, just my mom. All I did was accidentally put married-jointy vs single.
If you put married filing jointly…but you on,y put income from your mom, did you do that for ALL your colleges or just UCSB?
@thumper1 Pretty sure for all the colleges. I made the change AFTER the award letter of UCSB and the decisions from the colleges came out shortly after the revision and they gave me $10 to $12k in university grants. So dumb how they don’t give out updated revisions on award letters
Call on Tuesday.
I’m wondering if they had an issue with your parent tax filing status being the same as marital,status…and they need clarification.