<p>I'm a UC Berkeley undergrad student, and I'm married. I submitted a budget appeal to the financial aid office in mid-November, appealing on the basis of my utilities and rent. </p>
<p>I received an email back two weeks ago stating that since my "share" of our rent is underneath the amount they allocate for rent, that my appeal is denied. </p>
<p>I've emailed them back twice asking to schedule an appointment to meet with the person in charge of making these decisions so I can speak with them personally, but I'm incredibly upset about this. I think it's irrational, upsetting, and frankly pretty unethical to combine our income but then split our bills in half. Logically, either income and bills would both be combined, or income and bills would both be split. This is so transparently due to their unwillingness to provide additional financial aid that it's infuriating. </p>
<p>Anyone had to deal with something like this? How did it turn out? Any advice?</p>
The FAFSA EFC formula already takes into account your marital status. If you are both students then each of you files a separate FAFSA and *each *of you gets a certain amount of income protection (a little under $8000 each for the 2010-2011 school year). If only one of you is a student then you get a higher income protection allowance (around $12,500 for the 2010-2011 school year). So your combined income has received a certain amount of protection based on the fact that it is a combined income.</p>
<p>The schools are bound by federal rules as far as what they can do for making adjustments to COA. How they Divide the bills probably comes under a federal rule. </p>
<p>So before you get all mad at the FA people just keep in mind that 1)they *have *to follow federal rules and 2)your EFC is based on your combined incomes - federal rules - the school does not have a choice. 3)You are already getting income protection based on your marital situation. If you are the only one in school you are getting a higher income protection than if you were a single person. If you are both in school you are each getting income protection.</p>
<p>Also, I didn’t KNOW that rent/utilities were even considered in the financial aid equation. The school has a cost of attendance based on off campus housing, on campus housing, or being a commuter living at home. Beyond that…I don’t think your rent/utilities matter at all. There is no place to even put that on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>The living expenses are part of the budget, and the school has established policies regarding how these are treated. No school is required to increase your budget for living expenses … ever. If they choose to do so, they do it within the guidelines of their institutional policies and procedures. Schools do not simply increase the amount you can borrow because you live in a more expensive place than the school’s COA allowance. They are under no obligation to do so. Where I work, the decision on a budget increase request is final; we do not discuss it further. You submit documentation, we review it, and we increase or deny the increase … end of story.</p>
<p>I’m doing a budget appeal for more loan money. According to the financial aid office, the monthly amount for rent allocated in the living expenses budget is $850 for rent and utilities. My rent plus utilities is over $1200 per month, so I appealed on the basis of that. The financial aid office came back and said that since my “share” of the rent for my husband and myself is ~$600, I’m not qualified for a loan increase. </p>
<p>I can’t remember my EFC, but last year my husband and I made under $40k, and that was with both of us working. Now that just my husband is working, our income is closer to $25-30k, but that won’t be reflected until my FAFSA for the 2011-2012 school year since I just left my job in May after I transferred to Berkeley, so this FAFSA will still have a half year’s worth of my income (although with any luck I may be able to appeal my projected income so I can get more financial aid for the 2010-2011 school year). </p>
<p>I just wish they’d make increasing my loan with an appeal easier. I’m really grateful that I get to go to UC Berkeley, but we’re barely scraping by. I was hoping that the appeal process would go smoothly to give us a little extra money to support us through the school year, but I guess not.</p>
<p>You need them to increase your cost of attendance. It sounds like you can’t get an additional loan amount because your aid would then be more than your cost of attendance. Is that correct?</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re getting the full $9500 in Stafford loans, but how are you paying for the rest of the COA? It sounds as if the real problem is that your H’s income doesn’t cover his “half”…is that it? Can either of you pick up an extra part-time job to improve the cash-flow situation?</p>
<p>If so, what aid have you been given for this year?</p>
<p>Did you get Blue and Gold? If not, you should have.</p>
<p>We need better details to see what aid you’ve been given and how much it added up to be.</p>
<p>What was your EFC? (was it about $6k?) if you’ve borrowed the max Direct Loans, then you should be able to do a Plus loan since you’re an independent student to cover any “unmet need” and to cover your EFC.</p>
<p>For… Commuting, living off campus, not living at home
In-state tuition and fees: $12,462
Room and board: $10,304
Books and supplies: $1,314
Estimated personal expenses: $1,484 </p>
<p>I’m a little confused. Are you saying that our total rent/utilities cost is $1200 but that NONE of that really is your husband’s “share” in the living costs? I’m sorry but I would have to agree with the college…you are sharing this place with someone else so why would they allow YOU to have the total cost of the rent and utilities applied to your side only?</p>
Independent undergrad students are not eligible for PLUS loans. They get a higher limit for Stafford loans. Plus loans are only available to parents of undergrads, or to grad students.</p>
<p>Thumper - I think you’re missing my point. They are taking our joint income into account, but not our joint expenses. If my financial aid was based on my “share” of our income, then I would be totally fine if it only covered my “share” of the bills, but that’s not the case. </p>
<p>sk8rmom - I’d pick up a part-time job if I could, but my schedule doesn’t permit for it (not enough free days, and no chunks of time big enough to actually fit in a work shift).</p>
<p>mom2 - I am qualified for Blue and Gold (it’s the only reason I can afford to attend in the first place, which is awesome in and of itself). I also have sub and unsub loans. But swim is right, I’m not able to get a PLUS loan.</p>
<p>The purpose of the appeal is to try to get them to raise my COA so that I can have my loans increased too. I’m going to try to set up a meeting in person with someone in the financial aid office to discuss this, but they’ve been unresponsive to my requests to do this so far. Thanks for everyone’s input so far.</p>
<p>You are married…so your HOUSEHOLD income…is what is considered. If you only wanted YOUR income to be counted, you could have remained unmarried. This is the way the guidelines work. You can’t discount the fact that your married…just like dependent students can’t discount the incomes/assets of their parents. YOUR family unit is now you and your husband and that is what is counted on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>You did clarify that I was correct. You need to have your cost of attendance raised. Unless that happens, the school can NOT award you any more aid, not even loans, because your award would then exceed their calculated cost of attendance. You are hoping they will raise your COA so that your loans can be increased. To be honest, I’m not sure they will do that because your cost of rent/utilities is higher than what they calculate it to be.</p>
<p>BUT having said that…you should ask…the worst they could say is NO.</p>
<p>You say your schedule is such that you cannot find ANY job? How is that? Would it be possible for you to work even 5-10hours a week…it would be SOMETHING?</p>
But the thing is, as far as federal rules are concerned, your financial aid is based on your “share” of income. When the EFC formula calculates your EFC it gives you a higher income protection than you would get as a single person. If you were single you would get a little under $8,000 in income protection. As you are married, your get a little over $12,500. Now these numbers may not seem realistic, but most of the numbers in the EFC formulas are not realistic compared with real life living expenses. </p>
<p>At my daughter’s school they would say exactly the same thing as your school is saying. On their web site they explain it as follows
</p>
<p>Good luck with your meeting with the FA people. Just remember they are bound by a lot of rules set by the govt. They cannot include the part of your rent and bills that is considered your spouse’s costs, and the extra income protection you get in the EFC formula already allows for his expenses (even if they are not anything like the real expenses).</p>
<p>Don’t bother arguing the decline, but is there something else on there you can ask for? The computer allowance, etc? They will ONLY do what is in their specifically allowed parameters, so find something within that rubric.</p>
<p>somemom, did you notice the housing allowance on that form? It says:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I wonder what they consider “family housing”? I doubt she can re-appeal since her request was denied but does anyone know if the above means that the housing cost would have to be $2284/mo in order for an independent with spouse to be budgeted at $1142/mo? Abutler, you might want to send an email to the FA Director’s office and get clarification on how this works.</p>
<p>Also, I know that you’re looking for more loans right now, but wonder if you can ask for a federal work study grant…it’s possible that they have funds available from students who didn’t use their fall allotment or have withdrawn from school. Campus-based employers are generally very good about scheduling to meet the student’s needs, WS does not impact your EFC, and you may even gain experience/contacts in your intended field. When you file your 11/12 FAFSA, please consider checking the yes box for the work study question!</p>
<p>oops…I was thinking Sallie Mae loan when I wrote Plus Loan.</p>
<p>You should be able to take out a Sallie Mae loan to cover any EFC.</p>
<p>You say that you need your COA raised so that you can borrow more. Did you already borrow to cover your EFC? </p>
<p>Please give more details… </p>
<p>abutler…</p>
<p>Can you please list what the school says your COA is? </p>
<p>and…Can you please list **exactly **all the aid you’ve gotten so far?</p>
<p>Can you list exactly what your EFC is.</p>
<p>Without that info, we are shooting in the dark. We can’t help you without that.</p>
<p>BTW…yes, the school is taking into acct your H’s income, but only your share of the rent. BUT…the school let you list 2 adults in your household, so the formula takes his expenses into acct. You would be right, if your H’s income was included BUT you were only allowed to put one person in your household. Since your H is included in your household then a certain amount is automatically attributed to his expenses…it’s in the formula, so you can’t “see” it on paper. It works this way because if your H was also going to school, he would list you in his household, and only his share of the rent would count on his FAFSA.</p>
<p>I really do not think that it is necessary for Op to disclose the details of her FA package on CC, including her EFC as it is really not relevant to her getting getting a private loan, if she choses to take one.</p>
<p>She has gone through her school’s process and they have given her an answer. If she is going to obtain a private loan, this is going to be based on her creditworthiness.</p>