<p>Ok....this plea for help is kinda vague but thats really only because i'm really confused with the whole system.</p>
<p>ok so my question is regarding money at college. how does everything work? I have a vague grasp on what CARS is...i guess its the campus accounting database...and...that's really about it.</p>
<p>i wanna know...
where does my scholarship money go?
where does my work-study money go?
how do i pay tuition costs?
when i sign up for a checking account, is that checking account connected to berkeley's acct?
how do i accept loans?
is there some sort of master berkeley account that each student gets that shows how much money you have?
which bank should i sign up with for a checking account?
do i withdraw money from my checking account or my CARS account?</p>
<p>i guess that's all the questions i have for now...if any current berkeley student or parent who have gone thru this process could help, i would REALLY appreciate it. thanks a lot in advance</p>
<p>I'm in the same boat as you are. I'm super confused with all the financial aid stuff. My mom wants to take a loan out from the bank and then I told her about the loans that Berkeley listed on that award letter but well, how exactly do you act on this? How do you accept these things?</p>
<p>Help us out. :/</p>
<p>CARS is basically like a charge account that you can check on BearFacts, from what I've gathered. You can go to BearFacts and pay for your stuff later on electronically.</p>
<p>Go to BearFacts and go to the "Loans" section and read it. It gives you instructions on how to deal with your loans. </p>
<p>BearFacts:
<a href="https://sis.berkeley.edu/bearfacts/student/studentMain.do?bfaction=welcome%5B/url%5D">https://sis.berkeley.edu/bearfacts/student/studentMain.do?bfaction=welcome</a></p>
<p>Your outside scholarship money goes to your CARS account, and will pay for the money you owe, if there is any (if your CARS balance becomes positive, the extra money is sent to you via direct checking deposit).</p>
<p>Money if earn using work-study funds is paid by the employer to you in form of a paycheck.</p>
<p>You should sign up for a checking account at a bank that offers free checking, such as Washington Mutual (I use WaMu as well).</p>
<p>hows wamu compared to other banks like boa, wells fargo, or bank of the west? thanks for all the help</p>
<p>note: ebill acounts havent been assessed yet so you cant access it even if you try. I asked. :(</p>
<p>O do you know when ebill can be accessed, I'm kinda parnoid by this cause I don't want to pay a late fee or something.</p>
<p>Look. Your last year of high school probably hasn't ended yet. There is still 3 more months until the fall semester begins. They aren't going to bill you now! (I wasn't billed for anything until August)</p>
<p>Aug 15 or so is when your tuition is due.</p>
<p>CARS is where all the money goes, scholarships, grants, loans, outside scholarships, your own cash.</p>
<p>All charges are then deducted from your CARS balance. Anything left over gets refunded to you via check or direct deposit.</p>