<p>So I'm planning on Berkeley next year. I come from a low income family, 4 people around 30-35k salary but the pell grant only gives me $1200. This is mostly likely due to my parents owning a rental asset. Is there anyway for me to appeal for more grant money? My parents are expected to pay around 4400 per semester but my parents use most of the money they make from their assets on their own living expenses. It seems rather inflated how much money they think my parents make of their assets.</p>
<p>The FAFSA formula considers that rental income equity as an asset, and the income from rents as income. Im not sure the school will ignore that asset. </p>
<p>You can contact the college and ask them. Perhaps Cal has some institutional grant money available.</p>
<p>Are you instate for CA? Are you eligible for the Calgrant?</p>
<p>You are lucky to have a Pell grant already. Many people who are qualify for Pell Grant do not even have their own property while your family has more than one. By the way, didn’t you report the rental income and property value on FAFSA? I don’t see how they inflate the numbers. You may try to appeal, but I don’t think they would give you much more grant. You may try to get some loan though.
This thread looks rather like a trolling one.</p>
<p>what was your EFC?</p>
<p>are you a calif resident?</p>
<p>what exactly was in your FA pkg…give the details.</p>
<p>I was not eligible for cal grant. EFC was 4400.</p>
<p>why???</p>
<p>Please list what was in your fa pkg</p>
<p>With an EFC of $4400, why weren’t you Calgrant eligible? </p>
<p>Doesn’t make sense. Since you say your parents are expected to pay 4400 a semester (8800K total) then you have already gotten a Cal Grant to cover tuition. Outside of getting a regent type scholarship, I really can’t fathom how you are down to 8800 a year without having gotten the Cal Grant on top of the Pell grant.</p>
<p>I don’t think you have all the info correct.</p>
<p>Or wait, are you planning on living at home? I was counting room and board but of you are just talking tuition, I guess that works. Still, with a 4400 EFC, you would have gotten a cal grant unless the paperwork was late. Having rental income should have increased your EFC… not just given you a low EFC but not giving you a grant.</p>
<p>I am not a Calgrant expertly. But I thought that one WS eligible for a Calgrant if the family income did not exceed $80,000 a year, AND there was financial need. </p>
<p>Something seems “off” about this lack of eligibility for the Calgrant. Unless maybe assets exceeded the allowable amount??</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Because parent own rental assets</p>
<p>^^
does that also mean that the student isnt eligible for Blue and gold? </p>
<p>OP…can you please list exactly what is in your FA pkg.</p>
<p>I am eligible for Blue and Gold but I did not get Cal Grant. Blue and Gold gives me 12888 for tuition. 1280 from Pell Grant. 3000 in money eligible for a work study. The rest is loans.</p>
<p>Blue and Gold is just a promise.
what exactly did it say for the 12888? did it say UC Grant? or did it actually say B&G?</p>
<p>You didnt really lose Cal Grant funds. If you had gotten it, then you wouldnt have gotten whatever that 12888 grant is. Cal Grant would be the same amount.</p>
<p>If you got 12888 for tuition then you got an institutional grant that’s a little more than a Cal Grant A. You weren’t going to get this grant AND a Cal Grant. The Pell grant, the work study, the loans… that is to help cover your room and board, books, and living expenses. The UC’s don’t promise blue and gold students free housing (and Berkeley does have one of the most expensive housing packages.) If you aren’t in commuter range, I’m not sure what to tell you. If you and your family can’t make up the difference with the pell grant, work study and student loans… If working this summer to earn a couple grand won’t make it possible… if there are no private scholarship lined up… then maybe this isn’t the right school. You might look into living off campus as that can be much cheaper than the dorms at many schools. A UC or CSU that you could commute to is what most kids who can’t afford to live away do.</p>
<p>I still think the student needs to appeal. the rental must not be worth that much if he is still Pell eligible. Cal is te most generous UC and advertises some plan that should be better than just using EFC. </p>
<p>How much is the rental worth (minus mortgage)? Did your family figure worth based on if they had to sell immediately? (to others: should the family also subtract realtor fees?)</p>
<p>how much do you get in rent?</p>
<p>what is total income, including rent?</p>
<p>when you say that your parents have to pay 4400 per semester, are you including the loan amounts? </p>
<p>Shop carefully if you are planning to live offcampus to save some money. My nephew is a junior at Berkeley. He moved out of campus last Fall trying to save some money. As a result, the CoA was adjusted for off campus housing and received less financial aid. At the end, he needs to pay more out of his pocket (actually my brother’s pocket).</p>
<p>You will get around 5k less for off campus COA at Berkeley see here where it is laid out:
<a href=“Cost - Office of Undergraduate Admissions”>http://admissions.berkeley.edu/costofattendance</a></p>