<p>Does anyone have any experience negotiating financial aid package at UC Berkeley? Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Are you instate or OOS?</p>
<p>If instate, did you qualify for Cal Grants and/or Blue and Gold Promise?</p>
<p>What is your FAFSA EFC?</p>
<p>I don’t think many state college negotiate FA at all. Certainly not one of UCB’s caliber.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous posters, what are you trying to negotiate? Unless you are getting merit or athletic scholarships, the school is not in a position to give you need based financial aid. Most of the need based coming out of UC Berkeley is going to be based on the federal and state guidelines.</p>
<p>We’re in-state and did not qualify for any low-income grants. UC Berkeley started the Middle Class Access Plan beginning this year that aims to be competetive with their private peers. The plan aims to cap the expenses to 15% of families making $80k-$140k, with defined contribution from the student of about $8k. I believe its the only one of its kind for a public university. We did receive some aid under this program based on our income, but was wondering if anyone has any experience negoting their aid package. </p>
<p>Below is the link announcing the plan. Thanks.</p>
<p>[UC</a> Berkeley launches groundbreaking middle-class financial aid plan](<a href=“http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/12/14/berkeley-middle-class-access-plan/]UC”>UC Berkeley launches groundbreaking middle-class financial aid plan | Berkeley News)</p>
<p>Are there any extenuating circumstances that need to be discussed with the financial aid office: large unreimbursed medical expenses, loss of income, etc?</p>
<p>otherwise still it looks like a straight forward process and there is nothing to negotiate.</p>
<p>If not even if your family is making 140k the parent contribution would be ~27k, which means that they should be able to cover the direct cost (tuition, room board and fees). t</p>
<p>Unless you have a lot of uncovered medical expenses, I doubt you’d get any more money. Your request would be no different than anyone elses.</p>
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<p>I seriously doubt that you will be able to receive any additional money as this program is very formula based. Your award was likely based on the program guidelines.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. We don’t have any extenuating situations. The aid that we received did meet the program guideline to a tee. We sent Cal an email questioning couple of cost basis for the aid and received a very cordial email back stating they’d be willing to revisit the aid and describing the official process, which involves submitting an appeal in September. Was wondering if anyone else was able to negotiate the aid during the summer. Thanks.</p>