<p>Hi,
We live on the east coast and my son has found a major at one the UC colleges that is perfect for his interests. Nothing even close on the east coast or midwest. Does anyone have any advice about reducing the cost of attending california state schools for out of state students? Re: need-based financial aid, our family joint income is at the top end of FAFSA eligibility. FAFSA's expected family contribution for us is about 85% of total out of state costs. W/o some help a UC college will be more expensive than most private colleges.
Thanks,
LeeBarr</p>
<p>I think that you will have sit down with your soon and look at other options. Your son will never be eligible for in-state tuition.which will be 34,164 (including fees). unless you are Pell eligible (and it sounds as if you are not) the only aid that you will be able to count on is $5500 in Stafford loans for freshman year. The balance will be on you.</p>
<p>[University</a> of California - Out-of-state tuition & fees](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/cost/out-of-state/index.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/paying-for-uc/cost/out-of-state/index.html)</p>
<p>this is not a financially feasible option for your family.</p>
<p>You would need to move to CA and have your son graduate there.</p>
<p>There is little merit aid at UC campuses, and it mostly goes to California residents. A few campuses allow OOS students to compete for the merit aid, but it only goes to a few tippy top students.</p>
<p>The only other avenue is through athletic recruitment.</p>
<p>What major are we talking about? Is is possible that he could find it somewhere else under a different name?</p>
<p>Sorry, lee, but OOS students are being recruited bcos they are full pay. California needs the money. Even for a zero EFC, UC will not waive the OOS portion of the fees. And, need-based aid is pretty much limited to federal grants/loans for OOS’ers. (California residents are also eligible for Cal-Grants.)</p>
<p>Please post the major of interest: there are plenty of knowledgeable parents who might have other suggestions.</p>
<p>UCs want OOS kids because those kids are FULL PAY. </p>
<p>The state of Calif doesn’t have the money to be providing aid to OOS kids. The state doesn’t even have the funds to help all of its instate kids. Can you imagine how outraged Calif families would be if the UCs started giving their precious FA to OOS kids???</p>
<p>There’s a reason why the UCs charge high OOS costs. It wouldn’t make sense if they just covered those costs with need-based aid.</p>
<p>What is this major? It must be offered elsewhere.</p>
<p>Edited to add</p>
<p>* Does anyone have any experience, information, or opinion about the computer science program? Our son is very interested in cs but we’d like to find alternatives to the “best cs school” list where all the school listed are mega-universities: Michigan, UCLA, U of Md, etc. Thanks *</p>
<p>What type of CS is your son interested in that is so unique that it can’t be found on many other campuses???</p>
<p>Remember than in addition to the UC tuition/fees, your son will also have to deal with the room/board costs and those are very high at most UCs.</p>
<p>What kind of computer science course of study is not available closer to home? We’re from the east coast and a number of our kids’ friends majored in various CS related majors…in this neck of the woods. They did NOT have to go to college in CA.</p>
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<p>What does this mean? Does it mean that your family contribution per FAFSA is near the cost of attendance at the colleges or does it mean that your family contribution is partially Pell eligible?</p>
<p>Regardless…your son is unlikely to garner significant need based aid from a UC as an out of state student.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I agree that Leebar’s words are confusing, but this clarifies…</p>
<p>FAFSA’s expected family contribution for us is about 85% of total out of state costs.</p>
<p>So, their EFC is about 85% of $50k…so probably about…$42k. All they’d get is a $5500 student loan.</p>
<p>Remember than in addition to the UC tuition/fees, your son will also have to deal with the room/board costs and those are very high at most UCs.</p>
<p>True!!! I can’t believe what some of sibs are paying for their kids…for TRIPLES…ugh!</p>
<p>Comp Sci is an extremely generic major – heck, CB even offers an AP course in it. CS-Gaming, however, is somewhat new.</p>
<p>OP…if your family contribution is in the $40,000 range, you are not likely to receive ANY need based aid from the UCs.</p>
<p>Are you able to pay your family contribution as computed by the FAFSA, because you will likely be expected to contribute AT LEAST that amount anywhere your child gets accepted to college (unless he receives a merit aid award that is NOT tied to financial need).</p>
<p>My S was accepted to UCSC and UCSB from OOS (also in the east). He was offered a Presidential Scholarship at UCSC, and honors college to UCSB with no merit award. The Presidential at UCSC was 20K over the 4 years (split 4K, 4K, 6K, 6K). </p>
<p>There are no gimics to getting in-state costs in in CA if you don’t live there. In the east we have the Academic Market which allows us to attend schools in the atlantic and south region states for in-state costs IF they offer a major that our own state doesn’t offer (daughter was looking for Japanese).</p>
<p>If your son really wants to go to CA, then look at the Cal State options. Some are around 30K year OOS, but you will not get any real deal for a UC. The only other good deal we found was at Whittier College --they offer some special talent scholarhships which knocks off up to 12K on their private tution. Think it came down to 34K per year (daughter is aiming for their art scholarship, because they also offer Japanese). Good luck!</p>