<p>Right now I'm a college student who is money minded and turned down some college admissions due to financial reasons and attended community college instead. Some of institutions where I was offered attendance provided did exactly cater best to my family's "wallet." The package covered about $18,000 leaving roughly $32,000 to pay as the EFC. Do you think that in a few years after I complete some G.E.s and are ready to transfer that there are ways to really lower the EFC to a more comfortable number for my family afford?
I also really wanted to attend this school, so I want to know if I should just give up and focus on transferring to a Public university instead, and by the way I live in California if that makes a difference.</p>
<p>If a school didn’t offer you anywhere near enough money to make it as a freshman, they’re not likely to offer you any more money as a transfer student. You should focus on universities that you can afford.</p>
<p>You need to talk with your parents and find out how much they can afford to contribute, because that’s the number that matters - not whatever “EFC” number comes out of FAFSA or PROFILE calculations. If your EFC on paper is $35,000 but your parents can only afford $16,000, you won’t get any more aid to fill that gap.</p>
<p>You also need to talk to the universities you’re interested in attending and find out about their financial aid policies. The vast majority of colleges do not “meet full need” - that is, they do not provide aid to completely fill the gap between your EFC and the cost of the school. So even if your EFC is 0, a school that costs $50,000 per year might give you nothing more than a $5,000 Pell grant and a bunch of loans.</p>
<p>Find a school you can afford…</p>
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<p>Well…your family could lower their income. BUT really that would not guarantee you enough financial aid to attend MOST colleges (as they don’t meet full need for all accepted students anyway).</p>
<p>What did your family say they could pay towards your college costs? Try to find a program that will be within their financial criteria. </p>
<p>Since you will be attending a four year school for less than four years…perhaps your parents will be able to help you. You probably saved them a TON of money attending that CC…ask what they will be able to do to help you finish your bachelors degree.</p>
<p>@polarscribe: I knew some people who talked directly with a financial aid counselor in person about their financial status and were able to get additional scholarships, grants, and other finances to bridge the gaps, but that was many years ago. So I don’t really know if colleges are still doing that given the economic situation.</p>
<p>My parents never gave me an exact number of how much they are willing to spend, but they did mention that they are willing to work things out if it is the school I want to attend. Also, the currency of our family’s financial situation hasn’t been quite strong in the last year, so I’m hoping things get better for them by the time I transfer.</p>
<p>Can filing independent help to provide additional coverage? Like working at a job while going to school, paying rent and other expenses to my parents, and filing taxes independently?</p>
<p>“I knew some people who talked directly with a financial aid counselor in person about their financial status and were able to get additional scholarships, grants, and other finances to bridge the gaps, but that was many years ago.”</p>
<p>Colleges do that for accepted FRESHMAN[ in order to increase their “yield” or to snag a top student they particularly want], not for transfer students. There generally are very few scholarships/ grants for transfer students at most private colleges[ USC is an exception- they take in about 1000 transfer students each year AND they have a very generous FA program] </p>
<p>In addition, many private colleges can be very snarky about which classes they will or wont give you credit for, so dont assume that all your credits will transfer [you often wont find out exactly which classes will transfer until after you have been accepted and have sent a transcript of your CC classes]. Do a lot of research before you bother to send out transfer applications to private colleges. Many have transfer acceptance rates that are far lower than for incoming freshman. And in order to be accepted again at the college that you turned down, you’ll have to come up with a really good reason[ in their eyes] for them to accept you again. In the end, you may find that you have to spend more time[ and $$] at a private college to get your degree than you had planned or can afford. I suggest you plan on transferring to a UC when[ and while] you can, but also check out USC, if they have the programs you are interested in.</p>
<p>“[ USC is an exception- they take in about 1000 transfer students each year AND they have a very generous FA program]”</p>
<p>Funny you should mention USC menloparkmom because thats actually one of the schools I’m referring to, but I was originally rejected from there. I thought USC has rarely been generous with financial aid as it has been the reputation of only taking people who can pay for it really with large EFCs. Or is this all after speaking face to face with financial counselors there?</p>
<p>Btw the other school I turned down for money reasons was Santa Clara University</p>
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<p>Your tax filing status has NOTHING to do with your status as a dependent student for financial aid purposes. Unless you are over 24 years of age, married, have a dependent you support, are a veteran of the armed forces, are a ward of the state, are an orphan or have a bachelors degree…you ARE a dependent student for financial aid purposes.</p>
<p>I know of someone who had almost complete coverage of educational expense as a transfer to a Cal state in Fall 2010. Started in a CCC, worked and filed taxes separate, parents made a fairly decent living and got good coverage. So I’m just tryna figure out what they did</p>