San Diego State or UC Riverside

Paying for College
1

<p>hello i am deciding on what college I want to attend.
I've narrowed it down to these two schools SDSU and UCR. My major is business with an emphasis in either management, accounting, or international business. </p>

<p>I've heard good things about SDSU, being one of the best schools for business. I like the city and the beach but im a little worried about the graduation rate of 6 years. Riverside is more a plain area with less going on and the graduation rate is 4 years so thats a plus. I live in San Bernardino so I can probably commute their from my home and save big bucks. But I heard that I will get much more connections in San Diego than Riverside for jobs. But if i were to attend UCR I could later trasnfer to a better UC like UC Irvine or UCLA.
I have recieved my financial aid award for both schools. Can u guys please tell me which school offers the better award package and which one be a better school for my major of business. BTW my major is SDSU would be business admin and in UCR would be Business Economics. Thanks. Opinions and facts would be appreciated.
Financial Aidmaward is below:</p>

<p>SDSU Financial Aid Award
Total Cost of Attendance with dorm $26,014</p>

<p>Grants
Fall
Spring</p>

<p>Federal Pell Grant
$2500
$2500</p>

<p>Cal Grant B - Living Allowance - Estimated
$776
$775</p>

<p>State University Grant
$2985
$2985</p>

<p>Total
$6261
$6260</p>

<p>Work Study Program
Fall
Spring</p>

<p>Federal Work Study
Earned and paid monthly once you find a job
$2000
$2000</p>

<p>Direct Loan Eligibility - Loans must be repaid with interest
Fall
*Gross / Net
Spring
*Gross / Net</p>

<p>Activate your Estimated Subsidized Federal Direct Student Loan\
$1749 / $1732
$1750 / $1733</p>

<p>Activate your Estimated Unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan
$1000 / $990
$1000 / $990</p>

<p>Request Parent Loan Estimated Federal Direct Parent Loan - approved credit is required
$2108 / $2024
$2108 / $2024</p>

<p>Total
$4857 / $4746
$4858 / $4747</p>

<p>UC Riverside Financial Aid Award</p>

<p>Gift Aid Total Summer Fall Winter Spring<br>
FEDERAL PELL GRANT Accepted $5,000 $1,667 $1,667 $1,666<br>
CAL GRANT A (ESTIMATED) $12,924 $4,308 $4,308 $4,308<br>
UCR GRANT $6,430 $2,143 $2,143 $2,144 </p>

<hr>

<p>Total Gift Aid $24,354 $8,118 $8,118 $8,118 </p>

<p>Work Study<br>
FEDERAL WORK STUDY $350 $117 $117 $116 </p>

<hr>

<p>Total Work Study $350 $117 $117 $116 </p>

<p>Loans<br>
FEDERAL DIRECT STAFFORD LOAN $3,500 $1,167 $1,167 $1,166<br>
FED DIRECT UNSUB STAFFORD LOAN $2,000 $667 $667 $666<br>
FEDERAL DIRECT PARENT PLUS LOAN $1,427 $476 $476 $475 </p>

<hr>

<p>Total Loans $6,927 $2,310 $2,310 $2,307 </p>

<p>Total Financial Aid $31,631 $10,545 $10,545 $10,541 </p>

<p>My Net Cost to Attend UCR
Cost of Attendance $32,226<br>
Gift Aid - $24,354<br>
My Net Cost $7,872 </p>

<p>Please give feedback thanks. BTW I am also awating on scholarships. :)</p>

2

<p>I don’t understand the loans part of the CSU.</p>

<p>I understand that things are broken down by semesters, but the CSU loans seem to have too many numbers. I don’t know if those are amounts and then totals??</p>

<p>and, notice that it included a Plus loan for parents!</p>

3

<p>UCR is on trimesters, I think.</p>

<p>Your better package is from UCR. You have parent plus loans in each but SDSU is $4800 while UCR is $1400. Basically that is the gap between your aid and what you need.</p>

<p>If you live at home you can really save even more. I like the degree from UCR, business econ…more academic.</p>

<p>Your loans are the same from both schools, it’s the gap that is bigger from SDSU.</p>

<p>Definately like UCR for the money and the degree. </p>

<p>Congrats on your choices.</p>

<p>Kat</p>

4

<p>It’s not what you get that counts, but what you are going to have to pay. You still have to pay loan amounts, it’s just the timing that you get a break with. So what is your bottom line cost at each school? It seems to me UCR is the better choice. I agree with Katwkittens. Also UCs have a top rate reputation.</p>

5

<p>Yes…UCR is on the Quarter system.</p>

<p>I didn’t understand the loan part of San Diego State - but now I think what their showing is the deduction for a loan service fee or something???</p>

<p>I’m wondering why UCR gave you sooooo little work-study. I’ve never seen that low of an award. It seems hardly worth hiring a student, get him trained, only to have his award used up and then he leaves til the next semester…and needs to be trained again? Silly!!</p>

<p>But I heard that I will get much more connections in San Diego than Riverside for jobs</p>

<p>?? who is saying that? That sounds like naive high school kid talk around the lunch tables. </p>

<p>Definitely choose UCR</p>

<p>However, let me say this…for the first year, do try to live on campus so that you’ll feel more connected and more easily make friends. You can save money during later years by commuting.</p>

6

<p>Try running the annual figures here [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid) so that you can see the numbers side-by-side.</p>

<p>Then talk with your parents about how you are going to come up with the money needed to cover the difference between the total expense and the aid package (the gap). You might need to be looking for a part-time job now so that you can have money for your books and school start-up expenses in the fall.</p>

7

<p>I have the same problem as you! I’m choosing between UCR and SDSU, you can message if you need help. I called both schools and weighed out the pros and cons and SDSU was a better choice for me.</p>

<p>And UCR is on the quarter system.</p>

8

<p>Also, just because you are offered Parent Loans does not mean you have to accept them.</p>

9

<p>hello eveyone thanks u for ur comments and info.</p>

<p>I am seriously considering going to UCR for my undergrad edcucation and earn my BA in business. Then I want to go to San Diego for my MBA at SDSU where I would like to live.</p>

<p>I might live in UCR for the first year so I can make friends and then start commuting after my freshman year. Hopefully everything turns out well :)</p>