I applied to UC Berkely and however due to such high costs I am questioning if going to UC Berkeley is worth it. I was wondering if there is anything that I can do to minimize my cost my UC Berkeley specifically factoring for OOS. And if it helps my family’s income is 65k for a family of 4 (basically the cost for Berkely!!!)
Berkeley will be giving you NO need based aid…at all…as an out of state student. The UCs are no longer giving need based aid to OOS students.
If you require need based aid, Berkeley is NOT a good choice at all.
Unless you get a Regents scholarship or something like that, it is unlikely to be anything close to affordable.
I applied OOS with <20k family income and I doubt I would attend if I got accepted bc 65K a year is unreasonable
Yeah, and keep in mind it may take you more than 4 years to graduate (72% grad rate in 4 years).
I just got accepted to the school today for their Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I was one of the top 2000 people that got their decision early. I am still waiting for admission from other schools like MIT. At most how much do you think I can minimize my cost for UC Berkeley through stuff such as Work Study or merit based scholarship form the school.
You are an OOS student? You won’t be receiving work study from Berkeley because the school gives NO need based aid to OOS students…and work study is need based aid.
@HardCoreAsian:
Did you get a Regents invite or a email for the Chancellor’s scholarship? These would be for merit but since OOS students will not receive need-based aid component for Regents, you would probably only get $2500/year for 4 years ($10K total) Do not expect much aid from UCB. Did you run the Net Price calculator prior to applying? This should give you a good indication of your expected costs.
http://financialaid.berkeley.edu/regents-and-chancellors-scholarship
OOS UC students pay full fees; that is part of the reason they are accepted, because they are willing to pay full fees.
UCB is a state-funded school. It uses California taxes to fund the school. California has a limited budget, so it will not pay for students whose parents have not been living and working in the state and contributing to the state budget.
Work study is a federal program that allows you to work on-campus for a few hours a week. That will also run about $2k to 5k for the semester or year. Merit-based students grants are typically around $2K-5K a year. That is nowhere near affordable for a school that charges $60K per year. Regents scholarships are limited and rare and typically fund an in-state student. Don’t even think about trying to find work outside of campus. No one is going to legally pay, an 18 year-old, $45K per year without a degree.
Need-based students from OOS are not funded. The state has tens of thousands of students who need aid.
If you were to receive financial aid for merit and work study, this is what you should plan on:
Figure at most $10k per year off so that still leaves you with $45K per year to fund.
The best aid comes from the school itself. Low income students from California are funded by California state programs. Since you are not a resident, those funds don’t apply to you.
Why did you apply to Berkeley if you knew you couldn’t afford the cost?
It doesn’t help to say that your family only makes $65K per year, because the UC’s are full fee schools for OOS students.
Didn’t you ask your guidance counselor about the costs?
What happened to the middle class promise…or whatever it was called…at Cal? Only for instate students now?
Governor Brown is under political pressure to admit more instate residents. He instituted the MCS which only funds in-state students.
They have financial trouble a couple years ago that even affect their admission processs. I doubt they have resource to support OOS students.
I wouldn’t count on the Middle Class Scholarship as Jerry Brown is planning to end the program.
“Brown’s proposal would retain current students’ awards but begin phasing the program out for new students in the 2017-18 school year. He says it’s necessary given lagging state revenue, a state deficit that — without action — could hit $1.6 billion by summer and the need to retain aid for the state’s neediest students.”
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-middle-class-students-adv2016-story.html
Are you sure about that? Work study is a federal program using federal funds. I don’t think in state or out of state makes any difference for work study. If the student was Pell eligible (federal funds) it wouldn’t make any difference.
Pell is an entitlement. Work study is NOT. It is need based aid using federal funds…but it is awarded by the colleges as part of their need based packages.
I suppose a student could get work study…strictly speaking…but really…that is going to be a drop in the bucket in terms of paying OOS costs.
Understood; it’s the university dispensing federal dollars based on need. I’m not sure the feds allow the school to use any basis for distribution other than need. Perhaps kelsmom can provide some insight.
Schools receive an allotment of federal work study money. The schools then determine who will receive that award. I agree…federally funded aid is need based…with the exception of the unsubsidized Direct Loan…which anyone who files a fafsa can take out.
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Are you sure about that? Work study is a federal program using federal funds. I don’t think in state or out of state makes any difference for work study. If the student was Pell eligible (federal funds) it wouldn’t make any difference.
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OOS to a UC is about $60k per year now.
If Pell eligible, then the student gets Pell.
As for work study…WS is a limited aid. UCs are obligated to give as much aid as possible to instate students since they’re trying to “meet need” for instate. Therefore, I would imagine that WS goes to instate first, and if any left over, then maybe directed strategically to certain OOS students.
Plus the full PEll…plus a work study award would NOT be much in terms if meeting OOS costs at Cal.
When state dollars are being distributed, I absolutely agree. And I understand that schools have wide discretion in how federal work study dollars are allocated. I’m just wondering if that discretion includes favoring residents of one state over another.