<p>I need help deciphering the Berkeley Financial Aid page.</p>
<p>They gave me around 11k in undergraduate scholarships, and a 3k federal pellgrant. So my total gift aid is like 14.5k.</p>
<p>Now, does this 11k include cal grant A? I got cal grant A (10,300), but it is not listed anywhere on my financial aid page. Also, I am a first gen college student, and I have not received a grant for that, even though others have. </p>
<p>They said they need verification and that my financial aid is just an estimate, and that they need more documents.</p>
<p>Anyone else have similar problems? </p>
<p>Thanks. Also, they gave me less money than UCLA, but UCLA costs more! Also, I got in as an econ major, but I am thinking of switching to math because you get up to 4k in free grants a year. Anyone else feel the same way?</p>
<p>Also, I got like 10,500 in work study and subsidized loans. </p>
<p>Should I live on campus or live off? People say conflicting things. In general, though, most say live on campus first year, and then live off campus last year.</p>
<p>Yeah, I have the same exact problem.
For UCSB’s unofficial award letter I have the following more:
- University of California Grant $3201
- Possible Cal Grant Eligibility $10302</p>
<p>I’m hoping since Cal doesn’t have these listed under my unofficial award letter, I should be expecting to get the above as well. The 11k says “Berk. Undergraduate Scholarship”…so who knows what that means exactly?</p>
<p>…Also, what is the first generation college student grant you are talking about?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Is this from the smart grant (major specific) ?</p>
<p>Actually maybe I was wrong about the first gen thing lol</p>
<p>Yes, the smart grant. It can be any “SMART” major.</p>
<p>lol I have never seen anyone consider changing their major just to get the SMART grant. You can be like me and double major. One SMART major and one non-SMART.</p>
<p>LOL.</p>
<p>Actually I am passionate about math and econ. I am a math and econ tutor at my school. I got into the math.econ program at ucla, but because cal didn’t have the joint program, I applied to their econ. I was thinking about doing a math minor or double major. But I want to graduate asap and minimize my costs, so I was thinking of changing it to math to simplify the process. Plus, 4k --in my situation- is a godsend. I really like math and want to do finance or get a masters in econ!!!</p>
<p>Interestingly, UCLA’s joint program, math-econ, qualifies for the smart grant!!!</p>
<p>Also, to add to the above post, I would be interested in an MBA, MF, or possibly finengineering.</p>
<p>Check out [UC</a> Berkeley Financial Aid Office: Undergraduates Apply for Aid](<a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/new.htm]UC”>http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/new.htm)</p>
<p>Or click on Financial Aid for New Undergraduate Students (should be in one of your messages at myBerkeley.</p>
<p>It has lots of useful information about FA & may answer your questions/concerns.</p>