<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was just accepted to Berkeley as a transfer student!</p>
<p>I will probably receive full financial aid (after the appeal process) and was wondering if it would be cheaper if I lived on campus. Basically, will the financial aid award pay for my on-campus living expenses?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>Your COA will differ between on campus and off campus, but when my DD was there, the dorms were $12-15k and for the Greek housing and local rentals she planned a budget of around $8k. Unless you get fully funded with grants for on campus housing, off campus is cheaper and sometimes even closer than dorms like Clark Kerr</p>
<p>Thanks for the response somemom.</p>
<p>So, what I hear is that Berkeley factors living expenses into the COA (cost of attendance) even if students live off campus.</p>
<p>I guess that answers my question. Thanks!</p>
<p>Just to clarify: you mean off campus, local housing, and not living at home, correct? (If you choose to live at home, your finaid will be reduced.)</p>
<p>Yeah. Thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>Yes, there are 3 COAs:
living on campus- $$$$
living off campus- $$$
living at home- $</p>
<p>So, basically, if I get full financial aid, it is better for me to live on campus, right?</p>
<p>Also work-study is not forced right? I can take a loan instead right?</p>
<p>In our experience, your money goes further if you live off campus (even if you are on full FA).</p>
<p>You don’t have to accept work study, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to.</p>
<p>“In our experience, your money goes further if you live off campus (even if you are on full FA).”
Thanks for the response, but can you explain it a bit further for me?</p>
<p>Also work-study reduces the number of units I earn, right? I would want to finish my Bachelor’s ASAP so I can get more money if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>No, works study does not reduce your units, you should be able to earn around $2000-2500 a year as a work study student at a campus job which will be easier to obtain because you are work study funded student. Also, work $$ from work study do not count against you in the FAFSA formula for the next year, but non work study income would.</p>
<p>Work study is better than a loan…you have the time to do 5-10 hours of work most weeks and have the flexibility to take off the other weeks to study for finals etc.</p>
<p>I guess you have a point, but for clarification, work study does not give any units of credit right?</p>
<p>But why: “In our experience, your money goes further if you live off campus (even if you are on full FA).”??</p>
<p>Thank you again.</p>
<p>Dorms are more expensive than off campus housing.</p>
<p>My DD lived in a dorm, in a shared house with 19 of her closest friends (:D) in Greek housing and in a small apartment. Her approximate budget for room & board off campus was in teh realkm of $8k whislt the dorms ranged from $12-15k…she was not allowed to pick a cheap dorm room, she got a triple in the most expensive dorm, thank goodness it was a triple, but it was way pricier than living in a sorority or a rental.</p>
<p>DD did always share a room with others, but she did in the dorm, too.</p>
<p>Q} Why is it better to live off campus?
A} Assume your package is not entirely grants, reducing your cost of living may reduce your package, but it is likely reducing loans first, so why take loans just to live in a dorm. </p>
<p>Work study has nothing to do with units and you should be able to still be involved on campus, in full time classes, with sports, clubs, Greek, etc and work a part time job.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks for the info!</p>