Hi all!
I got accepted to Berkeley, and I’m from Pennsylvania, so the cost of Attendance is quite high for me. Berkeley did not offer me enough financial aid, and I’m having a tough time trying to get in contact with them, especially with their financial aid department (considering they don’t have an email address LOL). I already sent a letter to them over the mail requesting for more financial aid and explaining my situation, as well as listing what aid other schools have offered me. I know UCB is tough with adjusting costs for out of state students, but do you guys know any methods or forms I can fill out to get more financial aid? I know there’s a parent and student contribution form, is there anything else?
Any help would be greatly appreciated for this college bound, broke kid XD
The UC’s are California public universities that are funded by the California taxpayers. California does not provide financial aid for OOS students because the state is out of money. Out of state students pay full fees of $60K per year. It helps to defray the costs to fund the school and other residents. That information is prevalent and mentioned on the UC website and often on this website.
Preference for admission and funding goes to California residents who have paid mountains in taxes so there is political pressure to fund California kids.
If you are not a California resident, it is assumed that you will be full pay.
Federal funding is limited. You will receive federal dollars, but they won’t be anywhere near what the cost of attending would be.
California students are eligible for state funding through the State of California’s programs. That’s how they pay some of their fees.
Harsh, but currently the reality for very popular UC’s.
You’ve been admitted to UNC with money, go where they give you the money!
OOS students with financial need should not apply to any UC campus. Michigan and UVA offer excellent financial aid to OOS students (their taxpayers also have paid very high taxes but have decided that they want these universities to attact the best students from across the nation. They also have raised far more private money than the UCs, and so have more latitude).
More importantly, you consider the impact the University of California’s funding woes are having on the educational experiences they offer students. UC San Diego now says that ECONOMICS is an impacted major. So if you are an OOS student, you will be paying a fortune and may not get the major or classes you want. I’d reflect on that. When we visited UC Berkeley, we were immediately turned off by the tour guides discussing how they’d have to do a 5th year because they couldn’t get into the classes they needed to graduate.
It is not true that Michigan tax payers are subsidizing the OOS students. Indeed, Michigan State has very little financial support to the University. The grant money is from the private raised endowment, not from the state or tax payer money.
INiversity of Michigan, University of Virginia, and University of NC chapel Hill are the places where need is met for accepted students. Actually, I’m not positive all OOS U Mich students are guaranteed full need to be met.
All of these public universities use the Profile in addition to the FAFSA.
UCBerkely is a state school which means it is supported by the residents of CA. They will not meet your financial needs since your are OOS. From another thread you seem to have an affordable offer from UNC so I suggest you stop obsessing about any perceived difference in prestige between those two schools and accept the offer at UNC.