<p>I received my award package for UC Davis, and I would really appreciate it if someone would take the time to explain a few things to me. My package is as follows:</p>
<p>Estimated Cost of Attendance<br>
Basic Living $13,923.00<br>
Books and Supplies $1,589.00<br>
Fees $14,059.00<br>
Transportation $564.00<br>
Out of State $0.00<br>
Summer $0.00<br>
Other $0.00<br>
Total Cost of Attendance $30,135.00</p>
<p>Contributions
Student Self Help Expectation $3,500.00<br>
Student Contribution $0.00<br>
Parent Contribution $1,591.00<br>
Additional Resources $0.00<br>
Total Contributions $5,091.00</p>
<p>Financial Need $25,044.00</p>
<p>Estimated Financial Aid Definitions of terms used on this page.
Federal Direct Loan Sub-NH $3,500.00<br>
Federal Pell Grant Program-NH $4,000.00<br>
Federal Perkins Loan-NH $2,000.00<br>
Entering UG Scholarship - NH $15,544.00<br>
Total Estimated Financial Aid $25,044.00</p>
<p>Remaining Cost Definitions of terms used on this page. $0.00</p>
<p>At the very top of the page, it says that I may be eligible for the Blue and Gold Program. If it says that I may be eligible, does that mean that I will receive it for sure? My family meets all of the requirements. When do I actually get awarded the money? Or, has it already been factored in somewhere? Will I be able to use it towards paying for my family's expected contributions and loans?</p>
<p>I feel like such a noob for asking so many questions, but I really don't know anything about it! THANKS!!!!! ^_^</p>
<p>If you get the Blue and Gold, it will almost definitely be swapped out of your Berkeley “Entering UG Scholarship” monies (15,554). Meaning, if the state of California coughs up some public taxpayer scholarship money through the Blue and Gold, Berkeley takes back the same amount of the UG Scholarship monies (to be used another day by some other lucky student).</p>
<p>Put another way, the 5091 they want in cash contributions from you and your parents is likely to stay about the same no matter what scholarships pop up. The B&G and/or the UG Scholarship will not be “extended” to cover that part of your tuition. As you gain other/outside scholarships in this process your UG Scholarship will shrink by the same amount. (This happened to my son who is at Berkeley.)</p>
<p>However, 5K in cash can be earned in a single summer by a student, so in many ways you are in pretty good shape.</p>
<p>It ooks like you received a very good financial aid package, with about $19K in scholarships/grants.</p>
<p>The Blue and Gold is given right before school starts and will supplement anyother outside funding/pell, etc to ensure that your tuition is covered. It looks, though, that the school is actually offering you more than the Blue and Gold.</p>
<p>I am just discovering this for myself, as we are getting it also. It doesn’t actually ever say Blue and gold anywhere on the financial aid documents.</p>
<p>Technically Blue&Gold has already been met in your package: you have enough grant/scholarship aid to cover systemwide fees ($11k~). So even if it’s “added in,” it already exists unless they decide to be generous or adjust the package for some reason. Did you not qualify for Cal Grant?</p>
<p>chaospaladin:
No, that’s not correct. Cal Grant would be listed separately. The Entering UG Scholarship is just that: an Entering (new student) UG (undergraduate) Scholarship (often associated with merit aid, not need-based aid although scholarships can have a stipulation of need as well).</p>
<p>Cal Grant is need-based aid with a minimum GPA cut off to keep it from going to absolutely everyone. No school would lump Cal Grant and a scholarship together.</p>
<p>Hmmmm. Strange. When I received my UCSD Financial Aid Package letter back in 2008 April, I had a UCSD Grant of something like $15,000 with no CAL Grant listed. I asked them where is my CAL Grant and they said any CAL Grant I got would reduce my $15000 dollar per dollar. I never sent my SIR to UCSD so I don’t know what my FA package would have been.</p>
<p>chaospaladin:
You just answered your own question: Cal Grant would have reduced the UCSD Grant you were offered. That does not mean it included Cal Grant, it means that there is only so much grant aid you were going to be given and if another source was giving you aid, then UCSD would have adjusted your other aid accordingly.</p>
<p>There’s nothing strange about it, you just need to separate the different types of aid in your thinking. Just because they can reduce each other does not mean they’re all lumped together. Different sources, different qualifications, different amounts, and some not having any ability to be reduced (Cal Grant is a set amount) are all things to consider.</p>
<p>Blue and Gold is not a grant…it’s a guarantee that you will get enough various grants that will at least total fees/tuition for a UC. Since fees/tuition is about $13k, then as long as your grants total at least that much, B&G has been fulfilled.</p>
<p>B&G is not supposed to replace family contribution.</p>
<p>Estimated Financial Aid Definitions of terms used on this page.
Federal Direct Loan Sub-NH $3,500.00
Federal Pell Grant Program-NH $4,000.00
Federal Perkins Loan-NH $2,000.00
Entering UG Scholarship - NH $15,544.00
Total Estimated Financial Aid $25,044.00</p>
<p>If your family will have a hard time paying their EFC or you will have trouble with YOUR student contribution, then you can borrow another $2,000 each year in an unsub loan.</p>
<p>(You did notice that you have a $3500 student contribution, right? Are you going to get a summer job to cover that?)</p>