<p>I was wondering for the UC's, are UC grants given only if the student demonstrates FA need, or are UC Grants also given to students that do well academically, and demonstrate some FA need and no I'm not talking about scholarships.</p>
<p>I ask this bc with an EFC of about $3450, I will be receiving Pell of ~$2200, CAL ~$10,000+, ACG - $750, and then last year I received around $3000 in UC Grants, but my EFC then was around $2,000, and my COA was MUCH higher this year bc of living in dorms, while next year I'll be living OFF-CAMPUS AP'T.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>And let me know if more info is needed to answer the question.</p>
<p>UC Irvine estimates the cost of attendance living off campus (not with parents) to be only $387 less than living on campus, so that should not have a big impact on the amount of aid you receive. [Costs:</a> Freshmen Undergraduate Students](<a href=“Cost | Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships | UCI”>Cost | Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships | UCI) Your grant is likely to be less this year, though, because your Stafford loan total goes up by $1,000 your sophomore year - your grant would be $1,000 smaller if your EFC stayed exactly the same. Because your EFC is higher by $1,400 and your loans will go up, your grant will probably be in the hundreds instead of the thousands this year.</p>
<p>And to answer your first question - UCs give need-based grants only to students who show need.</p>