<p>So I been looking over my financial report or the last week and I also just recently called them ask about the Blue and Gold Opportunity plan and Cal-grant but they just let me more confused than before. </p>
<p>Estimated Cal Grant B - Access Grant 1,551.00
Federal Pell Grant 5,550.00
UC Santa Cruz Grant 14,142.00
UC Tuition Grant 822.00
Federal Perkins Loan 1,200.00
Federal Direct Subsidized Loan 3,500.00
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Ln 2,000.00
Federal Work-Study Option 1,500.00
Parent Loan Option-ApplyOnline1,700.00</p>
<p>I qualify for Cal-grant A also so I am not sure why I was given B instead. The Blue and Gold Plan only pays for tuition, so my dorm and other fees (around 9k remaining) is not covered.They said I do not qualify for Blue and Gold Plan because my Cal, Pell and UCSC grant covers my tuition already. I heard from friends that they only pay around 2k, however I am more "low income " than they are. </p>
<p>So can anyone breakdown this for me? I can't call back till Monday and this has been bothering me for a while. I got into EOP, but I am not sure if that will help in anyway. </p>
<p>I really want to go to SC but I am afraid that I won't be able to afford it. My family EFC is 0 and I want to hear about how everyone else is paying for college. Thanks</p>
<p>Your friends may have been given “merit scholarships” in addition to their need based aid. Were their test scores better than yours? </p>
<p>Your package is pretty standard for a 0 EFC.</p>
<p>You DID get Blue and Gold. B&G is not a grant…it’s a promise that you’ll have grants (from various sources) that will add up to fees (aka tuition). </p>
<p>Or, your friends may only be looking at tuition, room, and board…they may not be including books, travel, personal expenses when they say that they only have to pay a couple thousand.</p>
<p>My son is at UC Berkeley and basically what happened was if/when a different Cal Grant kicks in with more money, equivalent B&G monies are taken away. Meaning, I don’t think there will be more grant money forthcoming. It sounds like you had enough grant monies from other sources that B&G was reduced to zero.</p>
<p>It can be surprising to realize that “0 EFC” does not automatically mean “0 Cash Contribution.” 9K is a large gap, but at least 3K can be earned during the summers. And while this might be too late at this time, prior summer earnings could offset some of this gap as well.</p>
<p>College is usually paid through past savings (student and parent), current income (student and parent) and future income in the form of loans (student and parent). Families with zero savings for college often are caught in a bind, even if they have a “0 EFC” on the FAFSA, because that is merely a figure from the federal government meant to see if you qualify for federal aid. After federal monies are awarded, colleges then use that number merely in an advisory way.</p>
<p>My suggestion is if the 9K gap is too large to attend a local CCC for two years and then transfer. The cost for attendance at a CCC is near negligible. Even with rate hikes, the $36 per unit means only $1080/year in tuition costs. Add an overly generous books and supplies allowance of $1000 and total cost per year is only $2000. You can still qualify for financial aid. PLUS, I believe you can “bank” your unused Cal Grant (the full 9K figure since B&G does NOT get figured into CCC attendance from what I know) for those two years and use the extra untapped Cal Grant monies when you are a junior. Go see a CCC financial aid person asap if this route interests you–it may be your smartest affordable route and your degree will still say UCSC at the end of the journey.</p>
<p>M2CK is right, B&G has been met because your systemwide fees have been met.</p>
<p>Cal Grant B is worth more than A by $6,204. If you were to request they switch you to Cal Grant A, you would lose that $1,551 amount for the current year and your UCSC Grant would be reduced by about $11k with no guarantee any additional money would be added in. It is currently so high so that it covers the “shortfall” of Cal Grant B the freshman year. The only guarantee that the UCs promise is for systemwide fees to be met with grants and/or scholarships for those that qualify.</p>
<p>EOP is not worth too much at UCSC except for a four-year housing guarantee and some programs specifically tailored to helping assist members. Although I mostly ignore the emails I get since I feel I was misplaced into it (I do not meet all of the qualifications and did not ask to be considered). I am considered an honors student within EOP, though, but it still does not result in anything more than the occasional email asking me to speak to other EOP students.</p>