Re housing, I cannot really help, since there may be off-campus housing that is cheaper than dorms, where my son will stay – perhaps call the campus housing office? Or call and ask admissions office what office to call. Your financial aid may allow you to stay in the dorms and be on the meal plan, so financial aid office may be able to help you as well. Just keep calling people til you get the answers you need – they are there to help you.
For the writing test, go to elwr.ucr.edu to register. For the math test, go to arc.ucr.edu/placement. First confirm that you have to take the tests – if you have SAT/ACT or AP scores high enough, you may qualify to skip the English, and certain majors don’t need to take the math exam at all, so read each site carefully.
Happy to help with other questions if I can. Good luck!
Housing: Aberdeen Inverness or Lothian triples would be the least costly along with taking the smallest dining plan (120) if living on campus. If you plan to look for off-campus housing and you are receiving financial aid, your FA will be reduced since off-campus housing (Cost of attendance is $7400 less) than on-campus housing. I would go with on-campus housing for the first year.
Never got one here. Oh, but just checked…my son did get a colored brochure thingy. Is that it? Never mind. Nope. It’s general with application info, etc… Still haven’t got financial aid award either. They say they can’t guarantee it will come out prior to May 1st.
Did anyone not get their financial award yet? I mailed and emailed my parents’ 2015 federal income tax return and dependent verification form to satisfy the requirements, but whenever i check the requirements and eligibility on R’web it still says I need to turn those in. It’s been over a week and I’m starting to freak out.
@hancena I’m literally on the same boat. I already mailed my dependent verification form like 2-3 weeks ago, and I also sent my tax transcript like a week ago. Still have nothing updated on my RWeb and it’s making me really anxious b/c I don’t know if I’ll still be able to get my maximum financial aid. I’m going to call them on Monday early morning and see what’s going on.
We never got financial aid award either. They asked for my son’s birth certificate (for some stupid reason), and we sent it April 3rd. I’ve called there a few times - both to financial aid and admissions - and they just say they’re not necessarily going to have awards out before May 1st. They have no answer for “What are people supposed to do?” I said, “Would you agree to buy a car without knowing the price?” They have no answer. They recommended doing the net price calculator on their site. They said it’s pretty accurate in telling you what you can expect in aid.
You could always commit to another school, and then when you get your award from Riverside contact them to commit. They said you’d have to appeal for having missed the May 1st deadline, but I can’t imagine there’s any way they would not accept the appeal since it was their lagging that was the problem. Some people argue that this is also a case where you can commit to two schools. Other people say you can NEVER do that, that it is unethical, and that you can get rescinded at both for doing that.
We have a good idea what aid we will get, so my son committed. Good luck you guys.
@jesse’sgirl I am a parent and it sounds like we are in a similar situation. Are you or your child receiving any confirmation emails that the university has received your requested document, such as the tax returns? My son and I are receiving no communication, yet we have checked all account info and our email addresses are correct.
I emailed the tax documents that were shown as requested under my son’s R’web a week ago. I called financial aide an hour later with a question, and the man on the phone placed me on hold while he checked to look for my email with tax documents attached. He said he saw them - yet as of this morning, R’web still shows no financial aid award and still has a message up saying we need to submit the tax documents that I sent a week ago. I also re-emailed them on May 1st bc I was nervous I was missing the deadline. I am so anxious at this point – did you or anyone receive a financial aid award estimate letter along with their acceptance letter, but yet still have their account showing nothing? I was hesitant to send in the housing contract until I knew what the financial aid offer was - but we did it last night, and now I am so nervous not knowing what the aid might be, if any.
Has ANYONE had their R’web financial aid status change from “Unsatisfied Requirements”/Documents requested to show a reward offer? If so, how long did it take after you submitted requested documents?
OK, so here’s our situation: On March 27th UCR requested a copy of birth certificate. My son dropped the ball, and when I picked it up, I sent the bc on 4/3. Under “Student Requirements” on R’Web it reads now “Received, not yet reviewed” dated 4/20. (So, it looks like it took from 4/3 to 4/20 to even register in the system that I sent the requested doc…) I’ve spoken to financial aid a few times, and last time they said the doc was with a financial aid counselor to be reviewed for verification.
We only ever received emails - to my son’s email address - to tell us the app was incomplete, and an email response when I sent the docs, but that was just a generic email that they received an email from us. We have never received an email updating us on the status since they received the doc…
I hope that helps.
Oh, and I would think that if the aid is not sufficient for your child to attend, they would/should return all your deposits. They really screwed this up. Btw, my son still has not received any kind of welcome packet in the mail.
Hows it going everyone ? I am in a complicated situation with UCR regarding FinAid and other categories as well. I have a few questions :
Did anyone recieve a request for more financial aid documents on the 8th ? I had a new one pop up unexepctedly after their May 1st deadline.
I sent AP Score Reports of past exams I have taken/listed on the UC Application to UCR about 3 weeks ago, and the scores still show up as "Self-reported" and not official. Should I contact the Collegeboard and/or UCR Admissions Office ?
and lastly,
The AWPE exam is this saturday, and those who have to take it supposedly recieved a ticket/letter directing them to a testing center. I recieved a 3 and a 4 respectively on my AP English Lit. and AP English Comp. exams, but as mentioned, the scores show up in my portal still as “Self-reported”. I never recieved a letter regarding the AWPE, does this mean that I am in the clear ?
Sorry for the long post, but thanks in advance. Can’t wait until next fall !
I have the same problem too. They sent me a random alert requesting me to send a form regarding my finaid by May 1, but they sent me that alert after the deadline. Do you have any updates on that?
Oh, but just checked…my son did get a colored brochure thingy. Is that it? Never mind. Nope. It’s general with application info, etc… 
Still haven’t got financial aid award either. They say they can’t guarantee it will come out prior to May 1st.