<p>I got accepted in UCSC, however, I received my financial aid report only to find out that it is all Loans!</p>
<p>Federal Perkins Loan</p>
<p>Federal Direct Subsidized Loan</p>
<p>Federal Direct Unsubsidized Ln</p>
<p>Federal Work-Study Option</p>
<p>Work/Study</p>
<p>Parent Loan Option</p>
<p>I tried calling the financial aid office but all they gave me was that "my finances were already calculated". I can't believe this! I have friends who got accepted in UCSC with grants!</p>
<p>Is there any way that I can appeal? Please any tips will be appreciated. I worked so hard just to fall short. We cannot afford 30k a year.</p>
<p>If you have no other affordable options, you need to find one. Go talk to your guidance counselor about the various CCCs that you can commute to from where you live.</p>
<p>What was your EFC?
Did you meet the income and asset ceilings for Cal Grant?
Did you meet the income ceiling for Blue&Gold?
Were your FAFSA and GPA verification submitted by the March 2 deadline?</p>
<p>Blue&Gold’s income ceiling is $80k for 2011-2012.</p>
<p>Cal Grant tuition/fee assistance only covers systemwide fees. Blue&Gold promises that systemwide fees will be met through a combination of grants and/or scholarships.</p>
<p>If your EFC is $19k, then that suggests an income too high to qualify for free grants from a UC. The timing of filing your FAFSA doesn’t make a difference when your EFC is too high for free aid. </p>
<p>UCs don’t give free need-based grants to those with highish EFCs. </p>
<p>The school expects your parents to pay $19k (at least), and they expect you to borrow $5500, and maybe do some work-study and maybe work a summer job. </p>
<p>Your friends who got grants got them because their EFCs were lower. </p>
<p>Agreed with M2CK. That EFC combined with exceeding the income and/or asset ceilings are what kept you from getting grant aid. I had only been curious about the timing of the FAFSA and GPA verification submission since had you qualified based on income and assets for the state and UC grants, then this could have easily been a reason for denial.</p>
<p>Your EFC more than exceeds the fees for 2011-2012. The bulk of the grant aid given by the UCs is to cover the systemwide fees. It is also not uncommon to see additional grants added to cover campus fees. With a $19k EFC, that’s already dipping deeply into the cost of housing which even low EFC students have to find a way to cover. None of the UCs promise to meet need without loans.</p>
<p>I’ll step back from here so M2CK can offer her much more informed advice regarding parental payment and loans :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the help people. I appreciate this a lot.</p>
<p>Yes, I was on the phone with the UCSC financial aid office and they said the exact same thing about my EFC being too high. My parents are now nervous due to the fact that they’re about to spend a fortune for me, while I have another brother waiting under their wings.</p>
<p>I might go to a Community College then. All my hard work down the drain.</p>
<p>You (the student) are expected to borrow the Direct loans (5500), the Perkins loan (however much that is), and you’re expected to do the “work study” (how much is that? 2500???). You can further reduce your parents’ obligation by working over the summer, and paying for your textbooks .</p>
<p>If your “student contribution” is around $8 - 10k, then your parents will pretty much have their EFC to pay. </p>
<p>In-state tuition and fees: $11,505
Room and board: $14,172 </p>
<h2>Books and supplies: $1,407 (look for used textbooks to save money)</h2>
<p>Basic costs … about $27k</p>
<p>Personal expenses will be covered by work-study earnings.</p>
<p>Talk to your parents…are they willing to pay their EFC? If not, how much will they pay?</p>
I appreciate this a lot.</p>