University of Calif. In-state Financial Aid

Paying for College
1

<p>Would someone explain to me how the UC system goes about awarding financial aid?</p>

<p>I am a California resident who would prefer to go to a UC rather than a CSU or community college. My SAT scores and GPA are all well within range for the UC system.</p>

<p>My family's EFC will be around $12,000, but due to extenuating circumstances (very high medical bills), my family cannot help me at all at this time.</p>

<p>I know that I need to explain the extenuating circumstances. How do UCs go about determining the grant/loan ratio - is it fixed or determined by other factors? Is there a chance they will offer me a full package if my EFC goes down to zero with our extenuating circumstances.</p>

<p>Would any of these factors change depending on the UC campus? I think that UCSD is my top pick at the moment (Berkeley too - but much harder to get into, I know).</p>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

2

<p>Financial Aide in California is not so good. If your family income is less that $80K, you may qualify for the Blue and Gold which would pay for most of your tuition.</p>

<p>We had about the same EFC but no medical bills and B&G is all my son would have gotten. The rest were student loans, work study, and parent loans. </p>

<p>Son ended up going out of state. Good luck and hopefully someone can answer your medical question.</p>

<p>PS - Son got some little scholarships at several of the UC’s for his grades and major.</p>

3

<p>My family’s EFC will be around $12,000, but due to extenuating circumstances (very high medical bills), my family cannot help me at all at this time.</p>

<p>If your family’s income is too high for qualification of the Blue and Gold promise (incomes below $80k), I’m not sure that a UC will be affordable.</p>

<p>The UCs are great for those with REALLY LOW EFCs (below Pell of about 5000), but really bad with FA for most of those with EFCs/incomes that exceed Pell, B&G and Pell Grants.</p>

<p>I don’t know if professional judgement will change B&G qualifications or Cal Grant qualifications. PJ can change EFC, but don’t think it will change other quals. </p>

<p>Even with Blue and Gold (if you could somehow qualify), fees, room, board, and books at UCs is very high…running about $15k per year, so you’d have a hard time paying for those other costs.</p>

<p>Do you live near a UC or Cal State that you could commute to? If so, be sure to apply to those as well.</p>

<p><a href=“very%20high%20medical%20bills”>I</a>*</p>

<p>Do you know how much this last year was not covered by insurance? There can sometimes be an EFC adjustment if the amount of uncovered medical costs are very high…but it won’t be dollar for dollar and a certain amount is considered normal. </p>

<p>Since there’s a good possibility that a UC will not be affordable (again, cuz they’re lousy with aid for those who don’t meet those aid thresholds), you need to protect yourself by also applying to a few schools that you know will be affordable…either because you could commute to them or you know you’d get huge merit scholarships.</p>

<p>The problem that you’ll likely face is that your family will have an unaffordable EFC that they can’t pay. You won’t be able to take out a student loan to cover that amount because you’ll already have a student loan in your FA packages.</p>

4

<p>My parents say their income this year will be around $76,000, with about $30,000 unreimbursed medical. I see on the blue and gold opportunity site that I would likely be offered around $9,500 in student loans, plus a large currently unmet need, unless “professional judgement” would raise my award somehow. Would a financial aid officer at my local community college be able to help me with this?</p>

<p>Would there be any better aid at a CSU? It is not my preference and I know that community college is a likely option for me, but it would be best for me to not be living with my parents next year for a variety of reasons.</p>

<p>There is not a UC campus nearby. There is a CSU, but if I need to commute, I think I’d rather go to community college and transfer to a UC in two year to save myself the loan money.</p>

<p>Much appreciated!</p>

5

<p>*I see on the blue and gold opportunity site that I would likely be offered around $9,500 in student loans, plus a large currently unmet need, unless “professional judgement” would raise my award somehow. *</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>With B&G you’d be offered about $10k in various grants…and then offered some loans, some work study, and you’d still have some EFC…unless PJ adjusted your EFC.</p>

<p>Your family needs to gather all of it’s uncovered med bills (especially those for 2011) in order to petition to have your EFC lowered. But that’s not really done until you’ve applied to schools and have an EFC (so after Jan 1st). </p>

<p>So, apply with caution…apply to various UCs, the CSU that you can commute to, and some schools where you’d get generous merit scholarships.</p>