What should I expect from the Middle Class Scholarship?

I just found out that it’s reinstated so I’ll be getting some sort of scholarship money. I received no financial aid; my Parent EFC is 13,124 & my student EFC is around $750? My mom makes an income of around $81,000 and has assets of $138,000 from life insurance. How much should I expect from this scholarship?

how is it possible for a family with one adult with an income of $81k with $138k of assets to have an EFC of only $13k?

Do you have siblings? Are any in college?

for your income: “The MCS will cover up to 40 percent of systemwide tuition and fees”

So sounds like you’d get about $6k

@mom2collegekids I have a sister who’s 29. She moved back in after my dad passed away to help with monthly payments but some personal issues came up, so she lives there and works. im the first one to go to college. I’ve heard that the MCS only dishes out $100 to max $1000 from some posts that I’ve found. Is this true?

California’s Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) is a program that provides undergraduate students with family incomes up to $158,100 and a maximum annual household asset amount of $158,100, a scholarship to attend University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) campuses. MCS awards are based on a sliding scale according to family income. Scholarship amounts will vary by student and institution, and the maximum award will be 40% of the systemwide - or base - tuition and fee amount.

The MCS awards will be posted sometime in mid-November 2017, and students will receive an email to review MyAwards at that time. Please note: this program is contingent on state funding.

The MCS is on a sliding scale so it will depend upon the # of qualified students and on the amount of the state funding.

So, on your FAFSA, you have a household of two people…your mom and you. (Your sister does NOT count in the household on FAFSA).

I don’t understand how your EFC can be that low.

For your income, MCS will cover UP TO 40% of tuition/fees.

the MCS has been intermittently funded and qualifications have shifted significantly each of the last 4 years. The one semester we received it - they awarded it late and we had already paid the full CSU tuition so, they credited the next semester.

Honestly, I wouldn’t count on a dime. That way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I don’t think this student should count on anything. AT some point, his sister will be removed from the household count…and EFC will then rise.

The mom isn’t providing more than 50% of her support. In fact, the older employed DD (29?) moved back home to help out the family with financial expenses. So, she should not have been counted, and she’ll be removed.

@mom2collegekids She is providing ALOT more than 50% of her support. My sister has a job, but she stopped with monthly payments a long time ago. She’s been on and off employment as well. She uses it for ‘personal expenses’.

@ncalrent I contacted them directly and they said that the scholarship would be continued this year subject to funding.

@NCalRent How much were you awarded for the the MCS?

@jrohazn

If this is pending sufficient funding…I would do as suggested above. Don’t count on it…and if you get it, it will be a pleasant surprise!

As @mom2collegekids pointed out, there’s no way that EFC is correct. When I was a senior, my family income was 72k with two people in the family. 0 (non-retirement) assets. EFC was about 17k.

@CourtneyThurston I’ve checked FAFSA and I copied it directly from her tax forms, and mine from my W-2.

https://edsource.org/2017/brown-proposes-more-higher-ed-funding-but-phasing-out-middle-class-scholarships/575123

He got $400 for one semester - about 11% of the tuition bill.But, again the award was delayed.

The program is always on the chopping block - as it is now.

How much did your sister earn in 2016?