Well…of this is a CA resident…going to a CA CC and then transferring to a CSU might actually be a cost effective way to get their undergrad degree.
^^^
True…and that is also a viable option…but my gut tells me that if he didn’t apply to any CSUs, then going to a CC is very unappealing…but I could be wrong.
Once he tells us his stats…and his major and career goal, we can better help him.
Ack…this student is already at a CC…
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I'm a econ major that was planning on applying to UCLA. Something happened, and it severely affected my grades last semester dropping my 3.7 to a 3.53. I'm on track to get all A's in my classes (17 units) which would raise my grade to a 3.66. I've calculated that getting A's in all my classes, if i ultimately decided to stay back, would measely raise my grade to around a 3.73. I've already been accepted into UCSB, and waiting to hear back from UCI, UCSD, UCD. Should I try and stay back another year and strengthen my application to apply to UCLA or nah?
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I’m not sure why you’re still contemplating a transfer to any UC when you have no means to pay for one.
Please clarify…how would you pay for UCLA or any UC if you got in??
Go ahead and stay another year, but really, you’re going to have to find a CSU that is affordable that you can transfer to.
Isn’t the OP already at a community college? In the first post s/he says “I’m a CCC transfer”.
So what schools would be nearby that would be affordable with $7500 loan and work earnings?
^^^
Yes…for some reason some of us overlooked that. Yes, he’s a CC transfer.
Still, no UC is affordable unless mom is qualified to co-sign the extra loans. Will she do that? The OP would need to ask.
Only a nearby CSU would be affordable with loan and earnings… but he didn’t apply to any and you can’t apply now for them.
Do you have loans from your CC??? How were those costs paid?
If you don’t have loans from your CC, then it may not be tooo horrible for you to borrrow for the last 2 years, but you’d end up with about $50k-60k of loans…which is really high.
How much do you think you’ll be earning upon graduation??
I’m guessing that as an econ major, he has big goals that a UC can meet, but would be harder at a CSU.
My nephews graduated from UCLA with econ degrees and they walked into high paying positions. Not sure that would happen thru a CSU.
Student completes 17-18 FAFSA with mom=widowed and using only mom’s income information for 2015. It’s a bit confusing and may very well result in verification, since 2015 tax status is most likely married filing jointly. The way to determine the income/taxes paid for 2015 is to find a 2015 tax form & do it manually as head of household using only mom’s income info.
@kelsmom am I correct that the student should re submit the fafsa with the corrected income…?
That this is NOT professional judgement but rather a misstep in how the family recorded income?
Would the life insurance proceeds require professional judgment review?
Does the OP have a relative near any UCs that s/he could live with?
The $100,000 left in the life insurance policy would add $5600 to this students FAFSA EFC. The colleges would NOT take the whole $100,000. It’s an asset…not income.
But yes, if they want it ignored, it would take a special circumstances consideration to do so.
Regardless…the $90,000 income the mom has is what is getting in the way of need based aid at the UCs.
@mom2collegekids My parents paid for everything (Housing, college costs, etc), until he passed away. I’ve accumulated around $4000 from working at a retail store, and I’m starting to get survivor benefits which will net me around $17k altogether. I’m honestly confused because UCI said my FAFSA was incorrect, but I’m not sure why. In 2015, my parents had married-joint return, but I put my mom as widowed in 2017. Idk what to fix?
@mom2collegekids Sorry, kind of confused. How would 40% of 30k be only 6k? Wouldn’t it be $12k, or am I missing something here?
@mom2collegekids @thumper1 Sorry, I want to clear things up. My cost of attendance is $30k as stated on UCSB’s acceptance portal. If I get the MCS, that only applies to my TUITION, not the overall cost, so that would bring down my total cost of attendance down to $24k. My mom doesn’t speak English, and I had to try to figure things out on my own (this is why I didn’t apply to CSU’s), and I did NOT know that you can only take out loans worth $7k. HOWEVER, I’m pretty sure that I could do a parent+ loan with my mom. I’m going to definitely be working in the summer/when I transfer so that could help. I’m also getting survivor benefits which would net me around $17k by the time I’m 22. I also heard that if I use my own health insurance (which I have) instead of theirs, my cost of attendance would go up? Is this true? Or could I apply the health insurance grant to something else?
The health insurance grant is a wash. If you need health insurance, you get the grant. If not, no grant.
You will have to do the FA with the school and show how much your mother made in 2015. The school will help you. Your EFC might change a lot if they take out your father’s income.
Did you include your dad’s 2015 income ON your financial aid application forms? if so, you need to correct the FAFSA to take those OUT. You need to contact the college and explain the situation. You will need to show documentation of your mom’s income which SHOULD be included…and your dad’s which should,not have been.
They may require a death certificate as documentation as well.
Call school TODAY and ask.
But really…with $90,000 in mom’s income…you are not going tombe seeing need based aid from a UC.
@thumper1 really? Didn’t know I had to do that. So instead of doing married-joint return w/ both my parents income, I should do a single return w/ just my moms income? I emailed UCSB’s financial aid and asked for a special circumstance for the assets from the life insurance, so that would qualify me for the MCS?
Read post 26 written by Kelsmom. She explained how you should have filed your 2017-2018 fafsa form. Mom as widowed…with ONLY income from your mom for 2015.
If your mom had work income, the college would probably need her 2015 W2 form for her income only.
When your parents filed tax return married filing jointly in 2015 it would include both their incomes, if they both had income. They would also get a higher standard deduction and three exemptions (with one child). If your mom now files as head of household with just her income, her tax paid amount is different than before.
So kelsmom said in order to figure the income and tax paid that applies to only your mom’s income from 2015, you might need to use a 1040 A form and fill it out with her W2 income and as head of household with one dependent (you), to get the right tax paid number. Just for calculation purposes. Your mom does not have to change her tax filing for 2015.
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Even if the MIddle Class Scholarship was awarded, that would only cover 40% of tuition (so the award would have been around $6k). He still would have nearly $30k to cover.
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Sorry, kind of confused. How would 40% of 30k be only 6k? Wouldn’t it be $12k, or am I missing something here?
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Yes, you are. the middle class scholarship (which is being defended anyway) only covers 40% of tuition/system-wide fees. The tuition is NOT $30k. The instate system-wide fees/tuition is about $14k per year or so.
Anyway…the scholarship is going away.
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Your mom has an income of $90k per year in the US and doesn’t speak English? That’s quite a feat. amazing. What does she do for a living?
Ask your mom if she’ll cosign loans. Most parents will NOT do this.