<p>^^^</p>
<p>I own multiple properties in California, so I do have an interest in that state for many reasons. Plus, my entire family lives there.</p>
<p>So, yes, I do think B&G should change…it’s one of many reasons that the state is broke…and the situation is getting worse.</p>
<p>Affordable colleges are making the state go broke? Not even close.</p>
<p>*Affordable colleges are making the state go broke? *</p>
<p>No…I didn’t say that. I said that the B&G policy is one ASPECT of what is wrong with California’s money problems. </p>
<p>I have NO problem with having affordable colleges…I support that. </p>
<p>But, the current B&G policy is stupid. A household of 1 (single person aged 24) should not get free tuition if his income is $30 - 79k. </p>
<p>And, a family of 5 with 2 in college SHOULD get B&G if their income is $85k. </p>
<p>And…students should be encouraged to go to their local UC or CSU to reduce need for aid for room, board, etc. Kids who live near UCLA should not be skipping over to Berkeley on the tax-payers dollar just to have the “sleep away” experience.</p>
<p>And…Cal Grants should not go to private universities. Let them figure out their aid. No one has a right to a private education.</p>
<p>When someone or something says an income below or above a certain threshold, you gotta look at what the definition of income is . In scholarship and need programs it is very specifically defined. It can go both ways in terms of not really knowing whether you meet the criteria or not,since some kids/families think that because their gross pay is a certain amount, above the cut offs, that 's it. However, when you look carefully at the definition, and it is a certain line item on the 1040 with certain adjustment, if you are close to that break point, you really need to have the actual numbers to see if you qualify. If a parent is contributing to a 401 K or health flex plan, those numbers have to be added. State taxes are taken out. Just a few examples how your base or gross pay can be adjusted.</p>
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<p>No disagreement here. Don’t need to be subsidizing Caltech or Stanford.</p>
<p>well i just got an email back from the school financial aid saying: The Blue and Gold Opportunity Grant will not appear on your eFAN until early September. Thank you for your patience. </p>
<p>so i guess just wait now? is this normal?</p>
<p>VERY nicely send an email to the fin aid office asking for clarification. That is reasonable as you need to know how much money you will have to pony up in Sept. You can ask “Does this email mean that I will receive $8K in B&G grants as I expected as my family income is … . ?”</p>
<p>You could also call and speak to a human (but then you won’t have a record of the conversation come Sept if there is an unhappy surprise). The advantage of the phone call is that, with your sweet charm, you find a “Mike” or a “Margary” who is really nice and explains things well. By all means take note of their extension and get back to that particular person with future question.</p>
<p>200,000 in unprotected assets will most certainly raise the EFC quite abit on top of that income level. If those assets are in stock, mutual funds and bonds and are NOT in a retirement 401K or an IRA they will add significantly to the federal EFC which could disqualify this student if federal means testing is considered per post 13. This makes sense to me as there is no fathomable reason why the state would ONLY consider income. You could have a retired spouse and a household income of 60-70,000 and considerable assets not necessarily in a 401K or an IRA from years of having 2 working and I can think of at least 3 other scenarios just off the top of my head where income could be low and assets high…rentals that show a loss, land that doesn’t generate income just for starters.</p>
<p>OP, I’d go back and look at your EFC to see how that $200,000 was characterized.</p>
<p>UC Davis has a little more clarity on the issue. Federal EFC is taken into account and the amount of B&G cannot exceed the difference between COA and federal EFC (at least the way I read Davis’ site).</p>
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<p>Thus, assets will come into play since they are part of “calculated need”? </p>
<p>OP: what is your EFC after all of the updates?</p>
<p>[Blue</a> & Gold Opportunity Plan](<a href=“http://financialaid.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/students/BlueandGold.html]Blue”>UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan)</p>
<p>ok thx oly. </p>
<p>my EFC is ~17600</p>
<p>*my EFC is ~17600 *</p>
<p>Wow…the FA calculator I used was pretty darn accurate!!! 
Good to know.</p>
<p>*
Even with the $200k in CDs/mutual funds, with an income of $72k, the student would still have “financial need.” the EFC would be about $18k. *</p>
<p>OK…so let me get this straight…this family’s income is $72K…and they have $200K in assets (unclear how those are reported from these posts…but if they are in REGULAR CDs and the like…they are reported as assets regardless of their intended use).</p>
<p>Mom2 and others…If the assets are in regular savings or CDs…they alone would generate about $8000 added into the EFC (if you use 5.6% only on $150K of the assets). Are you suggesting that the income of $72K generates only $10K (or so…the balance of what the OP says the EFC is?)? That seems VERY low to me.</p>