<p>I'm planning to go to a CalState next fall and finish some of my general ed and apply to a private university in the spring. I was just wondering if FAFSA will give me less money because I'm a transfer? </p>
<p>The calstate tuition will be around 20K and the private university I'm transferring to will be around 40K. Is it likely that they will accommodate my financial problem?</p>
<p>^Your financial need may be greater, but it depends on the schools whether to fully meet your need or not.</p>
<p>FYI: most schools award less merit scholarships to transfer students than freshman students.</p>
<p>First…FAFSA doesn’t give you anything. It is a financial aid application form.</p>
<p>Your need based aid is dependent on many things.</p>
<ol>
<li>The college will calculate your need using their formula. For a good estimate, go to that college website and use their Net Price Calculator. It will give you a potential financial aid picture. </li>
</ol>
<p>Note: if you have self employed or divorced parents, or they own real estate in addition to your primary residence, the NPC may not be accurate.</p>
<p>And in your case…it might not be accurate because you are going to be a transfer, not an incoming freshman.</p>
<ol>
<li>Some schools meet the full need of all students accepted and some don’t. AND…take note here…some schools do NOT meet the full need of transfer students (or kids taken off the waitlist). Your chances of getting a very favorable financial aid package as a transfer student are much lower than as an incoming freshman. Your chances as a spring transfer student are even lower.</li>
</ol>
<p>There are some need based awards that are limited funding…federal work study, SEOG (if the school awards this and you are eligible), Perkins loans, and often institutional money. These are awarded to incoming freshmen entering the fall semester on a first come, first serve basis, then to returning students. Transfer students are at the bottom of the food chain for these.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Does this expensive private school require the CSS Profile or a school financial aid form in addition to the FAFSA? If so, they will be taking a much deeper look at your family finances to determine eligibility for need based aid.</p></li>
<li><p>Are you eligible for the Calgrant? If so, why are you leaving a more affordable school option to attend one that costs twice as much? If you are not Calgrant eligible, you might not be eligible for any need based aid…other than a $5500 Direct Loan (and that is assuming you didn’t use a portion of that for your first semester). Simply put unless the private school has VERY deep pockets, an income that exceeds $80,000 might not net you need based aid…especially as a spring transfer student.</p></li>
<li><p>How much are your parents able to give you towards college costs?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>So back to my question…WHY are you doing this? If financial aid is a significant consideration, and you are a California resident, there are many options FAR less costly than a school with $40,000 a year tuition.</p>
<p>I’m unclear if you will be an incoming freshman fall 2014, but if so, I would very much look at this plan you are making. I think for financial aid purposes, you would be far better served to find a school for the fall term that is either affordable, or where you might garner either need or merit aid as an incoming freshman.</p>
<p>
I doubt it very much.</p>
<p>It may make sense to apply to that college as a freshman to get the most aid awarded. You need to read the financial aid page of that college very carefully. Because you need institutional aid from the college. They may not award much to transfer students. </p>
<p>All FAFSA makes you eligible for is the Pell Grant of 5,600, if you qualify, and the Direct Loan of 5,500 the first year. (If you transfer you are still eligible for that.) The rest of the cost comes from your family and the college itself IF it awards you institutional aid. In California, you would also have the Cal Grant, if qualified.</p>
<p>Look at the sticky threads at the top of the forum and read about how financial aid works.</p>
<p>you’ll have several things going against you when you transfer:</p>
<p>1) Transfer students usually don’t get great aid.</p>
<p>2) Spring transfers usually get even WORSE aid.</p>
<p>3) The school is more expensive and may only use FAFSA.</p>
<p>4) FAFSA is an app for FEDERAL aid, which isn’t much money.</p>
<p>5) If the school is in Calif and you qualify for a Cal Grant, then the Cal Grant amount for a private school is for a fraction of tuition. </p>
<p>Do not cut ties with your CSU until you’ve seen the FA pkg from the transfer school. Likely the transfer school’s aid pkg will be inadequate.</p>
<p>Will my chances be better if I took a gap year instead of going to a calstate?</p>
<p>There is NO WAY for us to answer your question. we don’t know the private university you are talking about. We therefore, cannot comment on your chances or not, of getting aid there.</p>
<p>Are you an incoming freshman? In other words, will fall be your FIRST time in college? Or are you currently enrolled in a cc? </p>
<p>In addition to NOT knowing the financial aid answer, it is impossible for us to even know if you can get accepted at this private university. I will say…the schools that award the most generous need based aid use the FAFSA and the Profile, and are VERY competitive for admissions. </p>
<p>Are you currently a high school senior? Have you taken the SAT or ACT? What is your GPA? How much can your parents contribute? Unless you are over 24, you are required to use their income and assets on your FAFSA.</p>
<p>I want to get in Chapman University’s Dodge College. I’m currently a high school senior. My parents’ income is ~16K w/ 4 people in our household. Currently have a 4.13 GPA Unweighted, 4.0 weighted. ACT is 24 and SAT is 1700.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if I’m better off taking a gap year or if I should transfer through a community college.</p>
<p>Are you applying to Chapman this year? as you know, your SAT score is on the low ish side, but if you are applying in the arts…do you have some kind of portfolio, or significant work in the field? Have you been to Chapman? Did you speak to anyone in the Dodge School,when you were there?</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest you google “chapman University Dodge School admissions” you will get a hit for the school…one section has FAQ that will likely answer many of your questions and certainly will discuss SAT scores, portfolios, experience. Etc.</p>
<p>I do not know Chapman’s policies regarding transfer students. The school does not appear to meet full need. The website clearly states that one should apply early or some funds will be exhausted. I think their aid is generous…but maybe not full.</p>
<p>Have you run their net price calculator? That would be the best way to determine a potential cost as an incoming freshman. </p>
<p>Do you plan to retake the SAT or ACT?</p>
<p>Are there any other colleges that you are interested in? As you know…the Dodge School is very competitive for admissions.</p>
<p>If you’re a Calif student, be SURE to apply to some CSUs and UCs that will accept you. The lower UCs will likely accept you for sure since your GPA is high.</p>
<p>The UCs give VERY good aid to instate low income students.</p>
<p>I retook my SAT but I haven’t gotten my scores back yet, but from what I’ve seen my SAT fits their requirement. I ran their net calc and as an incoming freshman it’d be around 12k/yr and 19k as a transfer. </p>
<p>I’m also interested in Calarts/UCLA/CCA.</p>
<p>Well, it doesn’t look like Chapman is affordable either way. Your family can’t pay $12k or $16k. </p>
<p>What was the breakdown of the FA pkg?</p>
<p>You need to concentrate on the UCs especially, but also some CSUs. Be sure to apply to a couple of lower UCs as back ups.</p>
<p>You initially said you planned to apply to a CSU. Is there any CSU where you could complete your degree? The private arts schools are not typically generous with financial aid. They just don’t have deep enough pockets to be able to fill financial need. </p>
<p>You are likely Calgrant eligible. I’m not all,that familiar with the Calgrant awards, but I believe you could likely cover your costs for a CSU with the Calgrant, any Pell you might receive, and a Direct Loan.</p>
<p>In your OP, you asked if the private universities would match that. I would venture the answer is NO. Your net cost to attend a CSU will be virtually nil. Your cost to attend a private university will be $20,000 a year or more…depending on if and how much aid you receive. It could be $40,000 a year.</p>
<p>How will you fund the costs not covered by financial aid…regardless of whether it is now or as a transfer?</p>
<p>And IMHO…you should apply for fall admission if you plan to attend and can afford to do so if accepted. </p>
<p>But then, I think you should apply for fall admission to schools you can afford to attend…and NOT plan to transfer.</p>
<p>Does anyone know which UCs and CSUs have film schools? </p>
<p>The OP needs to apply to those schools. </p>
<p>The Chapman NPC probably included Direct loans in the FA pkg. If so, then the student couldn’t even take a $5500 loan towards the $12k or $16k shortfall. And, of course, he’d still have the remaining $6k-10k shortage, even if he could.</p>
<p>Chapman is not affordable.</p>
<p>Thank you guys for trying to help me out… I think I’ll apply anyway and see my luck. If I’m meant for it, then it’ll work out. I really appreciate all your answers.</p>
<p>Good to give it a try. Most of the aid needed to pay for a private tuition, costs come from the college itself, not from the government. FAFSA, is an application for government aid, primarily, as well as coming up with an EFC, so what you would “get” as an entitlement from the federal government would not change from school to school as long as the costs don’t go under the maximums, and you keep your eligibility, but you aren’t going to get more than the maximums because your new costs are higher. If you are looking at private schools, and you are now at a public, the money you are getting from the federal government likely will not cover the new cost levels. But the school may have funds that it kicks in to meet some of that gap.</p>
<p>You should apply anyway. I know someone who got a President’s scholarship with high gpa, moderate SAT. Your chances as a freshman of getting a better aid package are higher than as a transfer. Also apply to a few UC’s and Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Northridge. LMU has a good film school but the aid will likely not be good enough. You should also give USC a shot.</p>
<p>Make sure your family circumstances are apparent for UC in your background essay. Too bad the SAT is not higher, but it doesn’t rule you out.</p>