<p>If I have good grades and decent test scores, such as a 3.9 UC GPA, 29 ACT, and ELC, will SDSU give me a better financial aid package then UCI, since SDSU is somewhat of a safety school for me. Also my EFC is 0, therefore financial aid packages are of the utmost significance to me.</p>
<p>I’m not sure… I would guess that UCI has a better endowment than SDSU does. </p>
<p>I don’t know if UCI uses stats grid models to give more aid. Anyone know? IF they don’t, then your stats won’t matter. </p>
<p>Since you have a 0 EFC, I’m guessing that you’ll qualify for Blue and Gold, Pell, maybe some SEOG, work-study, and some Stafford & maybe Perkins loans to cover any gaps.</p>
<p>The issue might end up being that UCI costs more than SDSU, so it remains to be seen how much (if any) of the COA of either school is left uncovered. You may get more free money from UCI, but since it costs a lot more, it may still have a bigger uncovered gap…hopefully not. :)</p>
<p>Well UCI costs about 6k more a year then SDSU. If I attend SDSU do you think my uncovered gap will be less, or will it be about the same as UCI? Anyways, should I attend SDSU because it is 6K cheaper a year for me then UCI? And thanks mom2collegekids for the help and advice.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>It’s hard to know if you’ll have a bigger gap at UCI. UCI may award you more money since their endowment is bigger. </p>
<p>When do you think you’ll get your FA packages? Shouldn’t it be soon?</p>
<p>Another student on CC got a good package from UCLA with much lower stats. </p>
<p>Pell Grant - $5,500
Cal Grant - ~$10,000
Scholarship - ~$5,000</p>
<p>I don’t know if he got work-study and/or Stafford loans to make up the rest. </p>
<p>If you could get that (or more), you should try to go to UCI. What is your likely major?</p>
<p>UCI said that they will begin posting award letters on April 1. And my major for UCI is Criminology, Law and Society. Is SDSU horribly lesser then UCI in terms of academic advancement and job placement?</p>
<p>I don’t know which school is better for job placement in that field. Have you talked to the depts at each school? If not, set up appts at the depts of each school and find out each school’s strengths in that major.</p>
<p>BTW…I just saw an even better FA package for a UC…this was from UC Davis and the student also has an EFC 0.</p>
<p>UCD</p>
<p>Estimated Cost of Attendance
Basic Living $13,854.00
Books and Supplies $1,601.00
Fees $13,082.00
Transportation $722.00
Out of State $0.00
Summer $0.00
Mid Year Fee Increase $0.00
Other $0.00
Total Cost of Attendance $29,259.00</p>
<p>Contributions
Student Self Help Expectation $2,750.00
Student Contribution $0.00
Parent Contribution $0.00
Additional Resources $0.00
Total Contributions $2,750.00</p>
<p>Financial Need $26,509.00</p>
<p>Estimated Financial Aid
Ac. Competitive Grant Est.-NH $750.00
Cal Grant B Estimated-NH $1,551.00
Federal Direct Loan Sub-NH $3,500.00
Federal Pell Grant Program-NH $5,550.00
Federal Perkins Loan-NH $2,000.00
UCD Campus Fee Grant-NH $630.00
Entering UG Scholarship - NH $12,528.00
Total Estimated Financial Aid $26,509.00</p>
<p>Remaining Cost $0.00 </p>
<p>So, if you get a package similar to this one, I think you’ll be in a good position. I don’t understand the whole Cal Grant thing…I know they use a different formula than what FAFSA uses, but some EFC 0 kids get $10k+ for UCs and some get much less.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help, and I am anticipating to check the financial aid award letter as soon as it comes out. I will be hoping that I can get less than 7k in loans per year, so I don’t end up out of college in serious debt.</p>
<p>Let us know when you get your FA packages. I hope you get a good package from UCI.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>My package from UCI arrived so far it looks like this: </p>
<p>Academic Competitiveness Grant for First Year $750.00
CAL A FLIP $10,302.00<br>
Federal Pell Grant (01) $5,550.00<br>
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant $500.00
UC Irvine Grant $3,060.00 Accepted
Total Gift Aid $20,162.00 </p>
<p>Student Work-Study
Federal Work Study $2,000.00<br>
Total Work Study $2,000.00</p>
<p>Loans</p>
<p>Federal Direct Subsidized Loan to meet need $3,500.00<br>
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan to meet need $403.00<br>
Federal Perkins Loan $2,000.00<br>
Total Loans $5,903.00<br>
Total Aid in My Aid Award $28,065.00 </p>
<p>What do you guys think???</p>
<p>I’d get that Cal Grant A changed to a Cal Grant B (with an EFC of 0, you definitely should qualify for either or). It’s worth more in the long run and the difference the first year in amounts given out will be met through grant money.</p>
<p>This looks like a very good package – I’ll defer to Kender on the Cal Grant A vs. B issue; I don’t understand them not being from California. $2000 in work study should be achievable and you should not have much trouble finding an on-campus job that will accept it – might be 7-10 hours a week, and you might want to see if work study jobs are easy to come by winter and spring quarters – you might not want to work fall quarter freshman year. (Though 7-10 hours wouldn’t be a significant burden.) You should be able to earn something over the summer – perhaps enough for a laptop (don’t forget your student discount rates that may be available through UC Irvine or at any of the Apple stores) and books to start the year.</p>
<p>Forgot to add – my big concern with SDSU is that with the budget cutbacks, it seems to be getting harder and harder for kids to get the classes they need to graduate. SDSU has had that problem for a long time (back to the eighties, at least) but it seems to be worse now. The UC campuses don’t seem to be experiencing that to nearly the same degree.</p>
<p>Trojanman…</p>
<p>I think your aid from UCI looks good. </p>
<p>I don’t think you’ve posted your SDSU aid, but I can’t imagine that it’s better. Have you gotten that FA package?</p>
<p>I know that you were concerned that UCI was more expensive, but I figured with your EFC of 0, you would get enough aid to cover the difference. </p>
<p>I think this is about as good as it gets for a UC school. :)</p>
<p>Go to UCI. :)</p>
<p>Yeah thnx guys I plan on going to UCI and my package from SDSU is still incomplete even though I sent in the paperwork four weeks ago, but I fail to believe that I would attend SDSU, anyways. Since arabrab touched the subject of work study, how does it work, and will I be able to earn as much money as I want and the employer wants?</p>
<p>If you’re granted work study, it will be for a certain amount, like $2500. (Rare to see it much over $3,500 from what I’ve seen.) Usually certain on-campus jobs (lots of them) are listed for work-study students only, and the pay rate varies from minimum wage up to $12/hour, depending on the job. (Lifeguarding and computer programming seem to pay better on average.) Some work study positions may be offered off campus – our local library has some, but they’re offered through the university’s office. You look through the listings and start contacting the hiring departments. Once you and one of the hiring departments agree on a job, you fill out the paperwork and are hired. You record hours and are paid for the hours you work. Once you reach your work-study cap, that’s it – so a job that pays more may mean you hit the cap sooner. (That isn’t a bad thing.) At some campuses it can be very hard to find on-campus jobs OTHER than work study positions, so it can be a really good option. Also, by the time you are a sophomore, you may be able to find work study that more directly relates to your interests. As a freshman, you might be shelving books in the library.</p>
<p>Work-study…</p>
<p>I’m not exactly sure how it works; I had work-study MANY years ago…LOL…so others can correct me if I’m wrong.</p>
<p>The fed gov’t provides some of the funding for your work-study salary. Many campus jobs are often reserved for w-s students. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get an actual job (there may be more w-s students than there are jobs). You have to look into what UCI has available as soon as you’re able. Contact the FA office and ask how you can find out what w-s jobs will be available for next year, and what their process is to get these jobs. The “early bird gets the worm.” :)</p>
<p>As for how much you can earn…it depends on who employs you. If the employer is depending on the fed gov’t to pay for much of your salary, they may not let you stay on after you’ve earned your $2k.</p>
<p>However, since some w-s jobs are Monday thru Friday, some kids supplement their income by also accepting second part-time jobs off campus on weekends.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help mom2collegekids and arabrab. I will definitely use all the information you guys gave me.</p>
<p>I Have a similar problem between uc davis and san diego state.
San diego state packet-</p>
<p>Estimated Award Fall Spring
Estimated Federal Pell Grant $2775 $2775
Estimated State University Grant $2013 $2013
Estimated Federal Work Study $2000 $2000
Estimated Subsidized Federal Direct Student Loan $545 $545</p>
<p>Uc davis -</p>
<p>Estimated Cost of Attendance<br>
Basic Living $13,854.00<br>
Books and Supplies $1,601.00<br>
Fees $13,082.00<br>
Transportation $722.00<br>
Out of State $0.00<br>
Summer $0.00<br>
Mid Year Fee Increase $0.00<br>
Other $0.00<br>
Total Cost of Attendance $29,259.00</p>
<p>Contributions<br>
Student Self Help Expectation $2,750.00<br>
Student Contribution $0.00<br>
Parent Contribution $0.00<br>
Additional Resources $0.00<br>
Total Contributions $2,750.00</p>
<p>Financial Need $26,509.00</p>
<p>Estimated Financial Aid<br>
Ac. Competitive Grant Est.-NH $750.00<br>
Cal Grant B Estimated-NH $1,551.00<br>
Federal Direct Loan Sub-NH $3,500.00<br>
Federal Pell Grant Program-NH $5,550.00<br>
Federal Perkins Loan-NH $2,000.00<br>
UCD Campus Fee Grant-NH $630.00<br>
Entering UG Scholarship - NH $12,528.00<br>
Total Estimated Financial Aid $26,509.00</p>
<p>Remaining Cost $0.00</p>
<p>I am a first generation college student. I would really appreciate your help and advice. Thank you in advance.</p>
<p>I needed to make the above easier to read… :)</p>
<p>San diego state packet-</p>
<p>Estimated Award
Estimated Federal Pell Grant …$5550<br>
Estimated State University Grant… $4026
Estimated Federal Work Study …$4000</p>
<h2>Estimated Subsidized Federal Direct Student Loan …$1090</h2>
<p>Total aid: … $14,666</p>
<p>What is SDSU’s COA and breakdown of COA?</p>
<p>$4,000 in work-study (that’s a bit high…I wonder if some can be done in the summer.)
$1,090 in loans</p>
<hr>
<p>Uc davis -</p>
<p>Estimated Cost of Attendance
Basic Living……………………… $13,854.00
Books and Supplies………… $1,601.00
Fees ……………………………….$13,082.00 </p>
<h2>Transportation ……………………$722.00 </h2>
<p>Total COA……………………… $29,259.00</p>
<p>Contributions
Student Self Help Expectation $2,750.00
Total Contributions $2,750.00</p>
<p>Financial Need $26,509.00</p>
<p>Estimated Financial Aid
Ac. Competitive Grant Est.-NH ….$750.00
Cal Grant B Estimated-NH………. $1,551.00
Federal Direct Loan Sub-NH……. $3,500.00
Federal Pell Grant Program-NH… $5,550.00
Federal Perkins Loan-NH…………… $2,000.00
UCD Campus Fee Grant-NH …………$630.00 </p>
<h2>Entering UG Scholarship - NH …….$12,528.00 </h2>
<p>Total Aid………………………………………$26,359</p>
<p>$5,500 in sub student loans
no work study (I wonder if you can ask for some to use for “self-help”)
$2750 in self-help</p>