<p>Well, I emailed UCSD's financial aid department and ask about the possibility of funding and financial aid packages. The lady replied saying "typically the grads do not get packaged until summer once your department notifies us if they will offer any support."</p>
<p>How can I politely ask, if I can receive the funding/financial aid decision earlier?
For the financial aid/funding package will play a big role in determining whether or now I will attend UCSD.</p>
<p>Email the Director of Graduate Studies in the specific program (department) to which you applied. Simply ask about their timeline in regard to funding decisions.</p>
<p>Financial Aid offices are the LAST to hear about offers to grad students. Those decisions are made on the departmental level, and then the Graduate School is informed. Then the Graduate School sends the info off to Financial Aid.</p>
<p>Not sure if this is worth looking into - seeing as how you need financial aid. No-one has money to burn but I've seen a couple of friends do this: Put down the deposit to the last couple of schools that you are seriously considering pending the final financial aid decision. It is beneficial to you if at least one of the schools actually does give you money. Not so beneficial if they don't. However, the one benefit for sure, is that it gives you extra time so you don't have the pressure of possibly guessing wrong.</p>
<p>Im dealing with a similar issue with UW in Seattle. It is frustrating. What boggles me is the fact that they are undoubtedly losing top talent because not a lot of people are willing to wait in limbo into the summer.</p>
<p>same thing w/ me an ucla's master's program. i rather not pay the entire 23k per year on my own... finaid office claims ill have an estimate of award package (prolly just loan eligibility, i guess) by mid-april... which is cutting it really close. good thing every school other than ucla has rejected me, for that makes my decision easy :-)</p>
<p>Wow, I didn't think this was so common.... One of my schools has said that I won't know until mid-April, and I was pretty annoyed with that seeing as the other schools want a response by April 15th. But summer? yikes.</p>
<p>Yeah...one of my top schools is like that too. My decision will be financially based and only one of the schools I applied to has offered me solid funding...one school (tha twas nowhere near my top chooice) offered me nothing but loans...bleh. Another school has forwarded my app to an international organization for a particular fellowship but at this point, it's out of their hands and i jus thave to wait. If I don't have a response by the 15th, I will just accept the school that offered me funding because I don't want to play around with "maybes".....</p>
<p>It's not fair that so many schools won't notify you untill later in the summer....why would they want you to just accept not knowing whether or not it will even been financially feasable....oh well. Good luck!</p>
<p>just got rejected by my top choice.
Since UCSD is my second choice (it is also has the least expensive tuition of all the other schools that i've been accepted to), my decision became much easier</p>
<p>Schools are pretty late with giving information concerning financial aid packages, which is all loans for graduated students. Financial aid offices package Freshmen, then other undergraduates, and graduate students are packaged last.</p>
<p>If you are looking for assistantships, which would provide tuition and a stipend, you should inquire with your department, similar departments on campus, and residence life.</p>
<p>latoya,</p>
<p>thanks for the information.</p>
<p>I contacted the department assistant, and she said that she expects 2 or less TA'ships avaiable for incoming master students. She advised me to prepare to pay for the full cost. :/</p>
<p>Money is indeed hard to come by for a Master's applicant</p>
<p>Not always true. I was awarded a little bit of grants and scholarships (free money) to a few terminal master's programs</p>