[Mushy]

So I'm transferring to a new school next year. How do I apply for Cal grant again? Should I go to my old school and ask them to submit my GPA? I'm so confuse.

[Iridescence]

So on my financial aid thing for UCI, I have to report changes because on my application, I had put that I was going to live off campus, but now I have decided to live on campus.

The form says "Please note, it takes approximately two weeks for your change to be reflected on your financial aid award." What does it mean by approximately? Like exactly? or around? =X


Also, another part of the form says "I will be receiving the following outside aid (outside scholarships, Cal Grants, veterans benefits, child support, etc.)" And I have to list the sources and the amount of money I would get.
Do I include loans or no?

[breadispan]

woo.. I just read through 11 pages just in case somebody already asked my question..but I don't think they have.

My family EFC is 0, I live in CA and for financial aid at UW(seattle) they offered me some grants and over 20k in loans. The thing is, I don't want to take loans because of the interest and all that. I was wondering if I can take the grants, decline the loans, and borrow money from a family friend instead? How would we report this? Do we have to include their name/social security number? I think they want to keep their income private.
Also, I want to ask if I establish residency in WA after a year (so I can get in-state tuition) will I report myself as independent(my parents will still be cali)?

Thank you guys sooomuch!

[inamorata.<3]

Okay, so this is my financial aid thingy for Berkeley. I'm probably really stupid for saying this, but I have no clue how to decipher this. Can anyone help?

[Vindictive]

SOOOO
i have no idea how i'm going to pay for college.
will i be getting any financial aid at all?
my efc is 12000+
-_____-''

[Vindictive]

also,

i'm hella confused about cal grants.

so i only got accepted to uc irvine (and i plan to attend there)

but on my cal grants it only states uc berkeley, cal poly san luis obispo + cal poly pomona.
but for those schools, i got rejected by uc berkeley and cal poly slo, but waitlisted to pomona.

how do i change the cal grant to uci?!

what does this all mean?!

[je_amourx]

I've got a simple question.

I've been paying for my classes out of pocket so this will be my first time apply for financial aid and I'm registering for Summer/Fall classes now(which will start in May), so which school year should I apply for?
The 2008-2009 School Year (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009)
The 2007-2008 School Year (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008)

If I do apply for 2007-2008; will it pay for my Summer classes and then apply for 2008-2009 to pay my for my Fall classes? Confused. - Thanks.

[christine101]

my school told me to fill out income verification form. on it, it ask how much my parent pay in 2007 for mortgage. i dont know where to find that, am i suppose to estimate? i only have a mortgage interest statement and it shows the total interest applied in 2007, should i just put that down? or is it suppose to be on that mortgage interest statement? if so where.

[what the HUH]

ive recently been accepted to a school i know i will be attending, but so far i havent quite finished the financial aid process. i turned in my fafsa/css earlier on but they were based on estimates, and i have not sent in my IDOC yet. The school had a "deadline" on 4/1 for all financial aid information to be turned in, but the school also says that it isnt too late to apply for financial aid and if i havent done so, i should just do it as soon as possible. will i receive less money from the school because im turning this in late? or do schools generally disregard when i turn it all in?

[jenjenyaj]

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THIS!

A couple of questions.

I am finally doing this financial stuff on my own after having this aid advising company doing it for me. I filled out the FAFSA and I was awarded some Pell Grant. Do I automatically receive it, or would I have to fill something else out?

Also, I noticed that I wasn't given any Sub. Stafford loan or PLUS loan. Do I have to sign up for these separately? If so, how?

Double check with your financial aid office to make sure you've completed all the requirements. Each school has different policies and procedures. If you aren't offered loans, you may want to check with your school's financial aid office and if you need to, put in a request for loans. If it's your first time taking out a loan, you will have to complete some loan requirements. Please see your financial aid office for the loan requirements.

how many times can you make corrections for FAFSA?
with work-study is it that you have to pay the money first then you can work?
they gave me a health profession loan, what is the difference with that and the stafford or perkin? which is better lower interest?when do i have to start paying it?after i graduate or?

You can make as many corrections on your FAFSA. However, the more corrections you make, the higher the possibility of getting selected for verification will happen. Which will result your school to request documentation from you, usually your tax documents. They will use this information and correct your FAFSA to match it.

You do NOT put money into a pool first for workstudy. Workstudy is a federal aid program that helps pay a portion of your wages.

Health professional loans are offered to students who are working towards the health field. It's similar to the perkins and will not count towards your aggregate federal loans. The interest is a bit less than the federal stafford loans. You start making payments after you graduate or leave school.

When I was filling out my applications, I clicked "No" for financial aid just because I thought that I wouldn't qualify--I'm not poor, but also far, far, far from rich. I didn't do any of the FAFSA stuff, because my parents told me they didn't have the required forms and everything, and said it we wouldn't qualify.

But now that I think about it...I have no idea how the hell I'm going to pay for any of my top choice/dream colleges--all of which are privates. So, if my grades are high enough, can I still be considered for a merit-based scholarship even if I clicked "No" for financial aid?

I was thinking that merit-based scholarships and financial aid were 2 completely separate, independent categories...but...was I mistaken? And by clicking "No," have I automatically taken myself out of the running for consideration for a merit-based scholarship?

You will have to check with your school to see what their policies are regarding that. Some schools automatically consider you for scholarship by receiving you college application. Again, you will have to talk to the school to determine what the procedures are. But remember, it's not too late to file your 2008-2009 FAFSA.

I have a question: If a sibling claims me as a dependant for their tax returns, do I use their information for fafsa or my parents?

Regardless of whom claimed you, you must provide your biological parents' information.

So I'm transferring to a new school next year. How do I apply for Cal grant again? Should I go to my old school and ask them to submit my GPA? I'm so confuse.

If you are already receiving Cal Grant at your old school, make sure to fill your FAFSA by March 2nd. If did not receive Cal Grant, have your previous school send a GPA verification to California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Also, have your FAFSA filed by March 2nd. You will have to do a school change with CSAC as well. Go to www.csac.ca.gov, click on Webgrants for Students (on the left hand column), create an account. You can use this access to check your Cal Grant status and to see which school is receiving your Cal Grant. You can also do a school change on this site. Browse around and familiarize yourself with this site. OR, print the document from the link below, fill out Section 2, and mail it to CSAC. (Be sure to fill out the sections that you want to make corrections to. You do NOT have to fill sections that does not require any corrections).

http://www.csac.ca.gov/pubs/forms/grnt_frm/G-10.pdf

So on my financial aid thing for UCI, I have to report changes because on my application, I had put that I was going to live off campus, but now I have decided to live on campus.

The form says "Please note, it takes approximately two weeks for your change to be reflected on your financial aid award." What does it mean by approximately? Like exactly? or around? =X


Also, another part of the form says "I will be receiving the following outside aid (outside scholarships, Cal Grants, veterans benefits, child support, etc.)" And I have to list the sources and the amount of money I would get.
Do I include loans or no?

Check with your financial aid office. Changes do take time for financial aid office to process. Some school have forms that serves multiple purposes. Double check to see if they need all sections completed or just the sections regarding your change to your file. Every school is different, so speak with a financial aid representative who can tell you what the school's procedure is.

woo.. I just read through 11 pages just in case somebody already asked my question..but I don't think they have.

My family EFC is 0, I live in CA and for financial aid at UW(seattle) they offered me some grants and over 20k in loans. The thing is, I don't want to take loans because of the interest and all that. I was wondering if I can take the grants, decline the loans, and borrow money from a family friend instead? How would we report this? Do we have to include their name/social security number? I think they want to keep their income private.
Also, I want to ask if I establish residency in WA after a year (so I can get in-state tuition) will I report myself as independent(my parents will still be cali)?

Thank you guys sooomuch!

You should be able to accept the grants and decline the loan. You do not need to report how you paid for school. Just think about those students who don't have financial aid. They don't report how they paid for school. The only reason you would report it is if it's a sort of scholarship and the family friend wants a tax break. Otherwise, there's no reason to report it.

Establishing residency in WA is between you and the school. It affects your cost of tuition. However, for federal aid purposes, you are considered a dependent student, even if you are financially independent. The only way you are independent is if you can answer YES to the dependency questions on the FAFSA.

Okay, so this is my financial aid thingy for Berkeley. I'm probably really stupid for saying this, but I have no clue how to decipher this. Can anyone help?

It's kind of small, but from what I can see, it tells you the Cost of Attendence is $22,087, with a Zero EFC, since the amount is ZERO for student and parent contribution. Your need-based amount is the amount of financial aid that can be offered to you, in the forms of grants, loans, scholarship, and/or federal workstudy.

SOOOO
i have no idea how i'm going to pay for college.
will i be getting any financial aid at all?
my efc is 12000+
-_____-''

also,

i'm hella confused about cal grants.

so i only got accepted to uc irvine (and i plan to attend there)

but on my cal grants it only states uc berkeley, cal poly san luis obispo + cal poly pomona.
but for those schools, i got rejected by uc berkeley and cal poly slo, but waitlisted to pomona.

how do i change the cal grant to uci?!

what does this all mean?!

More than likely, you will only be offered federal loans. Loans are a type of financial aid.

UC Irvine needs to be your number 1 school. So what you need to do is do a school change. Go to www.csac.ca.gov, click on Webgrants for Students (on the left hand column), create an account. You can use this access to check your Cal Grant status and to see which school is receiving your Cal Grant. You can also do a school change on this site. Browse around and familiarize yourself with this site. OR, print the document from the link below, fill out Section 2, and mail it to CSAC. (Be sure to fill out the sections that you want to make corrections to. You do NOT have to fill sections that does not require any corrections).

http://www.csac.ca.gov/pubs/forms/grnt_frm/G-10.pdf

I've got a simple question.

I've been paying for my classes out of pocket so this will be my first time apply for financial aid and I'm registering for Summer/Fall classes now(which will start in May), so which school year should I apply for?
The 2008-2009 School Year (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009)
The 2007-2008 School Year (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008)

If I do apply for 2007-2008; will it pay for my Summer classes and then apply for 2008-2009 to pay my for my Fall classes? Confused. - Thanks.

For Summer, you need to file the 2007-2008 FAFSA, unless otherwise stated by your school. For Fall, you will need to file the 2008-2009 FAFSA.

[jenjenyaj]

my school told me to fill out income verification form. on it, it ask how much my parent pay in 2007 for mortgage. i dont know where to find that, am i suppose to estimate? i only have a mortgage interest statement and it shows the total interest applied in 2007, should i just put that down? or is it suppose to be on that mortgage interest statement? if so where.

You can talk to your school and ask if they would like the exact figure or if an estimation is ok. You may want to ask your parents and see if they know how much they've paid.

ive recently been accepted to a school i know i will be attending, but so far i havent quite finished the financial aid process. i turned in my fafsa/css earlier on but they were based on estimates, and i have not sent in my IDOC yet. The school had a "deadline" on 4/1 for all financial aid information to be turned in, but the school also says that it isnt too late to apply for financial aid and if i havent done so, i should just do it as soon as possible. will i receive less money from the school because im turning this in late? or do schools generally disregard when i turn it all in?

Some schools do have deadlines. These deadlines are usually in place to give university/state aid to students who had completed all the requirements. Schools are limit in the amount of university/state aid, such as university grants. However, you can still receive federal aid, such as federal student loan and federal pell grant. In a sense, you may receive less money than what you would've originally got.

[CoCoGirl886]

I'm sorry if this has already been asked before... but under the student's finances, it says:

WB12. Money received, or paid on the student's behalf (e.g., bills), not reported elsewhere on this form.

Am I supposed to enter the value that i received from financial aid/scholarships last year? If not, am I supposed to include that information anywhere else on the form? Thanks!

[lemming]

yo

- Gift Aid (Scholarships and/or Grants) $15,366

UCSD Net Cost $8,650

it said the Preliminary Award Notification (PAN) is subject to change after review of documents and such

my efc is 0, single parent making 11,700, about 65k? in savings account

will my net cost go down?

[christine101]

i already got a estimated financial package but they said that im up for verification and i have to submit documents and such. if my parents own a house, will the amount of money i get for financial aid drop? what if my parent owe money for the house...how much does the net worth of the house have to be for the amount of financial aid not to drop? they want to know the market value of the house, how do i know how much is my house worth? do i estimate?

[je_amourx]

I've summited my application online with a PIN a week now. I've checked the status and it says Processed, how long does it take and I still have to wait for my school's respond as well?

[sgwannabe]

TO inamorata.<3: actually, I think you're missing material. It says to go to FINANCIAL AID/MISSING DOCUMENT

They probably didn't receive something, so haven't been able to update you on your aid.

[jenjenyaj]

I'm sorry if this has already been asked before... but under the student's finances, it says:

WB12. Money received, or paid on the student's behalf (e.g., bills), not reported elsewhere on this form.

Am I supposed to enter the value that i received from financial aid/scholarships last year? If not, am I supposed to include that information anywhere else on the form? Thanks!

You do no need to report your financial aid on that worksheet. The only place you would report financial aid or scholarship is in Worksheet C, but only if you reported that amount to the IRS when you've filed taxes. If you did not file taxes or did not report it to the IRS, you do not need to report the amount you received in financial aid.

yo

- Gift Aid (Scholarships and/or Grants) $15,366

UCSD Net Cost $8,650

it said the Preliminary Award Notification (PAN) is subject to change after review of documents and such

my efc is 0, single parent making 11,700, about 65k? in savings account

will my net cost go down?

I believe net cost is the cost of attendence. If it is, it's the cost of tuition (registration fees) for the year. So your net cost will remain the same because you can't reduce tuition fees.

i already got a estimated financial package but they said that im up for verification and i have to submit documents and such. if my parents own a house, will the amount of money i get for financial aid drop? what if my parent owe money for the house...how much does the net worth of the house have to be for the amount of financial aid not to drop? they want to know the market value of the house, how do i know how much is my house worth? do i estimate?

After verification, your financial aid can change. Your parents' primary resident will not count as asset. However, if they own more than one house, meaning another house aside from the house they reside in, that house will count as asset. Some colleges may ask that you take the net worth of the house and subtract the debt. You will have to contact your financial aid office. There is no specific amount that I can tell you that will keep your financial aid from dropping. You can estimate or you can find the value. There's this website that you may want to check out: http://www.zillow.com

I've summited my application online with a PIN a week now. I've checked the status and it says Processed, how long does it take and I still have to wait for my school's respond as well?

It depends on the school. Some school upload FAFSA daily, some weekly. You may want to double check with the school you are applying to in order to see if they've upload your FAFSA into their system. You will need to check with your school to see if there are any other requirements that they still need to complete your file.

TO inamorata.<3: actually, I think you're missing material. It says to go to FINANCIAL AID/MISSING DOCUMENT

They probably didn't receive something, so haven't been able to update you on your aid.

Ok. So I took another closer look at the screen shot. If you look to the left, under FILE STATUS, it says your file is complete. So there shouldn't be anything left to turn in. If it evers says that your file is incomplete, you should look under the MISSING DOCUMENTS tab to find out what you need to submit. Under OFFICIAL LETTER STATUS/DATE, it says that a financial aid award notification was mailed to you. You should get either an official award letter or a preliminary award letter. If you receive an official award letter, you can accept those awards. You may want to click on OFFER LETTER tab under the FINANCIAL AID tab to see if there's an award letter offer, and see if it will allow you to acept your awards online. Award summary should show you what awards you have accepted and maybe those that you have declined. My best advice to you is to click around and check out the different tabs to familiarize yourself with them. If you planning to go to this school, you will need to know what each tab is for.

[lilangelstar]

hi, I'm really confused with the financial aid process.i have already applied and met the deadlines for the FAFSA and the HESC tap (NY residents). However, on the financial aid award letter pell grants and everything is estimated... When can I know the real numbers?

[LUX.]

hi and thank you for all of your help!

I applied for financial aid at my university late, and had to rush to get all of my things together. I mailed then to my college, and I checked online to view my award info., since it hadn't been mailed to me in an official letter from the financial aid office. I found that I only received $4880 from them, and am rather disappointed. It says I'm receiving $1750 from Fed Direct Sub Stafford Loan and $690 from Federal Work Study per semester. Does this mean I was awarded nothing from the school itself, and only qualified for government funds?

My family isn't rich or anything. My parents are divorced. I live w/ my mom, and my mom and dad's combined income is approximately $60k. My stepdad, however, makes quite a bit of money, but the thing is, he isn't paying for my college. My mom isn't either. My mom and dad have an agreement that he'd pay for my college since she and my stepdad paid for my education up until now. My dad makes just under $30k, so, do you know why it is that I received so little?

If I explain to them that only my dad is responsible for college, would they change my package. Or, will they always take into consideration my stepdad's income as well?

[RiA]

hi i have a question about cal grants...

i'm currently attending a community college and filed my fafsa for this school year. i didn't know that my school automatically sent my verified gpa to cal grant,,,so basically i had unknowingly turned in an application. but then again i received a letter and got turned down for any awards (score below cut-off, it might've been a competitive award). anyway i'm planning to transfer to ucla this coming fall. i've already submitted my fafsa, and the ucla financial aid office has already sent me an estimate of the award package they're offering. they listed cal grant a there plus the amount. i've just made an account online at csac (cal grant) and saw that my community college has already sent my verified gpa. my application status says application awaiting processing.

my question is, how long does it take for them to process my application? also, will the awards for all the universities i listed in my fafsa come up once they've finished processing my application,,,or should i fill out some change of school form? sorry i'm just really confused. i just want to make sure that i do receive the cal grant a that ucla listed on my award package before i confirm my intent to register.