UC Counselor Conference 2011
Financing a UC Education:
Tips for Families
Purpose of Financial Aid
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 Provides access to education beyond
high school
 Provides choice among a variety of educational
opportunities
If you’re ready to attend, money
shouldn’t stand in your way.
In-State Price of UC
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Status
Total Price
On Campus
$31,200
Off Campus
$28,400
Commuter
$23,400
Sample UC Financing Plan
Cost = $31,200
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Family
Income
Total GRANT
PARENT
Contribution
STUDENT
$20,000
$21,800
$0
$9,400
$40,000
$20,600
$1,200
$9,400
$60,000
$16,700
$5,100
$9,400
$80,000
$12,200
$9,600
$9,400
$100,000
$1,900
$19,900
$9,400
Independent
> $20,000
$20,200
$0
$11,000
(work + loans)
Typical GRANT Awards
for on-time applicants eligible for federal, state, and UC aid
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Total Family Income
Grant Award
$20,000
Up to $21,800
$20,000 to $40,000
Up to $20,600
$40,000 to $60,000
Up to $17,600
$60,000 to $80,000
Up to $12,200
$80,000 to $100,000
Up to $1,900
Independent > $20,000
+ $20,200
Student Share
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Status
Contribution
Dependent
$9,400
Independent
$11,000
 About half from student loans
 The other half from student employment/savings
Every Needy Student Should Expect to Both
Borrow and Work
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 UC will expect each student to work and borrow
for the first $9,400 or $11,000

No matter what the FAFSA determines is the “Expected Family
Contribution” (EFC) or the Student Contribution (SC)
Parents Must Contribute
According To Their Ability To Do So
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 Each family will be expected to pay the Parent
Contribution (PC) as determined by the FAFSA
(including revisions to the FAFSA calculation that
result from verification)
Parent Share
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Family Income
Contribution
$20,000
$0
$40,000
$1,200
$60,000
$1,500
$80,000
$9,600
$100,000
$19,900
Independent Student
> $20,000
$0
Blue and Gold Plan
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No tuition paid out of pocket from student or family.
 California resident with total family income under
$80,000 per year
 4 years of undergraduate study only
 Apply on time for financial aid
 Demonstrate financial need
 Comply with all verification requests on time
 No special application
 No special mention on financial aid award
Scholarships for AB 540 Students
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New CA law (AB 130) allows all AB 540 students
to be considered for limited private scholarships
at public institutions
 AB 130 affects only students eligible for AB540
 All AB 540 students may be considered for
scholarships derived from private gifts
 Students must apply on campus
 Students must qualify for scholarships based on
campus standards of merit and or need
New CA Law Restricts Renewal Cal Grants
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 Students awarded a Cal Grant as a freshman cannot
rely on being eligible for a renewal
 Each year CSAC will re-check family assets and
income
 Once eliminated from Cal Grant eligibility, students
cannot regain eligibility for Cal Grant
 At UC, the total grant for the lowest income students
will not decrease, even if Cal Grant is withdrawn
File a FAFSA
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 March 2, 2012 is still the CA deadline
 Ensure that GPA verification is sent to CSAC
– YOU NEED BOTH A FAFSA and the GPA
VERIFICATION!
 Don’t wait to file 2011 taxes to file FAFSA
 Estimate 2011 dollars and update later, after
submitting FAFSA
More on Filing a FAFSA
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 Use IRS data retrieval tool to speed processing and
reduce required documentation requests
 Copies of Income Tax returns will no longer be
acceptable – actual IRS tax transcripts will be
required
 Respond to all requests for additional
documentation right away
 Check email and web frequently for financial
aid information from UC
File a FAFSA - JUST IN CASE
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 Family income and other circumstances change
unexpectedly
 FAFSA data can be updated at any time during the
year, so filing by March 2nd 2012 is an INSURANCE
PLAN!
 Nearly all U.S. citizens and permanent residents can
borrow from the federal student loan programs,
irrespective of income or credit rating
 Eligibility for many scholarships and grants requires
on-time FAFSA filing
Federal Student Loans
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 Still, despite interest rate increases to 6.8%, the best




bet for most undergraduates
Most flexible repayment options
Public service cancellation for IBR repayers
Cancellation for death and disability
25-year automatic cancellation for low-income
repayers
Borrowing Among UC Students
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 UC students typically borrow amounts ($16,800 in
2010-11) that result in monthly repayments for 10year terms of around $200 per month – this is very
affordable given starting salaries of UC graduates!
 About half of all UC undergraduates borrow at some
point while enrolled at UC
 Students whose parents fail to contribute what is
expected of them based on their FAFSA-recognized
income will have to borrow more to make up for
their missing parent contribution
More on Borrowing
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 Interest rates on most federal student loans during
2012-13 will be 6.8% fixed
 Subsidized federal student loans will remain
available to undergraduates, despite the increase in
interest rates on these loans – cost of funds will not
be charged to borrower while enrolled at least half
time or during grace period
 The Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR) limits
monthly repayment amounts to no more than 15% of
each borrower’s net disposable income
Bring Down Your Costs by…
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 Finishing in four years
 Take required courses as soon as possible.
 Complete 15 units per term–that’s full time!
 Attend summer school (aid is available!).
 Obtaining outside scholarships
 Living with roommates
 Working part time
 Buying used books when possible
 Using your student status to obtain discounts!
Finishing in Four
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UC freshmen are taking 4.3 years to graduate
UC transfers are taking 2.3 years to graduate
 UC students can usually get the classes they need to
graduate – PLAN AHEAD!
 Take critical coursework before electives.
 Attend summer session at least one summer.
Undocumented Students
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 Those who have attended and graduated from a
California high school may be eligible for AB 540 and
do not have to pay non-resident tuition;
 High-achieving AB 540-eligible students may qualify
for campus scholarships (inquire on campus where
you enroll)
 All other undocumented students will be charged
non-resident tuition and will be ineligible for any
state, federal, or institutional financial aid
Veterans Education Benefits – part 1
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 Veterans should inform the campus right away once
they decide where they are going to enroll in order to
benefit from special veterans’ services
 The VA will no longer pay Post 9/11 tuition and fee
benefits for otherwise eligible veterans who receive
tuition-and-fee-specific awards from other sources
(e.g., Cal Grants or UC tuition or fee waivers associated
with Research Assistantships, for example.)
 California veterans with full eligibility for Post 9/11 VA
education benefits will have all their tuition and fees
paid at CA public institutions and up to $17,500 paid
at independent colleges
Veteran’s Education Benefits – Part 2
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 The VA will no longer pay “interval” BAH payments,
so veterans will not receive full BAH amounts during
breaks between semesters or quarters, whenever
they occur in the official institutional calendar.
 All veterans are encouraged to file a FAFSA and to
avail themselves of all other types of financial aid
and scholarships
Veteran’s Education Benefits – Part 3
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 For veterans who remain “fully-eligible” for Post
9/11 GI Bill education benefits, the VA will now pay
all the tuition and fees charged to veterans who are
residents of this state
Non-residents
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 Students who are determined to be non-residents
of California by UC’s residency standards will be
charged an additional non-resident supplemental
tuition of $22,878 per year
Campus Financial Aid Calculators
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http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/
paying-for-uc/financial-aid/index.html
Campus Financial Aid Resources
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 UC Berkeley
(510) 642-6442
students.berkeley.edu/finaid
 UC Davis
(530) 752-2390
financialaid.ucdavis.edu
 UC Irvine
(949) 824-8262
www.ofas.uci.edu
 UCLA
(310) 206-0400
www.fao.ucla.edu
 UC Merced
(209) 228-4243
financialaid.ucmerced.edu
 UC Riverside
(951) 827-3878
www.finaid.ucr.edu
 UC San Diego
(858) 534-4480
fao.ucsd.edu
 UC Santa Barbara
(805) 893-2432
www.finaid.ucsb.edu
 UC Santa Cruz
(831) 459-2963
www2.ucsc.edu/fin-aid
For More Information
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 General Questions
to U.S. Dept. of Ed. and
FAFSA Processing
Issues:
1-800-433-3243
www.ed.gov
 FEDERAL PIN
for Electronic FAFSA:
www.pin.ed.gov
 Electronic FAFSA :
www.fafsa.ed.gov
 California Student Aid
Commission (CSAC):
www.csac.ca.gov
 Cal Grant Information
1-888-224-7268
 UC Online Admissions
Application
www.universityofcaliforni
a.edu/apply