housing... no point in going for cheaper option? what about outside scholarships?

Colleges & Universities University of California - Los Angeles
1

<p>Firstly, my “ePal” is the Regents scholar award notification page, which shows no loans, just grants, and no student contribution. My parents’ contribution (net) is 24889, which was the efc from my fafsa.</p>

<p>I wanted to save them some money and I applied for the cheaper housing and my housing will be around $12000 this year (freshman). This is $1000 cheaper than the housing cost included in the standard budget in the $30000 (forgot exact number) that is the total cost of attendance for in state. </p>

<p>I contacted FAO and they vaguely tell me that even if I chose cheaper option, things will be adjusted so that my parents still need to pay 24889 anyway. They tell me we may not have to take out as much in loans. My parents are planning on having no loans at all and I still! don’t understand why we don’t save money.</p>

<p>Can someone tell me if I am understanding them incorrectly? Shouldn’t we only have to pay $23889 now? </p>

<p>Also, I won $2500 through national merit scholarship (the final award given from NMS themselves) and I asked FAO about this and they say we STILL WILL END UP PAYING $24889 since all our needs were met through grants and they will only reduce our grants so we basically get no help from NMS???!!!?!!</p>

<p>Anyone have any idea how I can seriously get this $2500 scholarship that I earned and use it to ease our financial burden for college costs? My parents are nowhere near rich and we are extremely worried…</p>

2

<p>With that EFC they’re obviously SOMEWHERE near rich. </p>

<p>Here’s what your situation is. You are already getting more aid than you would if you were not a Regents Scholar. As a result, any money you receive will go towards paying down the extra grant money before it reduces your parent contribution. Only once you have paid down the extra grants will they reduce your parent contribution.</p>

<p>As far as cheaper housing, what will happen is probably that your parents will just end up having to pay less money towards housing then they would have had to before.</p>