Tuition Discrepency?

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 12:16pm

Ok so I was on the Cal State San Bernardino website and it says the quarterly fee is $1,349.50 making it $5398 annually. Here’s the link:

[Freshmen</a> & Undergraduate - Cost of Attending - Exploring - Freshmen - Admissions & Student Recruitment - CSUSB](<a href=“http://admissions.csusb.edu/freshmen/e_costs_freshmen.shtml]Freshmen”>http://admissions.csusb.edu/freshmen/e_costs_freshmen.shtml)

Then on another site it says the cost of attendance annually is $12,650 living with your parents. Link:

[CSU</a> | Student Academic Support | Campus Costs of Attendance for 2006-2007](<a href=“http://www.calstate.edu/SAS/fa_coa.shtml#sb]CSU”>http://www.calstate.edu/SAS/fa_coa.shtml#sb)

And I have a little brochure of the college at home and it says it is $3452.50 annually. Link:

<a href=“ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs”>ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs;

Can anyone tell me what’s wrong with this?

tocollege · January 27, 2009, 12:32pm

The “Cost of Attendance” is an estimated figure that includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, a tiny bit of spending money, and room/board (in your case, living with your parents - it still costs money to live!).

It is used for financial aid calculations and to help you and your parents budget for ALL the costs of going to college. The figure you have ($12,650) is from a few years ago. It will probably be closer to $14,000-$16,000 this year.

The official website figure for quarterly fees is probably the most accurate.

tocollege · January 27, 2009, 12:38pm

Oh! One other thing - schools on the quarter system typically have THREE quarters included in the normal school year (Fall, Winter, Spring) so your yearly fees would be $4,048.50. (And a total COA - Cost of Attendance - of $14,000-$16,000.) The summer quarter is typically not incuded in your financial aid. If you use your Cal Grant for summer quarter, it reduces your future Cal Grant eligibility.

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 12:41pm

Oh, I didn’t notice it was just listing the fees. Thanks.
So what exactly does room and board mean and how much would I have to pay if I’m living with my parents?

tocollege · January 27, 2009, 12:47pm

Hopefully your parents won’t charge you anything! The Cost of Attendance isn’t an amount you have to pay to the school - it is just an estimate of how much it will actually cost you to attend to figure out how much financial aid you may qualify for and to help with budgeting.

The school will bill you for the quarterly fees of about $4,000 (you mention in another post you will qualify for Cal Grant - the Cal Grant would pay your quarterly fees for the year). The room/board/books and expenses are things the school will not bill you for if you live with your parents. If your financial aid exceeds the amount the school bills, they will give you a check for the excess to use for your living expenses.

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 1:02pm

The excess meaning leftovers? I thought grants could only apply towards the school.

Edit: And also how would the Cal Grant be able to cover quarterly fees of $4000 when it’s about $3,048 per year because aren’t grants divided between terms throughout a school year?

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 1:29pm

Oh, haha, when you say quarterly fees of $4000, you’re saying the three quarters combined consist of $4000, right?

tocollege · January 27, 2009, 3:34pm

The Cal Grant A covers the system wide fees for the CSUs, which is somewhere between $3,500-$4,000 per year. [California</a> Student Aid Commission - Cal Grant A *](<a href=“http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=105]California”>http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=105) You are right, you would not get any of that in cash. There is another Cal Grant (B) [California</a> Student Aid Commission - Cal Grant B *](<a href=“http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=106]California”>http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=106) that IS paid to the student in cash for expenses (I don’t think you would get both - the Cal Grant people figure which one would be best for you based on your other aid like Pell grants.)

An aid package for an EFC of 0 would probably also include subsidized loans (Stafford and/or Perkins) of about $5,500 and work/study (a job, wages paid to you) of $2,000-$3,000.

Soooo… a possible package (EFC 0) MIGHT be something like…

Stafford/Perkins loan $5,500
Work/Study $3,000
Cal Grant/Pell $3,500
University grant $2,000 (some schools may “gap” this amount - they might offer a PLUS loan or nothing for that last $2,000.)
For a total $14,000 COA.

In that scenario, YOU would get your loan proceeds ($5,500), job wages ($3,000), and about $1,500 (in cash) of the university grant. The Cal Grant/Pell and University Grant would cover the tuition/fees. If they “gap” you the $2,000, you would not get that last $1,500 and would have to pay (out of your loan or job) about $500.

Hahaha! I hope this isn’t TOO confusing! Be sure to check the Cal Grant website, and maybe the financial aid forum here, I am just making guesses based on ONE year of experience applying for/receiving aid! Good luck!

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 7:06pm

Not confusing but wouldn’t a $14,000 COA be unnecessary if it’s only $4,000 and I’m going to be living with my parents? And why did you put the Cal and Pell Grants together? Aren’t they separate grants? I wouldn’t receive a Cal Grant B because it is for those who come from low income families and are economically disadvantaged unless that’s considered a 0 EFC.

tocollege · January 27, 2009, 8:14pm

You still cost your parents money to house you, so the colleges use an estimated figure for your living expenses - it benefits you, because then you qualify for financial aid to help with the expense of housing you.

I have no idea how the Pell grant is handled - I don’t have one of those - but now your question has been moved to the Fin aid forum where there are LOTS of experts who can help you. My sample package is just a very generic example of what someone with a 0 EFC and a COA of $14,000 might get. For good info in this forum, you should let the experts here know what your EFC is and if you qualify for a Pell grant.

kelsmom · January 27, 2009, 8:48pm

The only federal entitlement is the Pell grant - even if your COA is lower than the Pell awarded to you, you get to keep the whole amount. Most other grants (I don’t know anything about the Cal Grant, though) are adjusted so that the COA is not exceeded. But as you noticed, the COA is often more than your actual costs … particularly if you live at home with your parents & the commute doesn’t cost you much.

Let’s say the COA is 12,000. This includes a budget for average full time tuition, living expenses, transportation expenses, personal expenses, books, fees. You might only owe the school $6000. The financial aid package might include grants that total $7500, work study award that allows you to earn up to $2500, and a $2000 subsidized Stafford loan. After you awards are applied to your account, you would get $1500 back from your grants, you would still be able to earn up to $2500 in a work study job (earn as you go), and you could borrow up to $2000 if you want (but I encourage you to say no thanks to the loan if you don’t actually need it).

On the other hand, if the COA was $4000 and you got a Pell grant of $4600, you would only get $600 back. You wouldn’t be eligible for any more aid - but you WOULD get the $600 back (Pell can be received in excess of COA).

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 9:43pm

In your last sentence, what do you mean I wouldn’t be eligible for anymore aid?

kelsmom · January 27, 2009, 9:53pm

The total of all your aid cannot exceed your COA (except for Pell - which is the first amount awarded and CAN exceed COA).

If you get merit scholarships, you cannot get need based aid in an amount that - combined with the merit scholarships - exceeds the COA (again, with the exception of Pell). For example, if your need is 10000 & you get an 8000 scholarship, you can only get another 2000 in need based aid (although if it were a Pell for more than the 2000, you’d get the full amount of Pell). Sometimes people think their merit scholarships are “in addition to” their need based aid. They are not. Merit scholarships reduce need.

If a merit scholarship is more than your COA, you won’t be able to get any need based aid (again, except the wonderful Pell, if you qualify for it based on your EFC).

kelsmom · January 27, 2009, 10:02pm

I should point out … the Pell grant is awarded based on your EFC. You get a set amount based on your EFC regardless of the school’s cost. The Pell is an “entitlement” - meaning you get if even if you get a full ride scholarship to the school, as long as your EFC makes you Pell eligible. The only thing that will reduce a Pell is taking less than a full course load (in that case, it is prorated according to a schedule).

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 11:23pm

Hmm, ok, thanks for clarifying.

Neptun3 · January 27, 2009, 11:31pm

So lets say tutition is $4500, does it apply the Pell Grant first ($4000) and then the Cal Grant second for the remaining $500, therefore leaving me with no excess?

kelsmom · January 27, 2009, 11:42pm

I don’t know Cal Grant rules. If it pays tuition without regard to any other aid, you would get tuition and CG. However, it might be adjusted according to need. If so, someone from CA would have to speak to how that works.

Neptun3 · January 28, 2009, 1:31am

Oh sorry, in the previous posts tocollege mentioned the differences between the Cal grants. My question has been answered.

Neptun3 · January 28, 2009, 1:39am

Edit: double post

Tuition Discrepency?

CONNECT WITH US