Hey guys, I'm stressing about college costs. I reside in California and want to stay nearby for college. So, I've been looking at in-state schools. Any suggestions on which California colleges offer generous financial aid packages or scholarships?
In California, some of the most generous colleges when it comes to financial aid are the University of California schools and Stanford.
The University of California (UC) system, including the nine campuses (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz), has a robust financial aid program. For California residents specifically, UC's Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan covers your systemwide tuition and fees if your family earns less than $80,000 per year and you qualify for financial aid.
Stanford University has a very generous financial aid program. In fact, for students whose parents' combined annual income is less than $150,000, and typical assets, Stanford will expect no tuition payment.
Private schools such as the University of Southern California (USC) also tend to offer substantial financial aid, often meeting full demonstrated need for students.
Another option is to look into Cal Grants, which are state-funded monetary grants given to students who are attending college in California. Cal Grants are not affiliated with a particular school but can be applied to most schools in California, including both CSUs and UCs.
Remember, even if the sticker price is high, many students do not end up paying that amount due to a combination of federal, state, and institutional aid. The net price you pay could be significantly lower, so I recommend using each college's net price calculator to get a more accurate estimate of how much you could expect to pay.
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