Financial Aid Reflection

Federal Financial Aid: What are the different types of federal financial aid available to students?
How do you apply for federal financial aid? What benefits do students receive from this type of
financial aid?

There are many benefits to federal financial aid including no requirements for a credit score
or co-signer, fixed interest rates, and lower interest rates than private loans. You can apply
for this through the FAFSA website. Work study and student loans are available to new
students.

State Financial Aid: What are the different types of state aid available to students? How do you
apply for state financial aid? What benefits do students receive from this type of financial aid?

There are three different types of Cal Grants one may earn. Your eligibility will be based on
your FAFSA application. You do not have to pay back these grants which are beneficial to
broke college students. This money usually will help pay for fees such as books and supplies.

School Specific Financial Aid: Which schools did you research? Describe one grant or
scholarship that is offered at each school. What benefits do students receive from this type
of financial aid?

At UCLA, there is a Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan scholarship that may be awarded to
those whose family income is at a certain level or below, and shows signs of financial need.

At UCSB, they offer a middle class scholarship to students with family incomes of up to
$191,000.

Private Scholarships: Describe two scholarships that you found interesting during your
research. What are the benefits of using this type of aid to fund your education?

There is a no essay $2,000 scholarship sweepstakes which you can apply to at niche.com

There is the National Merit Scholarship where they give scholarships based on PSAT scores.

These types of scholarships are beneficial because you do not have to pay them back - free
money!

Military Financial Aid: Do you or your family plan to or have served in the military? If so,
describe at least one military financial aid program that is available to you? What benefits do
students receive from this type of financial aid?

No one in my family has served in the military nor do any of us plan to.
Personal Financial Aid Plan: After reviewing the different types of financial aid available to
students, what plan do you have for covering the costs of post-secondary education? Write a
paragraph that summarizes the total cost you expect to pay for post-secondary education, the
sources of aid you plan to use to cover these costs, and when and how you plan to apply for
each program. You may also need to consider alternate sources of income such as a college
fund or savings plan that has already been set aside.

I plan to pay for community college by myself and through student loans. When I transfer to
a university, I plan to take out student loans. THe cost of attendance for undergrad for a year
at UCLA will be about $36,000 including room and board and other expenses. Since I plan to
attend UCLA for two years, it will be $72,000 in tuition for my undergrad degree. As for
dental school, the cost of attendance for four years will be $295,900. I hope to earn
scholarships to help with the tuition. My plan is to cut costs in other areas throughout the
years and start saving now to help pay some of the costs.