Money Monday: How UC Davis Students Should Play the Financial Aid Game.

The deadline for college financial aid responses is coming May 1st (for most people). Deciding if you can swing the finances to go to UC Davis this fall can be daunting.

The Wall Street Journal has some great advice for UC Davis students on How to Play The College Financial-Aid Game.

According to the WSJ:

Cost calculations

For most families, the number that matters most is how much they will have to spend out of their own pockets.

[edits]

In 2012, the U.S. Education Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a financial-aid “shopping sheet,” a template that the agencies recommended that schools adopt for aid letters.

The sheet calls for schools to provide the estimated cost of attendance, as well as the total for grants and scholarships. The net amount would give families a clear sense of how much they would have to pay. The sheet then includes payment options, such as loans—which have to be repaid—and work-study, where schools provide jobs to students.

Nearly 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities use the form, covering more than two-thirds of enrolled undergraduates, according to the Education Department. The generic form is available on the Education Department’s website.

One piece of the UC Davis Financial Aid puzzle will be relatively simple: With 14 communities, 188 floor plans at every price point, Tandem makes finding your Davis apartment easy. This great pricing variety is the reason why Tandem is the #1 provider of student housing options in Davis!