From: Zachnorn | #052
I hate you. Question, though: Do you live on campus? I don't, so I am thinking that the financial aid systems assumes that my parents would pay everything else for me. That said, I did get money for living expenses at community college. Also, I am in California, if that matters.
When I look at my financial calculations they assume I'm spending money like an idiot. They attribute money for tuition, fees, living expenses, books and supplies, and then "other expenses." Tuition and fees are fixed, so the amounts allotted for those is fine but...
They allow $1200 for books and supplies. Between relying on libraries for copies, buying books online / from other students, and flat out not using the book for some courses I usually get away with spending at most $100 a semester. That's an extra $1k.
They allot $10k for living expenses. That's $833 per month. I'm in a modest apartment where I'm paying around $400 for rent/utilities, and food isn't a whole lot more. Saying I spend about $500/mo on room/board, that's an extra $4k, though I understand some others might not get as good of a deal with their apartment as I did.
I don't even know what "other expenses" is, but apparently they come to $2.5k.
It seems like they're giving out $7.5k more than is really necessary. For my situation anyway.
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No amount of planning will ever replace dumb luck.