UCLA MSW Fall 2016 Applicant

[Anna9019]

1 hour ago, anony2888 said:

@RCtheSS: They offered a $10,000 scholarship pro-rated over two years for the MSW and no funding at all for the MPH, so my cash price would be $99K tuition before living expenses. I have not attempted to negotiate for more because I do not have excellent numbers or research to cite. They would have to give me at least $30K more in order for me to feel comfortable with the cost and that's extremely unlikely.

Congrats to all of you on your hard-earned successes!

There are different loan repayment plans. Plus with MSW you will most likely be working in the public sector and in ten years you can ask for the loan forgiveness. 

[lizlizliz]

Finally received the official decision letter from the grad committee. Is the deadline to accept the same for everybody? I haven't received info from the department. 

 

Thanks

[Anna9019]

46 minutes ago, lizlizliz said:

Finally received the official decision letter from the grad committee. Is the deadline to accept the same for everybody? I haven't received info from the department. 

 

Thanks

Yeeey congratulations!!! You received the call last Thursday if I remember right?  Omg I am so anxious now because we received it the same day. You received it in your mail or email? 

[lizlizliz]

10 hours ago, Anna9019 said:

Yeeey congratulations!!! You received the call last Thursday if I remember right?  Omg I am so anxious now because we received it the same day. You received it in your mail or email? 

Yes I received the call last week! I checked it randomly on the appstatus link and received an email this morning at 2 am. It's headed your way soon.

Edited March 16, 2016 by lizlizliz

[kala94]

Hi everyone! I've been creepily stalking this thread to ease my anxiety because I felt like it took forever for me to hear back so I decided to finally make an account. I finally got my acceptance letter yesterday! I'm just concerned about the money aspect. Did anyone get any info about scholarships or ever get an email from the Department? Or has anyone had any luck with calling Financial Aid?? USC sent me Scholarship info the same day so I'm just nervous I wasn't offered anything. Thanks   

[Anna9019]

Omg I just got my email too. I am officially a Bruin. I am so excited!  This forum has been the best support group!

 

[RCtheSS]

5 hours ago, kala94 said:

Hi everyone! I've been creepily stalking this thread to ease my anxiety because I felt like it took forever for me to hear back so I decided to finally make an account. I finally got my acceptance letter yesterday! I'm just concerned about the money aspect. Did anyone get any info about scholarships or ever get an email from the Department? Or has anyone had any luck with calling Financial Aid?? USC sent me Scholarship info the same day so I'm just nervous I wasn't offered anything. Thanks   

Per the email sent from Tiffany Bonner:

Fellowships & Financial Aid:  All fellowship awardees have been notified by the UCLA Fellowship Office. If you were not awarded a fellowship, you will have the opportunity to apply for a continuing-student fellowship at the end of your first year in the program, and the department will send other fellowship opportunities as they come along.   You should check the searchable UCLA Graduate Division extramural fellowship database.  (Department Stipend applications will be sent in March).

Financial aid packages (loans, etc) are sent via the UCLA Financial Aid office, generally in the month July. If you have not yet applied for need-based aid by submitting the FAFSA, I would recommend that you do so immediately!  The FAFSA can be found at http://fafsa.ed.gov/.  All students who are eligible for aid via the FAFSA are given some need-based funding toward the professional fees (the average annual award is $2000 but amounts vary based on your calculated need as determined by FAFSA)

[kala94]

32 minutes ago, RCtheSS said:

Per the email sent from Tiffany Bonner:

Fellowships & Financial Aid:  All fellowship awardees have been notified by the UCLA Fellowship Office. If you were not awarded a fellowship, you will have the opportunity to apply for a continuing-student fellowship at the end of your first year in the program, and the department will send other fellowship opportunities as they come along.   You should check the searchable UCLA Graduate Division extramural fellowship database.  (Department Stipend applications will be sent in March).

Financial aid packages (loans, etc) are sent via the UCLA Financial Aid office, generally in the month July. If you have not yet applied for need-based aid by submitting the FAFSA, I would recommend that you do so immediately!  The FAFSA can be found at http://fafsa.ed.gov/.  All students who are eligible for aid via the FAFSA are given some need-based funding toward the professional fees (the average annual award is $2000 but amounts vary based on your calculated need as determined by FAFSA)

I just got that email too haha answered my question. Thanks! 

[Lorie]

2 hours ago, kala94 said:

I just got that email too haha answered my question. Thanks! 

I got that email finally today. average award 2000. Ugh!  I am sure we can do better in second year once we are in the system. 

[kala94]

2 hours ago, Lorie said:

I got that email finally today. average award 2000. Ugh!  I am sure we can do better in second year once we are in the system. 

Yeah that's what I was thinking because it talked about getting fellowships during the year and for the next year. Also it talked about department stipends being sent out in March? That may be something to look forward to

[Lorie]

5 hours ago, kala94 said:

Yeah that's what I was thinking because it talked about getting fellowships during the year and for the next year. Also it talked about department stipends being sent out in March? That may be something to look forward to

I think they might be referring to the DCFS CalSWEC And UCCF stipends if you are willing to intern for 2 years and commit 2 years after you graduate.  I believe they are around $18,500 per year, maybe more as these are undergrad numbers I know of.  All the other internship stipends (Department on Mental Health & Gerontology) are only for year 2     I checked out the scholarship database for a while today, I couldn't find anything that I qualified for at all.  It sure is looking like loans, loans, loans!!!  

[kel.le]

Tiffany is giving me an unclear answer regarding the fellowship. I emailed her asking whether I was granted or denied the fellowship because I did not get any notification saying I did or did not and mentioned a situation that may have disqualified me from the fellowship. She said I was judged fairly but did not say whether I got the fellowship or not. I asked her if I did not receive notification then does that mean I did not get the fellowship? She hasn't responded and I'm confused. Is this common knowledge that if you don't receive a fellowship then you don't get an email saying you don't get it?? 

[Lorie]

6 hours ago, kel.le said:

Tiffany is giving me an unclear answer regarding the fellowship. I emailed her asking whether I was granted or denied the fellowship because I did not get any notification saying I did or did not and mentioned a situation that may have disqualified me from the fellowship. She said I was judged fairly but did not say whether I got the fellowship or not. I asked her if I did not receive notification then does that mean I did not get the fellowship? She hasn't responded and I'm confused. Is this common knowledge that if you don't receive a fellowship then you don't get an email saying you don't get it?? 

I feel like the admissions letter I got was saying if I had received a fellowship or scholarship I would already know by now.  kala94 posted the wording above and I had the same wording in mine.  I feel like there was only 1 or 2 fellowships.  I know one of the members of this board got the diversity fellowship and, if I remember correctly, there was only one of this type and maybe one other one??  I was secretly hoping the department would be picking some top students to help out...but it sounds like not.

[MrsKozee]

Ask for more money!!! 

[MargaretSG]

@kel.le Tiffany told me that all awardees for fellowships were already notified. She said that if any aid becomes available (someone declines their offer) they will reassess and may send out more notifications. It sounds like if we had gotten a fellowship we would know, but we can also apply for funding next year.

[Yeseniadmunoz]

I just got admitted to UCLA! I got my email from the dept. of graduate education, checked the link and it showed I was admitted. The next day, I saw an official letter from the dept. of Social Welfare in my mail. Good luck everyone!! 

[Lorie]

9 hours ago, Yeseniadmunoz said:

I just got admitted to UCLA! I got my email from the dept. of graduate education, checked the link and it showed I was admitted. The next day, I saw an official letter from the dept. of Social Welfare in my mail. Good luck everyone!! 

Congrats!!!

[kel.le]

@Lorie @MargaretSG hmmmmm thanks for the information. Wahh I'm sad and now I don't know what school to go to. My friend was able to get funding from UCLA his second year (for engineering though). I am hesitant on accepting my offer because I feel like it is difficult to get funding and what not. 

Does anyone know how to negotiate finances? The email mentioned that we would get around 2000 in gift aid and considering the cost of tuition at UCLA is 22K, it would be cheaper for me (tuition wise) to go to school at U of Chicago because of the scholarship. Is anyone else deciding between schools and can offer some advice? I'm not too familiar with the cost of living in Chicago, but IDK. This is so difficult!

[MrsKozee]

Hey everyone; provisional  financial aid award letters are going out... I completed my fafsa application the last week of February..... I just received my email....

[RCtheSS]

I received my PAL as well. Nothing but loans, no mention of work-study awards.

[Lorie]

1 hour ago, RCtheSS said:

I received my PAL as well. Nothing but loans, no mention of work-study awards.

Same for me.  That was depressing . $43K in tuition and living expenses.  We offer you.......$43K in loans.   Looks like Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness plan is in my 10 year future

Edited March 19, 2016 by Lorie

[lizlizliz]

9 hours ago, Lorie said:

Same for me.  That was depressing . $43K in tuition and living expenses.  We offer you.......$43K in loans.   Looks like Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness plan is in my 10 year future

It's very unfortunate! I also received the same PAL. $43K......To whom would I direct my requests for more funding? 

Applied, Accepted, Rejected 

University of Washington MSW

UCLA MSW

University of Chicago Illinois MSW

SDSU MSW

UT Austin MSW/MPAff

[MargaretSG]

@RCtheSS @Lorie @lizlizliz

I was thinking the same thing looking at my letter last night! However, it sounds like they wont add in the work study, 2k scholarships etc., until we get our "official aid package" in July. Does that sound right? From my understanding this was just showing that our FAFSA was approved and that we're eligible for loans...which isn't very encouraging, but at least it's something. Let me know if you guys hear differently!

Does anyone know about how challenging it is to work a part time job as a full time MSW student? I've heard people say that it's hard to do, but I'm curious about what that means. I worked numerous jobs all through undergrad while taking a full course load, and the idea of having a small source of income that doesn't come with interest sounds really nice! Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[MrsKozee]

Hey everyone; the provisional  financial aid award letters went out do not reflect any scholarship or fellowship information.... I believe we have to wait longer for the graduate division that offered is the award to update financial aid. I called them this morning, the gentleman emailed me the fellowship contract.... 

I would just call and explain that your scholarship offers are not reflected in the provisional award email, and would like to know if you missed something? 

310-825- 1025

 

[Lorie]

13 hours ago, MargaretSG said:

@RCtheSS @Lorie @lizlizliz

I was thinking the same thing looking at my letter last night! However, it sounds like they wont add in the work study, 2k scholarships etc., until we get our "official aid package" in July. Does that sound right? From my understanding this was just showing that our FAFSA was approved and that we're eligible for loans...which isn't very encouraging, but at least it's something. Let me know if you guys hear differently!

Does anyone know about how challenging it is to work a part time job as a full time MSW student? I've heard people say that it's hard to do, but I'm curious about what that means. I worked numerous jobs all through undergrad while taking a full course load, and the idea of having a small source of income that doesn't come with interest sounds really nice! Any info would be greatly appreciated!

How do we get the 2000 scholarship?  I saw hardly nothing in the list I was qualified to apply for. I wanted to apply for a research assistant position but Fooks told me because of internship that is not an option.