UCLA Disadvantaged Status

[Rhiana]

Any one else doing the disadvantaged applicant secondary for UCLA. It asks for a lot of stuff about parent income that I don't think is necessaily appropriate. The problem for me is that neither of my parents make much money but my step parents do. I always get ****ed on financial aid because they count step parent income even though my parents got married to my step parents after I was grown. I find all this so frustrating.
I'm thinking of leaving all the parent income blank or writting N/A. Anyone else doing anything similar.

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[gower]

If you do not answer the questions as asked, you will get nothing. Your opinion on the suitability of the questions may be valid to you, but will cut no ice with the people making the decisions. So fill it out if you wish and curse them under your breath. Meanwhile, be prudent, bite the bullet, and start looking into other sources of financial aid, including the commonest: self-aid, namely, taking out loans.

 

[lady in red]

you are generally not disadvantaged unless your whole family is disadvantaged, e.g. mom and dad did not graduate high school, you were born under a bridge, homelss, you have 5 siblings, you had hard time completing high school b/c taking care of them, so on. the struggling college student thing does NOT cut it. if you grew up in a preppy neighborhood of Santa Cruz and your mom and dad won't pay for your college b/c they don't feel like it this is not considered disadvantaged. there is such thing as financial aid, unless you are a struggling immigrant. my advice is do not use this unless you have a really good reason to. it will make you look bad if you "scramble" to catch every opportunity to gain an edge in admissions. Even if you are a minority applicant, that does not mean you are disadvantaged unless there were economic reasons why you should be.
I think the point in having this status, is that admissions are looking for a "self-made man"--one who had to overcome difficulties on their own, and did so despite the economic restraints.

 

[lady in red]

Rhiana, as far as income goes, you should list it, esp if your parents are American and live here. my parents aren't so i can only try to convert their income to dollars. i think if you put N/A they will aks why. so be careful; they are looking for any oppoirtunity to reject people, not to accept them--just makes their job easier.
good luck
PS my previous post was not meant to be harsh/confrontational;

 

[lilninja]

I have heard from current med students that the schools require income tax returns for all parents, whether or not they are actually providing for you. I have a friend who has been independent for years (older applicant), yet the schools still wanted forms for his folks. As far as they are concerned, you can be estranged from your family, but they still expect to include them in calculations of financial aid. It stinks, I know, but oh well. We will all have to hope for more subsidized loans!

 

[none]

It's simple. They get to decide who they think is disadvantaged. You can explain why you think you are disadvantaged in an essay, but you MUST fill out their application in full if you wish to be considered at all, as false as it may make your application look initially.

 

[Rhiana]

I know I have to put some information but I'm wording if there is any way to cut out my step parents income from my parents. Neither one of them went to college. One is on disability, the other works in hazardous materials(a hot field right now)
If I could just seperate their incomes I would feel better. I still don't know how I'm going to ask them for their asset information. It feels like I'm a kid asking inappropriate questions.

 

[lady in red]

definitely say that one is on disability and the high school/college thing too. if they know that, no matter how much your parents make, it won't hurt you.