Future Triton Parent and Family Insights Webinar

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

Purpose of the webinar

• Welcome and congratulations to families of admitted first-year students to UC San Diego.
• Provide practical insights and resources to help students transition and families plan for:
  • financial aid
  • affordability
  • housing
  • campus life
  • academics
  • outcomes
• The webinar is:
  • recorded (no live questions)
  • posted on UC San Diego’s Undergraduate Admissions YouTube playlist (link sent by email)

Financial Aid & Affordability: how to read UC’s College Financing Plan (CFP)

• The CFP is accessible through the student’s UC San Diego portal under:
  • Financial Aid → Estimated Financing Plan
• The CFP is an estimate, based on information such as:
  • FAFSA
  • DREAM Act application
  • Merit scholarships already awarded/considered
• CFPs are designed to be comparable across institutions because schools using the same document format provide similar components.

Key components to look for in the CFP

• Student Aid Index (SAI)
  • Produced from FAFSA/DREAM Act data
  • Used to estimate financial need
  • Lower SAI = higher financial need (noted as decreasing down to 500)
• Grants and scholarships
  • Includes merit aid (if any) and need-based grants
  • Examples mentioned: Cal Grants, institutional grants, and possibly a health insurance grant
• Middle Class Scholarship (MCS)
  • Not included in UC San Diego’s estimate for this year due to uncertainty/variables and the risk of being wrong
  • Clarified as only relevant to California residents
• External/internal scholarship application
  • UC San Diego does not require a separate application for merit scholarships; merit awards are tied to the admission application.
  • UC expects most (~99%) merit awards for the upcoming year have already been made.
  • Families should not expect additional scholarship opportunities that require extra forms.

External scholarships: recommended strategy

• Families are encouraged to actively pursue outside scholarships.
• Guidance emphasized:
  • Students’ “job” between now and graduation is to apply for outside scholarships
  • Don’t rely only on FAFSA/DREAM Act results or institutional aid
  • External funding can reduce the need for loans and/or work

The “bottom line” comparison: Estimated Net Price

• When comparing schools, focus on Estimated Net Price / Estimated Net Cost.
• Net price = total annual cost − grants/scholarships (“free money”)
• This figure represents what families may need to cover through:
  • borrowing (loans)
  • working
  • and/or outside scholarships
• Families are encouraged to use it to determine the “best deal” and what is affordable.

CFP completeness: who may or may not receive a CFP

• A CFP may be missing for students who:
  • did not file a FAFSA or DREAM Act application, and/or
  • did not receive any scholarship from UC
• If applicable, it’s not too late to file FAFSA (for California residents, state aid eligibility may differ).
• Common issues to check:
  • Ensure UC San Diego’s school code: 001317 is on the FAFSA
  • Ensure the admissions application includes required identifiers so aid links correctly:
    • Social Security number
    • matching name and date of birth

Planning beyond the first year (multi-year affordability)

• Financial aid requires renewal every year (opens in October), not a one-time action.
• Income changes can cause aid to change year-to-year.
• Merit scholarships are generally awarded up front at admission; no new merit scholarship selection is expected in later years (examples like Regent Scholarship / Triton Scholar discussed as up-front).
• Families should plan for:
  • whether and how much they might borrow
  • staying informed via UC resources such as a federal updates page
  • using UC’s net price calculator if FAFSA data is based on older income
• Outside scholarships remain important throughout planning.

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Housing & campus life: main concepts and advice

Housing availability and guarantee

• UC San Diego claims extensive housing capacity and states it is among the highest in beds nationally (with additional capacity expected in future buildings).
• A two-year housing guarantee is described.
• Key warning: students must meet the housing deadline (the office sets deadlines slightly after May 1).
  • If people say they didn’t get housing, it’s typically tied to missing deadlines.

College system and where students live

• UC San Diego’s college system links housing assignment primarily to the college the student joins.
• Colleges also connect to academic structure (e.g., writing-intensive pathways/classes are located near the student’s home community).
• Students have:
  • a “home base” (their college)
  • plus opportunities to interact across campus

Safety guidance

• General reassurance that the neighborhood is welcoming and generally safe.
• Still emphasizes realistic precautions:
  • don’t leave valuables (like laptops) unattended
  • use basic security steps (e.g., bicycle security)
• Crime reporting is described via the Clery Report, available in a standardized way across institutions.

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Academics & majors: main concepts

Second choice major / enrollment management logic

• UC may use a second choice major mechanism (or an alternative/undeclared arrangement) due to capacity limits for some popular majors.
• Students may be placed into a major category based on strength while managing enrollment demand.

Major switching: when and how it can happen

• Switching major options can be limited depending on timing:
  • Before accepting admission (up to May 1): switching options are more restricted
  • After accepting and completing steps like placement/orientation/registration: additional major options may open
• Some competitive majors (notably certain engineering majors) may require formal admission later—students can’t always switch directly into them immediately.

Class size reality

• UC uses a standard reporting approach (from the Common Data Set / CDS) to categorize section sizes.
• Reported takeaway: a large share of classes are 30 or fewer (with percentages provided in the talk).
• Student experience may vary by:
  • major
  • year
  • course type (large lecture “exploring” courses vs. smaller language/intensive writing courses)

Where to find standardized info

• Parents are encouraged to consult UC’s Common Data Set (and similarly structured reports at other universities) to compare class size and other metrics consistently.

Faculty and job outcomes / transparency

• UC system transparency is highlighted, especially via UC-wide resources for career outcomes.

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Job outcomes & career readiness: resources and encouragement

UC-wide career outcomes resource

• Mentioned UC Office of the President (UCOP) webpage and UC alumni career pathways.
• Families can filter to view employment situation data (example areas mentioned: one year after graduation, bachelor’s recipients, breakdowns by major/discipline categories).

Early career preparation advice

• Encourage students to begin planning for internships/research early (as early as freshman year), rather than waiting until senior year.
• Mentions the Undergraduate Research Hub and that students can pursue research/internships across disciplines.
• Recommends checking:
  • the Co-curricular Record (CCR) to document experiences beyond courses, supported by advisors.

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Deadlines and final wrap-up instructions (high priority)

May 1st deadline

• Students must make a decision by May 1.
• UC San Diego indicates it does not operate like some institutions that offer extra flexibility.
• UC may maintain a wait list based on student decisions and capacity.

Encouragement to provide feedback via a survey

• Even if students don’t choose UC San Diego, UC wants students to complete a survey.
• The survey asks:
  • why they chose UC San Diego
  • or why they did not
• Families are reminded that students should fill it out (incentives may exist).

Encouragement to update other schools

• Students should also update other admitted schools:
  • use portals to indicate they are not attending (e.g., select a “not coming” option)
• Purpose: helps other schools manage wait lists and enrollment planning.
• Note: students may delay due to emotional reluctance, but closure helps.

Upcoming opportunities

• Future webinars mentioned for April/May/June, with possible guest topics such as:
  • study abroad
  • teaching/learning commons
  • housing
• “Triton Days” described as a major campus open house with admissions/financial aid staff available to answer questions before and after.

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Speakers / sources featured (identified)

• Jim Rollins — Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management, UC San Diego (MC / webinar host)
• Dr. Sylvia Marquez — Executive Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, UC San Diego
• Griselda — Welcoming attendees and providing opening/housekeeping (appears to be co-host/presenting support)
• UC San Diego Undergraduate Admissions YouTube “Future Triton Parent and Family Insights” playlist (source for recorded webinar)
• FAFSA (referenced)
• DREAM Act application (referenced)
• UCOP (UC Office of the President) / UC alumni career pathways (source for job outcome transparency)
• Common Data Set (CDS) (source for class size reporting)
• Clery Report (source for campus safety/crime statistics)