# Uber free degree education with ASU lie.



## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


----------



## June132017 (Jun 13, 2017)

What's FAFSA? Sounds like Uber is lying once again.


----------



## Rog’O Datto (Jul 30, 2019)

June132017 said:


> What's FAFSA? Sounds like Uber is lying once again.


Federal Application for Student Aid


----------



## WinterFlower (Jul 15, 2019)

Ozzyoz said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


Uber is lying????? Are you serious?????


----------



## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

WinterFlower said:


> Uber is lying????? Are you serious?????


Yes lol, I became Gold and went through ASU web registration, and guess what? ASU wanted me to do FAFSA. So that tells me Uber isn't paying for the online degree like it said it would. Basically Uber wants me to remain Gold so I can apply to some online University and apply for FAFSA just like a regular person in the US would that doesn't drive Uber. https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/uber-pro/education/

Uber says "Get 100% tuition". FAFSA looks at your parents income and may or may not cover you. Uber lies again.


----------



## Rog’O Datto (Jul 30, 2019)

Did you go through with FAFSA? It often doesn’t fully cover tuition. I’m not eligible for FAFSA anymore (I took too long to complete my degree because of health problems). I will try this when I hit the required number of rides and see what happens. BUT...Applying for FAFSA is S.O.P for applying to a university. May have nothing to do with Uber. Just something that’s expected of you.


----------



## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

Ozzyoz said:


> Yes lol, I became Gold and went through ASU web registration, and guess what? ASU wanted me to do FAFSA. So that tells me Uber isn't paying for the online degree like it said it would. Basically Uber wants me to remain Gold so I can apply to some online University and apply for FAFSA just like a regular person in the US would that doesn't drive Uber. https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/uber-pro/education/
> 
> Uber says "Get 100% tuition". FAFSA looks at your parents income and may or may not cover you. Uber lies again.


You can actually, the fafsa is part of the enrollment process but not the tuition Uber pays.

"If you choose to pursue an undergraduate degree through ASU Online, you will be required to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the enrollment process. This is not an application for a student loan or a reimbursement - this is an application that can show whether you qualify for federal grants and scholarships that are considered free gift aid and do not require repayment. If you complete FAFSA and find that you qualify for student loans, you can use them to pay for the additional fees not covered such as textbooks, taxes and other supplies (approximately $650 per semester)."


----------



## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

Rog'O Datto said:


> Did you go through with FAFSA? It often doesn't fully cover tuition. I'm not eligible for FAFSA anymore (I took too long to complete my degree because of health problems). I will try this when I hit the required number of rides and see what happens. BUT...Applying for FAFSA is S.O.P for applying to a university. May have nothing to do with Uber. Just something that's expected of you.


No it is not expected to apply for FAFSA if another party or family or Uber pays 100% of your tuition. So Uber is straight lying, a person can become a student without applying for FAFSA if they have cash or other means to pay.


----------



## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Anything FAFSA doesn’t cover is a income credit for taxes.


----------



## Don'tchasethesurge (Dec 27, 2016)

Most school regardless of whether you are paying or not require you to fill fafsa... I hate uber but not sure on this one.


I work at higher ed and various colleges across the country. They do ask for fafsa application regardless if you have someone paying.


----------



## Ptuberdriver (Dec 2, 2018)

ASU is trying to cover their behinds. Your applying for FASFA because what happens if you go get started in your semester and you go below gold status? Now the school is on the hook for the rest of the semester payment, because Uber won't pay your tuition if you fall behind on your status. Because you applied for student aid the school can say "as an alternative to dropping get student loans".

The other reason to fill out for FASFA for Uber and ASU is because of the Pell Grant and other scholarships you can qualify for to off set the "100% tuition"


----------



## Brunch (Nov 4, 2016)

You always have to read the fine print on any offer given to you. This is true with any offer, not just from Uber. It's not saying you have to qualify for FASFA, you just have to apply for it.


----------



## Rog’O Datto (Jul 30, 2019)

Ozzyoz said:


> No it is not expected to apply for FAFSA if another party or family or Uber pays 100% of your tuition. So Uber is straight lying, a person can become a student without applying for FAFSA if they have cash or other means to pay.


Actually, it pretty much is. I'm practically a "professional student" I've changed my major/school so many times.


----------



## DrivingSkeptic (Jun 28, 2018)

Ozzyoz said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


When I looked at it, it said that Uber would pay for tuition not covered by grants and scholarships. So if you fill out your FAFSA and get a $1500 Pell grant Uber will cover the rest assuming you're at least gold and have completed 3000 trips from what I understand


----------



## Überall (Aug 4, 2019)

Actually, I think it's more that Uber is trying to save money. Saying that Uber would pay any tuition after grants etc sounds less "benevolent" than saying they will pay 100% of your tuition. Although there really wouldn't be a difference to you monetarily, it allows uber to save money. I don't mind this but Uber should really be up front about it. Sigh.


----------



## DrivingSkeptic (Jun 28, 2018)

Überall said:


> Actually, I think it's more that Uber is trying to save money. Saying that Uber would pay any tuition after grants etc sounds less "benevolent" than saying they will pay 100% of your tuition. Although there really wouldn't be a difference to you monetarily, it allows uber to save money. I don't mind this but Uber should really be up front about it. Sigh.


OMG this is standard practice and it makes perfect sense. If you had saved say $40,000 to pay your kids tuition you would still want them to apply for federal aid to see if they get any free money from the government.


----------



## Überall (Aug 4, 2019)

DrivingSkeptic said:


> OMG this is standard practice and it makes perfect sense. If you had saved say $40,000 to pay your kids tuition you would still want them to apply for federal aid to see if they get any free money from the government.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that other companies don't do the same and I don't think that Uber did anything morally objectionable per se regarding this particular issue in the "free tuition" offer. I stated a preference that they be up front about it. I'm not saying that it's a lie.

Edit to add : I won't save anything... My kids aren't interested in studying "entrepreneurhip" at an on-line school.


----------



## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

When this first came out I immediately thought it was disingenuous. They are just going to pay for any costs above FAFSA which is required for them to consider paying for you. They take the credit and in most cases someone else pays.

I'm not going thru the whole FAFSA explanation but after putting 4 kids thru college I am exactly familiar with how it works. Once you apply you will get either a Grant or LOAN guarantee entirely depending on your income level. Anyone, including a millionaire qualifies for the minimum loan amount of approx 5k per year (freshmen) with it going up each year. So essentially they will pay NOTHING if you enroll in community college because the entire cost will be FAFSA paid, even if its YOU taking out a LOAN.

However, FAFSA gives you nothing if you take less than 12 credits so if you just take a class or two Uber will be on the hook. It will also take you forever at that rate to get a degree and is probably impossible to to get Deactivated, quit, or lose Gold status for long enough to actually earn a degree.


----------



## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

Fasfa isn’t free money often, it’s loans.

So I was granted 10k based on the university I’m attending but, it’s a loan—not free money. I used to get pell grants...

Isn’t Uber paying only whatever isn’t covered by grants aka free money? So you can turn down the loans but have Uber pay for the tuition?

It’s rare to get free money to go to college from fasfa these days...


----------



## UberTrent9 (Dec 11, 2018)

sellkatsell44 said:


> Fasfa isn't free money often, it's loans.
> 
> So I was granted 10k based on the university I'm attending but, it's a loan-not free money. I used to get pell grants...
> 
> ...


FAFSA is also pell grants(free money), which i used to put myself through college as recently as 2018(BA in Business Administration).

Yes it also means you may qualify for loans on top of any FREE pell grant monies.

Also, was told by 2 different schools that once you get pell grants once, you can get them for life, even if you have a degree already.


----------



## sellkatsell44 (Oct 25, 2015)

UberTrent9 said:


> FAFSA is also pell grants(free money), which i used to put myself through college as recently as 2018(BA in Business Administration).
> 
> Yes it also means you may qualify for loans on top of any FREE pell grant monies.
> 
> Also, was told by 2 different schools that once you get pell grants once, you can get them for life, even if you have a degree already.


Nope.

I got mine (was it b or c).

Things might have changed since.

As of now, I only qualify for student loans which I really don't want to take... since I can budget and just pay cash for my tuition.

I also don't know any classmates, nor my ex, that qualified for pell grant.. and he grew up in a rough neighborhood in LA... single parent then and now actually just him & sibling, mom passed away due to cancer... had stellar grades... actually got into an Ivy League college for his PhD.


----------



## DriverMark (Jan 22, 2018)

Probably should go back and read what exactly Uber said to start with. As it doesn't sound like it is what you think it is.

https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/uber-pro/education/

_Drivers who have achieved Gold, Platinum or Diamond status through the Uber Pro program in the U.S., and have completed 3,000 or more lifetime trips are eligible to receive full tuition coverage for online courses at Arizona State University (ASU)._​​_Qualifying drivers have the option to transfer this reward to an eligible family member, including a spouse or domestic partner, child or dependent, sibling, or parent or legal guardian._​
_This is *not* a student loan or a reimbursement; your tuition is fully covered, upfront, by Uber._​​_Qualified drivers or their eligible family members are responsible for paying for additional costs such as textbooks and annual taxes on the value of the tuition coverage. Taxes and textbook costs will vary based on the courses that you or your family member decides to participate in._​​_If you choose to pursue an undergraduate degree through ASU Online, you will be required to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the enrollment process. This is not an application for a student loan or a reimbursement - this is an application that can show whether you qualify for federal grants and scholarships that are considered free gift aid and do not require repayment. If you complete FAFSA and find that you qualify for student loans, you can use them to pay for the additional fees not covered such as textbooks and other supplies (approximately $650 per semester)._​


----------



## NotanEmployee (Apr 20, 2019)

Ozzyoz said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


yes, uber requires a fafsa application and pays whatever fafsa doesnt. and its only tuition....not books or supplies...and its only on programs that are 100% online.


----------



## Gandler (Jan 27, 2019)

Ozzyoz said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


I am not defending Uber. But, proof of FAFSA application is pretty standard for most scholarships. Even the military requires you to apply for FAFSA first.


----------



## Christina Green (Jan 27, 2019)

Ozzyoz said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


Oh wow.


----------



## clay3912 (May 9, 2021)

I'm going through ASU online and there was some money that uber took care of after the pell grant and summer grant. about $4000. Now the best thing about offsetting this 100% uber money is that Uber will write you a 1099 at the end of the year for any money that they pay to ASU. You are going to pay taxes on money that Uber gives you for college. So while it helps for Uber to cover anything that Fafsa doesn't cover it also means that you will still have to pay the government some money after all is said and done. Nothing is free. Remember that. However, paying a percentage to the government is a small sacrificed compared to taking out a subsidized loan or unsubsidized loan to pay off the rest of your courses. At least, you can plan to get yourself out of the hole at the end of the year rather trying to figure out how to climb out of 60k in debt at the end of 4 years.


----------



## BestInDaWest (Apr 8, 2021)

WinterFlower said:


> Uber is lying????? Are you serious?????


haha,only time they are lying is when they speak


----------



## FamilyMember (5 mo ago)

58756 said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


Hey there, I'm a family member receiving this benefit. So the process is this. You must apply for FAFSA grants but you do not need to take any loans. Even if you don't qualify for any grants, Uber still picks up the tab on your tuition and will pay for anything that isn't covered by grants. They just aren't going to pay for tuition that the government is already willing to for free. The only out of pocket that you will have for school is books and student fees. ASU also has a ton of scholarships as well. Pretty much depending on your dependency status, your awards could be more than the costs and they will direct deposit the rest of the money into your bank account. At the very least, you get free tuition, waived application fees, and you only have to pay for books, your sun card, and some materials fees.


----------



## FamilyMember (5 mo ago)

UberTrent9 said:


> FAFSA is also pell grants(free money), which i used to put myself through college as recently as 2018(BA in Business Administration).
> 
> Yes it also means you may qualify for loans on top of any FREE pell grant monies.
> 
> Also, was told by 2 different schools that once you get pell grants once, you can get them for life, even if you have a degree already.


Eventually you will run through all of that grant money. You can get up to 600% of the amount awarded though. My husband exhausted his grant money because he kept messing around and changing majors during his undergrad. If he had stayed on one path, he could have had money left for his masters. He has 2 master's and we paid cash for one of them and took a small loan for the other.


----------



## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

58756 said:


> Lol, I can't stop laughing. Uber said for drivers that remain Gold, that drive and a family member will get ASU degree paid by Uber. Now guess what happened when I applied to ASU and it logged in via my Uber account? it saw I was indeed Gold, but it started telling me to apply for FAFSA. So how is Uber paying for this if they want me to apply for FAFSA? Uber is forcing me to stay Gold and accept everyone just so I can apply for FAFSA?


First rule of Uber: You must read everything carefully including the fine print. 

With that said, is it worth anything? Folks have already explained that you do the FAFSA to see if there's any free money that can be applied and Uber makes up the rest. But, ... here's the issue.

ASU isn't cheap, you are getting this as a taxable benefit so you are going to be paying something like 20% of the tuition in taxes. 
How much money are you losing by being gold? I end up each quarter being blue with 2000 points, plenty in my area to be diamond BUT my AR is 30% and CR is 8%. I can only guess but I would probably make $15 an hour LESS if I maintained Pro AR and CR. That's easily $200 a week so are you getting ten grand worth of value?
Walking on eggshells: We all know how consistent Uber is and how in a blink of an eye you can be deactivated, rates cut, ... Now, you are stuck paying for ASU on your own. 
Would you be better off with a cheaper local alternative? Our community college is pretty good. 12 credits will cost you a grand including fees! I can do my first 2 years here then transfer to a 4 year college for 4K a semester. Basically, the extra money I'm making not being pro will pay my tuition at UNC or NC State.


----------

