Undergraduate Expenses and Financial Resources

Application Deadlines

Financial aid applications may be filed beginning on January 1 preceding the academic year in which you wish to enroll. The deadline for applications is March 2. If you are an entering or continuing student seeking financial assistance for fall, winter, or spring enrollment, you must file a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA no later than March 2 preceding the academic year for which you are requesting aid. The FAFSA is available in high school guidance and college financial aid offices throughout the country. Applications are also available on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The Renewal FAFSA will be accessible online beginning in January for the following academic year for most prior-year applicants. If your Renewal FAFSA is not accessible online, you will need to submit either a new electronic or paper FAFSA. Prior-year financial aid applicants can use their PINs to access and sign their Renewal FAFSAs on the web.

In many cases, the Financial Aid Office will need additional information from the applicant. These applicants will be sent instructions specifying the required documents (e.g., copies of student and parent tax returns). The deadline for these supporting documents is May 1.

Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed until those received on time have been processed. Late applicants will be considered on a funds-available basis.

The admission notification date is the financial aid application deadline for students seeking to transfer to UCSC during the winter quarter of the following academic year. The supporting documents must be submitted within three weeks of the date they are requested.

Freshman applications will be processed first, and every effort will be made to provide freshmen with an aid offer by May 1, provided all requested documentation is on file at UCSC by April 15. The earlier the FAFSA is submitted after January 1, the earlier you will receive an offer. All other applicants will be notified as applications are processed after that date. If you are applying for winter-quarter admission, you will receive notification of your award as soon as possible after you are admitted and your aid application file is complete.

Grants

The following grants are available to undergraduates. A FAFSA is required to determine eligibility. Priority deadlines apply.

The Cal Grant A program, open only to California residents, is expected to provide a maximum award of $6,141 in 2005-06 to help offset mandatory registration fees for the academic year. Students are selected on the basis of academic achievement and financial need.

The Cal Grant B program, designed for California students from low-income families, will provide an annual living stipend of $1,551 to first-time Cal Grant B recipients in 2005-06. Continuing Cal Grant B recipients will receive a grant to cover most fees ($6,141) in addition to the $1,551 living stipend.

All California residents seeking financial aid must apply for a Cal Grant by submitting a FAFSA by March 2 and listing a four-year California college in the information-release section of the FAFSA. New applicants for the Cal Grant must also file a GPA Verification form directly to the California Student Aid Commission by March 2.

Federal Pell Grants are expected to provide a maximum of $4,050 during 2005-06.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are available to students with substantial financial need. The grants range from $100 to $4,000.

University Grants are designed for students with substantial financial need. Funds for this grant program come in part from the educational fees paid quarterly by students at all campuses of the university. The average grant in 2004-05 was $4,337.