SPRING INTO SUPPORT!
 

Go Bears!

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office is committed to equity and as such will take an active role in dismantling racism. In the coming weeks and months, we will engage our students, staff, campus colleagues, alumni and community partners in an analysis of our policies, practices, and service models to understand how they impact the student experience, especially for our Black students as well as students from underrepresented and marginalized communities. Together, we will identify actionable steps we can implement to improve the student experience. We are committed to increasing the cultural humility of our team by engaging in training on anti-Blackness, anti-racism, bias and microaggressions. 

Financial Aid Application Deadline Extended
The state priority deadline for financial aid in California has been extended to April 2, 2025. Complete your 2025-26 FAFSA or the CADAA to ensure you are considered for all sources of financial aid for which you are eligible. Review our FAFSA Completion Overview to find out what to expect when filing for federal aid.
 

Students of Mixed Status Families: Which aid application do I complete?
If you are a part of a mixed-status family, you are a student who is either a U.S. citizen or a Permanent Resident with undocumented family members. We understand that there have been recent concerns around data privacy and you may be considering the potential risks and benefits of completing the 2025–26 FAFSA. 

To address these concerns, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) has opened the 2025-26 CADAA (California Dream Act Application) for you and your family to complete as an alternative to the 2025-26 FAFSA. Students completing the CADAA will be considered for state aid, like the Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship, and UC-funded aid, but will not qualify for federal aid like the Federal Pell Grant and Federal student loans.  

Is your information protected?

• FAFSA filers: The Higher Education Act currently limits the use of FAFSA data to financial aid purposes and prohibits it from being used for immigration enforcement.
• CADAA filers: CSAC has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting student data, and assures students that information provided on the CADAA is not shared with federal immigration authorities.

• Yes. If you decide to complete a 2025-26 FAFSA after filing a 2025-26 CADAA, we will be able to consider your eligibility for federal financial aid.

• On the California Dream Act Application Changes page, we have listed some factors to consider when weighing the potential privacy risk of completing a FAFSA.
• Follow federal financial aid developments on the University of California’s Federal Updates page.
• The 2025–26 California Dream Act Application is open for students from mixed-status families who may have data privacy concerns or encounter challenges completing the 2025–26 FAFSA. 

Financial Aid Spring Webinar Series
Don’t miss our final two webinars of the semester! Learn more about financial aid for out-of-state students and transfer students. 

Register here for Costs, Financial Aid & Residency for Out-of-State Students
Register for Financial Aid 101 for Transfer Students

Visit the Financial Aid & Scholarships Outreach website for more information.


 

2025-26 Financial Aid Offers 
Continuing undergraduate and graduate students, who have completed a 2025-26 FAFSA or CADAA,  will begin to see financial aid offers beginning in early May.  If you have been selected for verification for the 2025-26, your offer will be conditional until your verification documents have been submitted and reviewed. We strongly encourage you to complete any requests for additional information as soon as possible. Please be sure to monitor CalCentral frequently.  
 

Spring Break Services
The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office and Cal Student Central will adjust student services and hours during spring break week from March 24th - 28th.  At least one CSC full-time staff member will be on-site to collect documents, provide emergency loan checks, etc. Students will still be able to submit cases via an online form. As a reminder, the University will be closed on Friday, March 28th to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day and honor the civil rights leader, labor activist and co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America.
 

Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request Priority Submission Deadline
The priority submission deadline to request a cost of attendance adjustment for the 2024-25 year is Friday, April 4, 2025. You can learn more about the process, including expenses typically considered for Cost of Attendance Adjustments as well as the maximum amounts allowed for each expense on the Cost of Attendance Adjustment page on our website.
 

Loan Acceptance Deadline
If you have loans that have not been accepted yet for spring term, the deadline to do so is Tuesday, April 30. Learn more on the Loans page of our website.
 

Summer Financial Aid Offers and Eligibility
Are you enrolling in a summer program? Financial aid offers for Summer Sessions will be available beginning around the end of March for students enrolled in least 6 units for summer. If you are not yet enrolled, a financial aid offer will be made to you once you are enrolled in 6 or more units across all sessions. You will receive an email when your offer is available.

The summer aid you are offered is determined by your aid application for 2024–25 (FAFSA or CADAA), which must be submitted by the deadline: Sunday, June 1. To maintain eligibility for your summer aid, you must enroll (and remain enrolled) in at least 6 units for summer.

To view additional eligibility criteria and learn more about the process, visit our Summer Aid page. To calculate an estimate of your financial aid for Summer Sessions, use the Summer 2025 Cost and Aid Estimator in CalCentral, under the Summer Sessions heading in the Financial Resources section. 



To access the Summer Cost and Aid Estimator, log in to CalCentral and navigate to My Finances > Financial Resources section > Summer Sessions (bottom right of screen). Click on the Estimator and enter your enrollment information for summer, including number of units enrolled.