Summer Vibes & Support Just for You!

Welcome to the Summertime or is it the Summer Session edition of the FASO Newsletter! While the temperature heats up we're here to help you keep your cool when it comes to Financial Aid preparedness for your Summer classes and beyond. In this issue, we're going to provide some updates about Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), Summer Workshops, and Summer Aid deadlines.

Before we dive in, we want to acknowledge the upcoming Juneteenth holiday and how that history impacts where we are today. We in the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office are constantly working toward an equitable experience for our students and confront racial injustice where we see it. As we continue in our journey to improve the student experience for those who have historically been  left out of the conversation, we look toward continually learning from our students, understanding your hardships, and from there build upon the ways we can increase the level of service we provide you during your time with us.

As we continue to learn from history, we strive to be a space for positive change and hope you will continue to partner with us to make this wonderful Berkeley experience even better for those who come next.
We're here to support you as you breeze through your Summer courses and hope you also squeeze in some crunch time-- the on the beach with ice kind and preferably not in the books. Yes, we Bears gotta stay cool too!


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. 

New for Summer 2025 – Financial Aid Compliance Requirement 
Every university that receives financial aid is required to ensure that all students are participating in their courses at the start of the term, including summer, via a reading assignment on Academic Integrity. For all summer courses and programs at UC Berkeley that start before July 18, you will receive an email with a link to complete the assignment. You can also access your assignment directly from surveys.berkeley.edu. Be sure to verify participation in each of your courses by completing the assignment by July 18, 2025. This assignment is needed to meet federal requirements and is required for all students, regardless of their financial aid status, since their status can change throughout the year.
 

Set up Direct Deposit
Get your money faster with direct deposit into the U.S. bank of your choice. Need a paper refund check? Checks are mailed to your local address, so be sure it’s up to date in CalCentral.
 

2025-26 Verification Priority Deadline
Students attending Berkeley starting in fall 2025 have until Monday, June 30th to complete their verification requirements to ensure funding by the start of the fall term. Get a jump start on your 2025-26 verification process today!
 

Have Health Insurance?  The 2025-26 Waiver Period is Open! 
All registered students are required to have health insurance. Registered UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). If you have health insurance, and do not need the plan offered by the University, you can submit a waiver. The Fall 2025 waiver period ends July 15, 2025. Waivers must be received by July 15, 2025 to avoid a late fee of $75. Waivers received between July 16, 2025 and August 15, 2025 are subject to a $75 late fee. No waivers will be accepted after the August 15th deadline.
 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Financial aid regulations require that students meet specific Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to maintain eligibility for financial aid. Your academic record will be reviewed at the end of each Spring semester to determine if you are meeting SAP. This will determine whether or not you are eligible for financial aid in the following Summer, Fall and Spring semesters.

What this means for you 
If you are not meeting SAP after we evaluate progress at the end of Spring 2025, your eligibility for financial aid for Summer and beyond will be put on hold. 

• Please note: Summer financial aid is awarded and disbursed before Spring grades are made available. If Summer aid is disbursed to you, and you are later determined to not meet SAP after Spring grades, your Summer aid will be cancelled, and a SAP Appeal will be made available for you.
• If you are currently following an approved SAP Appeal, Summer aid will not be disbursed until after Spring grades are posted and progress is evaluated.

• Summer 2025: Friday, June 27, 2025
• Fall 2025: Friday, September 19, 2025
• Spring 2026: Friday, February 13, 2026