UCLA Financial Aid Office !

In order to apply for any of the awards described below you will need to complete a FAFSA Application. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Scholarships administered by the Financial Aid Office are awarded to students based on academic merit and financial need.

Scholarship eligibility is highly competitive and is determined by evaluating the academic data provided by the Undergraduate Admissions Office and Registrar's office, financial data obtained from the FAFSA, and additional academic documentation, as required. For specific scholarship information, please go to: Scholarships homepage.

GRANTS

Awarded to "on-time" undergraduate applicants who are citizens or eligible non-citizens. Awards are based on financial need.

Cal Grant A: assists low- and middle-income students with tuition/fee costs. Awards are based on need and grade point average. If you qualify for a Cal Grant A and you choose to attend a California community college first, you can reserve your award for up to two years until you transfer to a tuition/fee charging college.

Cal Grant B: assists low-income and disadvantaged students with living expenses, books, supplies, and transportation costs. First year recipients’ Cal Grant B award may also cover registration fee cost. Renewal Cal Grant B recipients will receive registration fee assistance. New awards are limited to students who have completed no more than one full-time semester/two full-time quarters/16 semester units of part- time study or the equivalent.

Federally funded awards to undergraduates who are citizens or eligible non-citizens. Awards are based on financial need, and range from $100 to $4,000. Preference is given to Pell Grant and Cal Grant recipients.

Federal Pell Grant

Based on exceptional need, are awarded to undergraduate students who are citizens or eligible non-citizens, and who have not earned a Bachelor’s degree. Students who file the FAFSA are automatically considered for Pell Grants. Pell Grant eligibility is determined by the federal Government and the award amount depends on your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and whether you are enrolled full-time or below. (BACK TO TOP)

ACG/SMART Grants

Academic Competitiveness Grants, Section 401A of the “Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005” establishes a grant program for students who have concentrated in math/science or a foreign language critical to U.S. national security.

Grants for first or second year undergraduate students are called “Academic Competitiveness Grants”. Grants for third or fourth year undergraduate students are called “National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant”.

Eligibility Requirements and Grant Amounts:

1st academic year undergraduate:

Recipients must:

Be full-time students
Be U.S. citizens
Be eligible and qualify for federal Pell Grants
Must have completed a rigorous secondary school program after January 1, 2006
Was not enrolled as a regular student in an ACG-eligible program while still in high school
Is in their first academic year of undergraduate study

Grant amount up to $750 for the academic year.

2nd academic year undergraduate:

Recipients must:

Be full-time students
Be U.S. citizens
Be eligible and qualify for federal Pell Grants
Must have completed a rigorous secondary school program after January 1, 2005
Completed their first academic year of undergraduate study and is in the second academic year
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the conclusion of the first year of undergraduate education.

Grant amount: Up to $1,300 for the academic year.

3rd or 4th academic year undergraduate:

Recipients must:

Be full-time students
Be U.S. citizens
Be eligible and qualify for federal Pell Grants
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the coursework for their major.

Be pursuing a major in physical, life, or computer sciences; mathematics, technology, engineering (as determined by the secretary of Education pursuant to regulations), or foreign language as determined by the Secretary and Director of National Intelligence as critical to U.S. national security National SMART Grants – Fields of Study. Click here to see UCLA SMART GRANT MAJOR CODE LIST.

Grant amount: Up to $4,000 for the academic year.

Additional Rules:

The grant amount, in combination with the student's Federal Pell Grant assistance and remaining financial aid, may not exceed the cost of attendance.

Grants will not be awarded to any students for an academic year for which the student received credit before the date of enactment.

You may only receive one award at each grade level.

Definition of Rigorous Programs of Study:

Because many states do not yet offer formally recognized rigorous programs of study, and to ensure that private school students, home-schooled students and students enrolled overseas are eligible, the Secretary of Education will recognize four options for eligibility. They are:

Advanced or Honors programs.
State Scholars Initiative Requirements
Course requirements similar to State Scholars Initiative
Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and scores.

These guidelines will define rigorous secondary school programs of study for academic years 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Click here to read important ACG & SMART Grant Updates and Major Codes.

The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) is intended to stimulate and promote part-time student employment, particularly students from low-income families, who are in need of earnings from such employment to pursue courses of study at institutions of higher education. The federal government pays a portion of the students' wage and the employer pays the balance. The federal government allocates funds annually to the UCLA Financial Aid Office for this purpose. Through the Federal Work-Study Program, students engage in work for the University, governmental agencies, or for public and private non-profit organizations as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Students employed through the Federal Work-Study Program not only provide essential services to the University and to the community, but also have the opportunity to secure positions, which may relate to their educational objectives, or enable them to gain valuable work experience.

Available to U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. The loan limit is $4,000 per academic year for undergraduate students and $6,000 for graduate and professional students. The actual award amount may be less based on annual funding and UCLA’s institutional awarding policy. The loan interest rate is 5 percent. Loan repayment and interest accrual begin either six or nine months after graduation or less than half-time enrollment.

The Federal Stafford Loan Program consists of low-interest subsidized and unsubsidized loans financed by participating banks and other lending institutions. Loans are available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. The interest rate is fixed at 6.8% for loans borrowed on/after July 1, 2006. Loan repayment begins six months after graduation or dropping below half-time enrollment.

Awarded to students with demonstrated need. Interest is paid by the government until six months after you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment status.

Loans available to all students regardless of income. Interest accrues from the date of disbursement, but the extra costs of accrual can be avoided by making regular interest payments while in school.

Federal PLUS Loans are designed to help graduate students and parents (or legal guardians) of undergraduate students meet their educational costs. Graduate students and parents may borrow up to cost of education for the academic year, less any other financial aid received. PLUS loans are available only to borrowers who do not have adverse credit histories. The interest rate is fixed at 8.5% for loans borrowed on/after July 1, 2006. Parent PLUS repayment begins 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed. Graduate students do not enter repayment while enrolled at least half time.

If you have been offered a PLUS Loan and would like more information regarding the terms and the application process, go to: Parent PLUS Guide or Graduate PLUS Guide).

Available to students who have received the maximum award amounts under the Federal Family Education Loan Program and require additional funding. These loans are sponsored by banks and private lending institutions. The Interest rates and repayment schedules vary. These loans must be certified by the Financial Aid Office before funds can be disbursed.

To find out more information regarding the terms and the application process for private loans go to: Private Loans Guide.
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