Financial Aid

Who Is Eligible For Financial Aid?

Students Who Are Eligible:

• Are U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, permanent residents, refugees, asylees, other eligible noncitizens, and other non-immigrant students who meet the provisions of AB 540.  (See AB 130/131 California Dream Act).    
• Are enrolled at least half-time
• Are in an undergraduate or graduate program that leads to a degree or certificate
• Are not in default on a federal educational loan and do not owe a refund on a federal grant
• Are making satisfactory academic progress
• Demonstrate financial need (except for the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students PLUS Loan and some scholarship programs)
  
  For Federal aid funds, in addition:
• Have a valid Social Security number
• If male, are registered with the Selective Service

  Students Who Are Not Eligible:

• International students who are in the country temporarily
• Other categories of non-immigrant students
• Students on Limited or Special Status
• Graduate students with no degree objective (An exception is available for students admitted on Limited Status who are required to take prerequisite coursework prior to full admission into the Graduate Division. If you fall into this category, please submit documentation from the Graduate Admissions Office confirming that you are taking prerequisite coursework for graduate admission.)
• Students who take classes through University Extension only
• Undergraduate students who have been enrolled for the equivalent of 18 quarters or longer

Students studying for a second baccalaureate degree are eligible for one or two years (depending on the terms of their admission) of limited funding from loan programs only.

Students who do not meet the eligibility criteria above may qualify for alternative loan programs and some scholarships.

The information you provide on the FAFSA is used to determine your financial aid eligibility. If your family has experienced a significant loss in income you may be eligible to request a re-evaluation of your financial aid eligibility. You must have submitted a FAFSA in order to request a re-evaluation of your eligibility. To request a re-evaluation of your financial aid eligibility, carefully follow the instructions and complete the Parent Change of Income form (dependent students) or the Student Change of Income form (independent students). If your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is 0, please contact the Financial Aid Office before completing this form.

Important dates and other deadlines for financial aid applicants

You must submit your application by March 2, 2012, to avoid becoming ineligible for most awards, including Cal Grant and UCR financial aid. The federal student aid deadline of June 30, 2013, (or the last day of UCR's academic year) on the FAFSA on the Web, is the final deadline for federal financial aid only. UCR accepts financial aid applications year-round; however, funding for late applicants is very limited and may include loan funds only. Therefore, it is crucial that you meet the March 2, 2012, filing deadline. If you have not filed 2011 federal income tax forms, you should estimate your income so that you can meet this March 2 deadline. When you later receive your Student Aid Report from the Federal Processor, you may update and correct any estimated information.

UCR must have your correct and completed application information by your last day of enrollment in the 2011-12 school year in order for you to qualify for federal financial aid. If you anticipate being enrolled for only one or two quarters during 2011-12, please submit your application four to six weeks prior to the end of your last quarter of attendance.

Accept your financial aid awards on GROWL

Notification of financial aid offers are sent to all eligible students beginning in spring. If you have been admitted to attend UCR, you will receive notification on MyUCR when your financial aid awards are available to accept or decline online on GROWL. Your financial aid offer details the types and amounts of financial aid that you are eligible to receive. Your online financial aid offer will include information regarding your cost of attendance, your expected family contribution, and the quarterly award amounts of the funds that have been awarded to you.

Accept your awards on GROWL soon after you receive notification. If you are a new borrower at UCR and accept any student loans, you will also need to submit promissory notes and complete loan entrance counseling online before your loan awards can be disbursed.

• New Stafford loan borrowers complete promissory notes and entrance counseling online at www.studentloans.gov
• Perkins loan borrowers complete promissory notes online at
  https://www.acs-education.com/CS/Jsp/cpsesign/welcome.jsp
  
• Loan entrance counseling is available at the Student Business Services website.

Correspondence will be sent to your MyUCR and/or R'Mail account via e-mail year-round, so be sure to check your account regularly. Don't lose out on financial aid because you're not reading your R'Mail!

If there are any changes in your expected housing plans or enrollment status, or if you will be receiving any other resources (such as outside scholarships, assistance from the Graduate Division, Veterans benefits, etc.), be sure to mark these changes on the financial aid revision page on GROWL.