What Best Describes Your Situation?

Select the scenario that best describes your situation to review next steps in working with Financial Aid.

• Pathway 1: I reported that I am unaccompanied and experiencing or at risk of homelessness on my FAFSA or CADAA

  If you reported this information on your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA), UCR may need to confirm you circumstances before we can complete your financial aid.

  FAFSA students: You may see Comment Code 325 and related information on your FAFSA Submission Summary asking your school to verify your situation. 

  What happens when UCR receives my FAFSA or CADAA?

  UCR will add Student Requirement to the Financial Aid section of R'Web when we need additional information from you. The Student Forms Verification will include a link to our Student Forms website. You have two ways to complete the process:

  • I already have documentation: Follow the link from R'Web to Student Forms and upload your documentation. UCR Financial Aid will review it to determine whether it satisfies the requirement. 
  • I don't have documentation: That's okay. You do not need to obtain a letter or other documentation before contacting us. Schedule an appointment at the Highlander One-Stop Shop (HOSS). If your circumstances meet the federal definition of an unaccompanied student who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness, a UCR Financial Aid Administrator can document the determination based on your interview.

  Please don't delay contacting us because you don't have documentation. An interview with UCR may be used to make the required determination. 

   

• Pathway 2: My housing situation changed after I submitted my FAFSA or CADAA

  If you already completed your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) using parent information, but your housing or family circumstances have changed since you submitted your application, UCR Financial Aid can help you determine whether your financial aid application should now be updated.

   

  Meet with us First

  Start by contacting us rather than trying to change your FAFSA or CADAA on your own. Schedule an appointment with the Highlander One-Stop Shop (HOSS). We will talk with you about your current circumstances and help determine the appropriate next steps.

  Please contact us if you are no longer living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian and you:

  • Do not have a fixed, regular and adequate place to live; or 
  • Are supporting yourself and are at risk of losing your housing.

  You do not have to be living on the street or in a shelter to ask UCR for help. Housing instability can look different for every student. For example, you may be temporarily staying with friends or relatives because you have nowhere else to go, staying in emergency or transitional housing, living in a motel or hotel, or facing the loss of your current housing.

  If you have documentation about your housing circumstances, you may provide it. If you do not have documentation, you can still meet with us. A Financial Aid Administrator can make a determination based on a documented interview with you.

   

  Making Changes to your FAFSA/CADAA

  If UCR determines that you meet the requirements to be considered an unaccompanied student who is homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness, we will guide you through the process of updating your FAFSA or CADAA.

  If a change to your financial aid application is appropriate, follow our step-by-step guide below. It will walk you through the process of updating your application after speaking with UCR.

  UPDATING YOUR FAFSA/CADAA AFTER A UCR HOMELESS YOUTH DETERMINATION

  If you have questions while completing the steps in the guide, please contact the HOSS for assistance. Once the appropriate FAFSA or CADAA information has been updated and UCR receives the new application information, the Financial Aid Office will review your record and determine whether the change affects your financial aid eligibility. 

  Be sure to continue checking the Financial Aid section of R'Web and your UCR email for any additional requirements or information from our office. You do not have to navigate this process alone. If your circumstances have changed, contact us so we can help you determine the appropriate next step. 

• Path 3: I was referred to the Financial Aid Office by UCR Basic Needs, Case Management, or another campus partner

  If UCR Basic Needs or UCR Case Management has helped you because you are experiencing housing instability, your circumstances may also affect your financial aid.

  For example, you may have:

  • Received temporary or emergency housing assistance;
  • Been provided a motel or hotel voucher;
  • Stayed temporarily with friends, relatives, or others because you did not have another place to live;
  • Received assistance from a shelter, housing program, case manager, social worker, or other support program; or
  • Been referred to Financial Aid because you are at risk of losing your current housing.

  Receiving housing assistance does not automatically change your financial aid status. However, we encourage you to speak with us so we can determine whether your circumstances meet the financial aid definition of an unaccompanied student who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness.

  What should I do?

  Schedule an appointment at the Highlander One-Stop Shop (HOSS) and let the representative you check in with know you were referred because of your housing circumstances.

  During your appointment, we will talk with you about your current living situation and determine the appropriate next steps. If you have documentation from UCR Basic Needs, UCR Case Management, a community organization, shelter, housing program, or another professional who assisted you, you may provide it to us. If you do not have documentation, you can still meet with us. A UCR Financial Aid Administrator may be able to make a determination based on a documented interview with you.