The Office of Financial Aid

Federal, State and Institutional Grants 

• Federal Pell Grants

  The 2024–2025 Pell Grant is based on a student's enrollment intensity, which is the number of credits they are enrolled in during the term. The student's Pell Grant and disbursement amount will be calculated using this percentage value. The Pell Grant will no longer be adjusted based on enrollment status, such as full-time or half-time. The maximum Federal Pell Grant award for the 2024–2025 academic year is $7,395, and the minimum is 10% of the maximum. Some students may qualify for more than $7,395 in Pell Grants each year through Year-Round Pell if they attend Summer Sessions.

  Pell Grant Enrollment Intensity Chart

  Units	Intensity	Enrollment Status Equivalent
  12	100%	Full time
  11	92%	Three quarter time
  10	83%	Three quarter time
  9	75%	Three quarter time
  8	67%	Half time
  7	58%	Half time
  6	50%	Half time
  5	42%	Less than half time
  4	33%	Less than half time
  3	25%	Less than half time
  2	17%	Less than half time
  1	8%	Less than half time

  
  Learn more about Federal Pell Grants.

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

  SEOG is a need-based grant funded by the federal government, ranging from $100 to $4,000 per academic year. Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time. SEOG is awarded to qualified undergraduate students with no prior baccalaureate degrees who have exceptional financial need. First priority is given to students with the lowest expected family contributions.

  Learn more about the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity (FSEOG) Grant.

• Teach Grant

  The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides grants up to $4,000 to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
   

  The maximum annual award amount is established by Congress, and may be subject to change.

  In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must be a highly-qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area for at least four years at a school serving low-income students.

  You must complete the four years of teaching within eight years of finishing the program for which you received the grant.

  You incur a four-year teaching obligation for each educational program for which you received TEACH Grant funds, although you may work off multiple four-year obligations simultaneously under certain circumstances. Read the TEACH Grant Fact sheet.
   
  UCR Teach Grant Eligibility Requirements

  You must:

  • Complete the FAFSA or Dream Act Application.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  • Be enrolled as a graduate or post-baccalaureate teaching credential student in UCR’s Graduate School of Education Master of Education (M.Ed.) program or teaching credential program.
  • Be enrolled as an upperclassman (junior or senior) student in the UCR Ca-TEACH SMI program who has successfully completed EDUC 003 or EDUC 004. All other programs are ineligible.
  • Be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework. Such coursework may include subject area courses (e.g., math courses for a student who intends to be a math teacher).
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 throughout the academic year.
  • Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve.

  M.Ed. and teaching credential students should contact the Graduate School of Education (GSOE) for eligibility determination.

  Students will be notified by the Financial Aid Office if they are eligible to receive the TEACH Grant. Once you’ve been offered the TEACH Grant, you may accept and/or decline the award via Growl.

  Remember:
  Failure to complete the teaching obligation, respond to requests for information, or properly document your teaching service will cause the TEACH Grant to be permanently converted to a loan with interest. Once a grant is converted to a loan it can’t be converted back to a grant!

  
  Learn more about the TEACH GRANT

• Cal Grants

   

  These renewable awards are offered by the State of California to residents of California who are U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens. CSAC determines eligibility for the following grants based on academic achievement and financial need. Students must meet GPA requirements and family income and asset requirements. Renewal awards are based on continued financial eligibility and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

  The award amounts are set by the state government and are subject to change at any time. Recipients must be U.S. Citizens, eligible non-citizens, or meet AB540 eligibility criteria.

  Part-time awards are prorated for less than full-time enrollment as follows:

  3/4 time	9 to 11.5 units (75% of Cal Grant
  1/2 time	6 to 8.5 units (50% of Cal Grant)
  Less than 1/2 time	1 to 5.5 units (NO Cal Grant)

  
  Check your Cal Grant award eligibility and/or report changes to the California Student Aid Commission.

  To apply for Cal Grants, you must submit a GPA verification form with your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. 

  Cal Grant A
  Available to entering and continuing students who are enrolled at least half time, Cal Grant A is awarded based on financial need and GPA. Awards cover system-wide fees and range from $100 to $12,630 per academic year.

  Cal Grant B*
  Cal Grant B is initially awarded to very low-income students who are enrolled at least half-time. First-year awards are usually limited to non-fee costs: subsistence stipends for books, supplies and living expenses. A Cal Grant B award may also cover system-wide fees when renewed. Awards range from $100 to $14,302 per academic year. 
   
  Cal Grant Transfer Entitlement Award 
  The Cal Grant Transfer Entitlement Award is available to eligible students enrolled at least half-time who graduate from a California high school, enroll in a community college in the spring, and then transfer to a qualifying California institution that offers a bachelor’s degree for the subsequent fall term.

  Cal Grant Transfer Entitlement awards are based on financial need and GPA. Award amounts are the same as the Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B programs.

  Transfer applicants must complete a Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant Certification Form (Form G-6) through the California Student Aid Commission to receive this award. This form is usually available mid-March of each academic year.

  Cal Grant A or B* Teaching Credential Program Grant 
  This grant is available to renewal Cal Grant A and B recipients who are enrolled at least half-time in an approved professional teacher preparation program and within 15 months of the end of the last term in which they received an undergraduate Cal Grant award.

  Awards cover system-wide fees and range from $100 to $12,630 for renewal Cal Grant A recipients and $14,302 for renewal Cal Grant B recipients per academic year. Teaching Credential students must complete a "Request for Cal Grant Teaching Credential Program Benefits" Form G-44 through the California Student Aid Commission to receive this award.

  * Your Access Grant (formerly called Cal Grant B Stipend) will be automatically applied to your student account balance. You have the option to have your award refunded to you and not applied to your account balance; to request this, you must email the request to the Student Business Services office at sbsofc@ucr.edu and direct that your Cal Grant B Access award NOT be applied to your balance (if any) in your student account and that the entire amount be paid directly to you.  If you elect this payment option, you are responsible for any unpaid bills in your student billing account that your Cal Grant B Access award would otherwise have reduced or cleared. Conversion to a direct payment is a manual process that will only affect awards after you make the request.  A request for conversion from an automatic payments to a direct payment  must be requested  no later than 21 days prior to the start of the next term.

  
  Learn more about Cal Grants. 

   

• The California Chafee Grant

  The California Chafee Grant is available to qualified foster youth and former foster youth for college courses or vocational school training. Award amounts range up to $5,000 per academic year. Chafee Grant applicants must complete a FAFSA and a California Chafee Grant Program application.

  
  Learn about the Chafee Grant.

• UCR Grant

  UCR Grants are a form of need-based financial aid that do not need to be repaid.

  Nonresident and international students are ineligible for UCR Grants. AB540 students are considered California residents for need-based grant awarding purposes.

• USHIP Grant

  USHIP Grant may be awarded to California residents who filed the FAFSA/California Dream Act Application by the priority deadline. This grant is used to cover USHIP (Health Insurance Fees) only. Awards will cover the full or partial cost of USHIP depending on your financial need.

  Nonresident and international students are ineligible for USHIP Grants.

• Parenting Student Grant

  Undergraduate students who have dependent children under the age of 18 will be awarded additional grant funds to supplement their financial aid resources. Awarding priority is given to Pell eligible students with dependents. 

  Nonresident and international students are ineligible for Student Parenting Grants.

• Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship

  Under this scholarship, a Pell-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while performing as a public safety officer is eligible to receive a maximum Pell Grant for the award year for which the determination of eligibility is made. To qualify for this scholarship, a student must be Pell-eligible and have a Pell-eligible SAI and be less than 24 years of age or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of his or her parent's or guardian's death. In subsequent award years, the student continues to be eligible for the scholarship, if the student has a Pell-eligible SAI and continues to be an eligible student. All Title IV aid awarded to such eligible students must be based on an EFC of zero without regard to the student's calculated SAI (Student Aid Index). Thus, the student is eligible for the maximum Pell Grant for his or her enrollment status and cost of attendance. In addition, the student's eligibility for Direct Loans and for Campus-Based program aid must be based on SAI of zero.

  To qualify, you must be Pell-eligible, and have a Pell-eligible SAI. You must also be less than 24 years of age OR enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of your parent or guardian's death. You will still be eligible for subsequent years if you have a Pell-eligible SAI.

  Documentation

  To confirm eligibility for this scholarship, you will need to give one of these document to the Financial Aid office:

  • A determination letter stating your eligibility for certain federal benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program administered by the Department of Justice;
  • A written letter of attestation or determination made by a state or local government official with supervisory (or other relevant oversight authority) of an individual who died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer as defined above;
  • Documentation of the student qualifying for a state tuition or other state benefit accorded to the children or other family members of a public safety officer consistent with the definition in 42 U.S.C. 3796b, or as a fire police officer as noted above; OR
  • Other documentation from a credible source that describes or reports the circumstances of the death and the occupation of the parent or guardian.