Checklist

  • Is Your Financial Aid Application Complete?

    Monitor your FAFSA or CA DREAM application status, check for any required documents, and view your award letter on My Aid Status.

  • Do You Have Required Documents to Submit?

    If documents are required, you will be notified via email. Log into My Aid Status and go to the Documents Tab or visit Student Forms.

  • Have You Reviewed Your Financial Aid Award Letter?

    Award letters are posted under the Award Letter Tab of My Aid Status. Generally, official award letters for the upcoming school year will be posted in late July, assuming your application and documents are all complete.
     

  • Have You Enrolled in Classes for the Upcoming Quarter?

    To register for classes, use GOLD. Once enrolled, our office will pay your awarded aid directly to your BARC account as long as these conditions are met:

    • Enrolled in at least 6 units for undergraduate students (or at least 4 units for graduate students),
    • Maintaining satisfactory academic progress for financial aid, and
    • Remain in good academic standing with your college.

  • Have You Completed All Loan Documents?

    If you are borrowing a student loan to help pay for UCSB, you must accept the loan through My Aid Status under the Loans Tab. Then you will be directed to complete the necessary loan requirements for first time borrowers, including:

    • Master Promissory Note

    • Loan Entrance Counseling

  • Will Your Fees be Paid by the Deadline?

    The fee payment deadline for Fall Quarter is September 15th by 4pm. You can see your expected balance due (if applicable) on My Aid Status under the Disbursements Tab. If your aid is not sufficient to cover your BARC balance, or there are issues holding up your Financial Aid payments, you are responsible for making arrangements to pay before the deadline. You have the option for a deferred billing agreement with the BARC Office if you request a Financial Aid Payment Plan Please note that the BARC Office assesses a $25 charge to defer your “now due” charges.

  • How Will You Receive Your Refund?

    Students who have a credit balance as a result of financial aid (including loans, if applicable) will have a refund released to them as early as 10 days before the start of the quarter. Refunds are mailed to your local address (as listed on GOLD) unless you enroll in eRefund through the BARC office, in which case the funds will be directly deposited into your bank account. For students who have not requested direct deposit, checks will be mailed to local addresses no sooner than seven days before the start of classes. Students who are living in non-University owned housing “off campus” should use the proceeds of their refund to pay their rent.

  • Have You Reviewed the FERPA Policy?

    FERPA is the United States federal law that protects student records privacy and provides for review and disclosure rights. If you wish to allow any third party, including your parent(s), to have access to your specific financial aid information, you must submit a consent to release form. This electronic form is located on the Dashboard page as soon as you log in to My Aid Status.

  • Has Your Family Experienced Financial Hardship?

    The Financial Aid Application doesn’t always tell the whole story, and for that reason, Congress has granted Financial Aid Administrators the authority to evaluate special circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Please visit the Appeals section of our website for more information about how we can help. Remember that these appeals are reserved for extraordinary circumstances only and will require the student or parent to provide additional supporting documentation.

  • Have You Applied for Additional Scholarships?

    We encourage all UCSB students to log into ScholarshipUniverse, which is our scholarship matching tool that helps you find and apply for both internal and external scholarships. The UCSB Supplemental Scholarship application will begin accepting submissions in mid-July 2025. In the meantime, UCSB students can still access external scholarship opportunities year-round in the ScholarshipUniverse portal.