Office Of Financial Aid And Scholarships

The Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan is a Financial Aid Initiative for University of California undergraduate students. The goal of the new “Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan” is to ensure that UC system-wide fees do not deter the half of California households with incomes below $80,000 from aspiring to a UC education.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, you must:

• Be a California resident
• Submit a FAFSA and provide all requested documents. For more information, visit Applying
• Apply for a Cal Grant (if not already a recipient)
• Demonstrate sufficient financial need
• Have income below $80,000. For dependent students, this refers to your parent's income. For independent students, this refers to the combined income of you and your spouse
• Be in your first four years (two if a transfer student) of University undergraduate attendance
• Meet basic requirements for UC grant assistance

No student will receive more scholarship and grant support than the calculated financial need. All sources of scholarship and grant awards (federal, state, institutional, and private sources, including outside agency scholarships) will count towards covering fees and meeting the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan commitment. The majority of students who meet the income eligibility standard will already have sufficient grant and scholarship support to cover full UC system-wide fees based on our standard Financial Aid packaging guidelines.

In addition to the minimum funding under the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, undergraduates with sufficient financial need will receive additional grant support to help defray other educational expenses (e.g.: books, living expenses, transportation, etc.).

Cal Grants are administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). To be eligible for a Cal Grant, you must:

• Be eligible for Financial Aid
• Be a California resident or AB540 eligible student attending an eligible school in California on at least a half-time basis
• Not have received a prior Bachelor's degree
• Meet the satisfactory academic progress standards as determined by the institution
• Not be in default on a federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal or state grant
• Demonstrate financial need
• Meet the minimum GPA requirement as determined by CSAC
• Not exceed the income and asset ceilings established by CSAC

Types of Cal Grants

Cal Grant A is awarded to students from low and middle income families. It provides tuition assistance only. At a UC, it pays the mandatory fees charged to all UC students. It does not cover the campus-based fees (or "student services fees") that vary from campus to campus.

Cal Grant B is awarded to students from disadvantaged and low income families. In the first year of eligibility, it only provides a $1648 Access Grant. In the second through fourth years, it provides fee assistance in addition to the Access Grant.

Students enrolled less than full-time (12 units) on census date (one day after the last day to add classes on GOLD) will have their Cal Grant for that quarter reduced to a level that reflects their enrollment level. For example, a student enrolled in 10 units will have that quarter’s Cal Grant reduced to a 3/4-time award. This may necessitate billing back Financial Aid already received.

Our institutional policy is to credit Access Grants to students’ BARC accounts where it will first be applied to quarterly charges before credit balance refunds are disbursed. As an option, Cal Grant B recipients may request that their Access Grants be paid directly to them. This request must be made in writing to the Cal Grant Coordinator in our office.

How to Apply

New Applicants must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application and a GPA Verification Form (if required, see below) by March 2 prior to the academic year for which the award is intended. CSAC determines eligibility for new awards and notifies the eligible institution(s) listed on the FAFSA of these awards.

If you have not attended UCSB or you have completed less than 36 units at UCSB, you will be required to submit a GPA Verification Form.

If you have completed more than 36 units at UCSB, you will not be required to submit a GPA Verification Form. Our office will verify your GPA.

Renewal Applicants must file the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application, demonstrate financial need, and not exceed the income and asset ceilings established by CSAC. You can check the status of your Cal Grant at WebGrants 4 Students

This is a federal grant for high-need undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree. Eligibility is determined by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that is produced from the FAFSA.

Students who are enrolled less than full-time (12 units) on census date (one day after the last day to add classes on GOLD) will have their Pell Grants for that quarter reduced to a level that reflects their enrollment level. For example, a student enrolled in 10 units will have that quarter’s Pell Grant reduced to a 3/4-time award. This may necessitate a billing back of Financial Aid already received.

This is federal grant aid that must be awarded to students with the highest need. It is awarded to undergraduate students who are considered on-time FAFSA applicants and who are determined to have sufficient financial need.

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 a year in grant aid to college students who plan to become teachers and who are committed to teaching in a Title I school in specified subject areas. View more information on these teaching requirements.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the TEACH grant at UCSB, you must be enrolled in UCSB’s Teacher Education Program (TEP), working towards the Master of Education (M.Ed) in Teaching.

This grant is made available by the University of California. It is awarded to undergraduate students who are considered on-time FAFSA applicants and who are determined to have sufficient financial need. All awards are subject to the availability of funding.

For information about extramural funding for graduate students, visit the Graduate Division Financial Support website.