Grants

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• Cal Grants

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

  • Submit the FAFSA or Dream Act application and your verified Cal Grant GPA by the March 2nd Cal Grant deadline
  • 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 or professional degree
  • Meet the family income and asset ceilings set by CSAC
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress standards as determined by the institution
  • Not owe a refund on any state or federal grant or be in default on a student loan
  • 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 low to middle income students and 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 low income students. In the first year of eligibility, it only provides an Access Award. In the second through fourth years, it provides tuition assistance in addition to the Access Award.

  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.

   

  Cal Grant B recipients will automatically have their full access award applied to their BARC account to pay any outstanding balances. Alternatively, students may elect to receive the full disbursement of their access award directly, to use towards educational expenses not charged by BARC. If you would like to choose this alternative method please contact the Cal Grant advisor to process this request. Additionally, students have the ability to change their disbursement method at any time. 

  New Applicants must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) and submit a high school GPA 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  or CADAA 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. (This is if you are currently not receiving the Cal Grant)

  Renewal Applicants must file the FAFSA or CADAA, 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
  
  Contact Information
  California Student Aid Commission (CSAC)
  (888) 224-7268
  Check the Status of Your Cal Grant

• Federal Pell Grant

  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) / *(SAI) that is produced from the FAFSA.
  
  The Student Aid Index (SAI) will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) in 2024-2025. Beginning in 2024-2025, Pell Grant will be based on Dependency, Marital Status, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), Poverty Level, and Enrollment Status.

  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 Intensity.
  
  Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, full-time enrollment is 12 units and if the student is enrolled in 7 units, the enrollment intensity would be 7 units ÷ 12 units × 100% = 58.3% (round to 58%).

  

  *Please note, leading up to the Census Date, we will not be able to estimate or pay Pell Grant to the student's account if they are enrolled in fewer than 12 units. In order for Pell Grant to count towards your fees (BARC balance) at the quarterly payment deadline, students must be enrolled in 12 units at least 2 days prior to being lapsed/dropped. If they are not planning to enroll in 12 units, they will need to wait until their final unit count is confirmed at Census, and we will process and pay their Pell Grant based on their enrollment intensity.

• UCSB Scholarship

  UCSB Scholarship is made available by the University of California and is awarded to California resident undergraduate applicants considered On-Time and determined to have sufficient financial need. This policy is designed to award students as fairly as possible with limited funding and guided by the goal of maintaining the affordability of the University. 
  
  Students must be enrolled in at least Half-time (6 units) on Census Date (one day after the last day to add classes on GOLD) to remain eligible. 
  
  

• UC Health Insurance Grant

  All UCSB students are automatically enrolled in and charged for UC Health Insurance Plan (UCSHIP) unless they submit an approved insurance waiver with the UCSB Student Health Insurance Office. This grant helps cover the cost of UCSHIP for the academic year and the amount of this grant is dependent upon your financial need.

  Students who waive out of UCSHIP will no longer be eligible to receive the Health Insurance Grant. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will not consider any appeals from students who waive out. If you do waive out of UCSHIP, your total financial aid will still include the cost of the Gaucho Access Plan (GAP) in order to ensure students have adequate funding to sign up for that program.

  If you currently have a Medi-Cal plan and choose to stay enrolled in UCSHIP (and not waive out), then UCSHIP will become your primary insurance and you will be responsible for the copays, coinsurance, and deductibles associated with the plan. In order to waive out of UCSHIP using Medi-Cal, you must be assigned to Santa Barbara County or have statewide Medi-Cal coverage.
  
  Students must be enrolled in at least Half-time (6 units) on Census Date (one day after the last day to add classes on GOLD) to remain eligible. 

  For more detailed information about UCSHIP, waiving out, and GAP, please visit the UCSB Student Health Insurance Office website, or contact the UCSB Student Health Insurance Office at shsinsurance@sa.ucsb.edu.

• Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan

  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. Students can receive only one fee paying resource. For example, if a student is receiving Cal Grant, the student would not be eligible for Blue and Gold. 

  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.).

• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

  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.

• TEACH Grant

  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. For a detailed list of schools that meet this requirement, please click here.

  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.) or teaching credential.
  
  Students must also complete the TEACH Entrance Counseling and Agreement to Serve Requirements on the Federal Student Aid  website before the grant can be reflected on an official financial aid award letter.   

  Please submit the TEACH Grant Application to our office once the TEACH Entrance Counseling and Agreement to Serve requirements have been completed. 
  
  2024-2025 Academic Year Applicants: 2024-2025 TEACH Grant Application
  2025-2026 Academic Year Applicants: 2025-2026 TEACH Grant Application

• Extramural Funding

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

• Native American Opportunity Plan

  UC’s Native American Opportunity Plan ensures that in-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees are fully covered for California students who are also enrolled in federally recognized Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native tribes. This plan applies to undergraduate and graduate students.

  If you are eligible for the Native American Opportunity Plan, your in-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees will be fully covered by either UCSB financial aid or another federal, state or other financial aid program. 

  You don't need to fill out a separate application to qualify for the Native American Opportunity Plan. If you qualify, our office will contact you directly with further instructions in May or June.

  To be eligible for the Native American Opportunity Plan, students must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Must be a current or newly admitted University of California undergraduate, graduate or professional school student.
  • Must be a California Resident for tuition purposes.
  • Must be an enrolled member in a federally recognized Native American, American Indian and/or Alaska Native tribe.
  • Must be enrolled in a qualifying UC degree program.
  • Undergraduates must apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA or California Dream Act application. 

  UCSB will reach out in May or June to new and continuing students who might be eligible with instructions. Documentation of tribal enrollment may include any of the following:

  • Certification of tribal enrollment on tribal letterhead.
  • Enrollment/membership card that contains the tribal seal and/or official signature of a tribal leader.
  • Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) if the CDIB includes tribal enrollment information.
  • Tribal identification card with an enrollment number. You must also submit tribal contact information (address, phone, and email) if it is not evident on submitted documentation.

  For additional information regarding the Native American Opportunity Plan, including frequently asked questions, please visit the following site: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/tuition-financial-aid/types-of-aid/native-american-opportunity-plan.html