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Estimates, Visa Letters, & Drop-In Advising

Grant Estimates

The UCSC study abroad estimates is a tool that provides a financial aid estimate for undergraduate students who plan to participate in a study abroad program offered through UCEAP or UCSC Global Learning. By answering a few simple questions, the calculator will present you with an estimate of your total grant for your program. Students participating in study abroad programs will also be considered for student loans and/or a parent plus loan option (if applicable) to meet their unmet costs. 

To obtain an estimate, you must provide your Student Aid Index (SAI) derived from your 2024-25 FAFSA or 2024-25 Dream Application. This calculator generates estimates for the 2024-25 Quarter, Semester, and Academic Year programs based on the information you provide. Your estimate may differ significantly from the final awards if your information is incorrect. The estimates produced by this tool are not the actual amounts that will be offered. All estimates are subject to funding availability. 

You will be able to obtain summer estimates using this calculator in January.

Request a Visa Letters

Some programs require a letter stating your finances and aid to accompany your application for an entry visa to your host country. If this is the case, please complete our Visa Letter Request Form and email it to finaid.specialprograms@ucsc.edu. 

Drop-In Advising (Virtual)

We welcome the opportunity to assist you and answer any questions you may have regarding your financial aid for your program. Virtual one-on-one drop-in advising appointments are available every Tuesday from 12pm-2pm. These appointments are meant to assist students with questions after they have received an estimate from our office. Appointments will be held virtually and are limited to 20 minutes. To book a drop-in advising appointment, click here. Please provide your program information and your student ID and first and last name on your request. After you book your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email from our office which will include meeting details. 
 
To better assist you, we encourage you have the following handy:
-A list of questions you have 
-Your financial aid estimate

Scholarship Certifications

Some scholarship agencies may require students to submit an aid estimate along with their scholarship applications and/or require our office to certify scholarship applications for students. To be prepared, we encourage students to:

-Request an aid estimate for their program

-Complete the OAS Authorization to Release Information Form and email it to finaid.specialprograms.edu. Without this form on file, we cannot provide any financial aid related information to the scholarship agency. The OAS Authorization to Release Information Form is not available on MyAid Verify. Student can access the form here: https://financialaid.ucsc.edu/archive-forms-pubs/21-22-forms/2022_oas_auth_release_form1.pdf