To receive your financial aid, complete the following steps, if applicable. Federal, state, and institutional aid must be accepted within the applicable academic periods or deadlines specified for each award. By accepting any financial aid award, you are agreeing to the Policies and Conditions published on the financial aid website.
1) Complete Your Verification Documents
Verification is a process required by the state and federal government that is intended to improve the accuracy of the information submitted on your Financial Aid Application. If selected for verification, students may submit verification documents (tasks), including appeals, by logging in to MyAid Verify. Your financial aid offer may be adjusted as a result of the verification process.
Watch the video below and learn about the financial aid verification process and how to access your tasks on MyAid Verify.
2) Accept Your Official Financial Aid Offer
Students are notified via email when their official aid offer is posted to their MyUCSC student portal. Official aid offers are made available May through September. To receive your aid offer on time, make sure to complete all financial aid-associated tasks on MyAid Verify by the due dates if requested. Your official aid offer may differ from your conditional aid offer if the information on your initial financial aid application was incorrect, incomplete, or did not accurately reflect your family’s ability to contribute.
This video will provide visual instructions on how to access and accept your financial aid offer on your MyUCSC student portal. You will be required to complete the financial aid terms and conditions agreement by clicking the “Financial Aid Offer Terms and Conditions Agreement for UGRD” item on your “To Do Lists/Tasks” before accepting your awards.
3) Calculate Your Bill
After accepting your financial aid offer, you can calculate how much you will owe for the term after your aid credits your student account. Your bill is posted by the Student Business Services Office about 30 days before the fee deadline for a term.
The video below provides instructions on how to calculate your remaining bill every quarter.
4) Complete Your Loan Program(s) Requirements
If you choose to borrow and you are a first-time loan borrower, you will need to complete a promissory note, entrance counseling online, and read disclosure statements as applicable for the loan you accept. Steps to accepting your loan(s) can be viewed under the Loan Programs section on the Financial Aid website by selecting the type of loan(s) offered. Terms and conditions are also listed. Private loans are available through outside financial institutions. An application is required, and terms and conditions can vary. Before seeking an outside private loan, please check with our office to determine if you have other available options.
5) Optional - Grant Our Office Permission to Pay Miscellaneous Charges
If you would like your aid to pay miscellaneous charges such as health insurance, course or lab fees, etc., you must grant permission. On MyUCSC, in the “Financial Aid” tile, select “Student Permissions.”
6) Sign up for Direct Deposit
Funds remaining after your bill is paid, either by financial aid or out of pocket, are refunded to students via check or Direct Deposit to your bank account each quarter. The fastest way to receive funds is through Direct Deposit. If you do not sign up for direct deposit, a check is mailed to the mailing address you provide in MyUCSC. If the remaining funds are from a parent PLUS loan, the refund will be sent to the parent unless they specified on their PLUS loan application to be sent to the student.
7) Explore Payment Plan Options
Tuition and Fee Payment Plan
The Student Business Services Office offers a monthly payment plan that allows quarterly tuition and fee payments to be made in monthly installments.
On-Campus Housing Payment Plan
Students may request a monthly payment plan from the campus Housing Office before the beginning of the quarter for which they are enrolled. There is no application fee. Students who would like to request a personalized payment plan to meet their individual needs, such as employment pay schedule, etc., should contact the Campus Housing Office before the payment due date to make arrangements.
8) Optional - Complete the Authorization to Release Information
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy and confidentiality of student records. Schools must have written permission to release student record information.
Effective on a student's first day of instruction at UC Santa Cruz, the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office can no longer release information to third parties (including parents) without the student's authorization.
If you wish to authorize the UC Santa Cruz Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to disclose information to a designated individual (e.g., parents, siblings, spouse, etc.), you must complete the Authorization to Release Information form accessed on your MyAid Verify account via your student portal in the “Financial Aid” file, select “Financial Aid Resources."
