Financial Aid and Scholarships

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) provides resources and services to assist students and their families with grants, scholarships, work study and loans. All eligible students and families can receive some type of financial assistance.

It is important for parents and students to be aware of and meet all deadlines, keep copies of all documents and correspondence, and read all emails from OFAS.

Scholarships www.ofas.uci.edu/content/Scholarships.aspx

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Students must complete a FAFSA or making an appointment to meet a staff

each year by March 2 (or the next business day if it falls on a weekend) to establish financial need and be considered for all types of need-based financial aid for the next academic year. studentaid.gov

The FAFSA form is also available to students and qualifying household incomes.

parents to complete through the myStudentAid mobile app. Download it in the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

Data Retrieval Tool transfer students.

Recommended when completing the FAFSA to speed up financial aid processing. www.ofas.uci.edu/content/ IRSDataRetrievalTool.aspx Students not eligible to file a FAFSA but who qualify for the AB540 fee exemption can apply for certain types of financial aid by completing the California (or the next business day if it falls on a weekend). dream.csac.ca.gov

Some scholarships have specific criteria such as leadership, community service, financial need, academic major or special skills and talents. Comprehensive list:

The Scholarships Resource

Center (www.ofas.uci.edu/content/ scholarshipsresourcecenter.aspx) assists undergraduate students in researching and applying for internal and external scholarships. Personalized assistance is available by visiting during drop-in hours member via email at scholarships@uci.edu.

The Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan expands access to UC by establishing a minimum level of grant aid for undergraduates with financial need and

For California residents or AB540-eligible students whose families qualify, Blue and Gold fully covers UC’s system-wide fees. Qualified students must be in their first four years of attendance, or first two years for Dream Application by March 2

Students with sufficient financial need can qualify for additional grants to cover other educational expenses such as books, transportation, and room and board.

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/ tuition-financial-aid/types-of-aid/blue-andgold-opportunity-plan.html

March 2: Mark Your Calendar!

Missing this deadline could mean losing grant, loan and/or work-study opportunities!

Each year, file a FAFSA or California Dream Application and a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form by March 2 (or the next business day if March 2 falls on a weekend) to qualify for the highest possible financial aid award. No separate application is needed for the Blue and Gold plan; qualifying students automatically receive benefits.

Resources

Net Price Calculator

Provides personalized estimate of the cost of attendance and financial aid that may be available. www.ofas.uci.edu/content/Calculator.aspx

Central Cashier Services

www.fs.uci.edu/payments/index.php 228 Aldrich Hall M–F, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

ZOT Account Online

zotaccount.uci.edu

The State of California requires that you be told the following: Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.