How to Apply

Step One: Complete the FAFSA & UCSF Application
 

Post Baccalaureate students should click here for information on how to apply for financial aid.

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov after January 1. Our school code is 001319.  Apply for a FAFSA PIN if needed.

Complete the Online Financial Aid Application at the Financial Aid Portal.  The 2012-13 version will be active in mid-January.  New students should follow the above financial aid portal link and click 'Get MyAccess' in order to register as a new user.  Those who already have a MyAccess account can simply login to access the financial aid portal.

International students (not U.S. citizens or permanent residents) are excluded from completing the FAFSA, but must still complete the UCSF Online Financial Aid Application at the Financial Aid Portal if applying for a private loan.

2012-13 Deadlines:
Continuing students - March 2, 2012. 
New students - August 10, 2012.
 
2011-12 Deadline:
Last day to apply for funding for 2011-2012 - May 2, 2012
 
Students must reapply after January 1 every year.

Step Two: Complete the PROFILE
 

Who should complete the PROFILE?    CSS Financial Aid PROFILE
Entering students for Full Funding consideration. 
Continuing students - first time applying for Full Funding consideration.
CSS Code Number - 7152 

 

EXCEPTIONS (do not complete the PROFILE):

  • International Students
  • Students enrolled in self-supporting programs including, but not limited to the following: MEPN, International Dentistry Program, CPBR, Master's of Advanced Studies programs, Biomedical Imaging Master's, Nursing Post Master's and Global Health Sciences
  • Any student who is 30 years of age or older by 12/31/12 and not  in the School of Medicine.
  • Continuing students renewing financial aid, except former MEPN students who are under 30 and will matriculate into the master's program and want to apply for for Full Funding.

Parents' Information
 

Most UCSF students are automatically independent because they are in a graduate or professional program. The exception is first-year pharmacy students without a bachelor's degree and fewer than 90 semester or 135 quarter units upon enrollment at UCSF. During their first year such a student is considered an undergraduate for financial aid purposes and therefore, possibly considered a dependent student.

When students are dependent, their parents' financial information is evaluated to determine whether the parents should contribute financially.

With the exception of medical students, applicants who will be 30 or over by December 31, 2012, are not required to submit parents' information unless applying for programs through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This federal department requires parents' information of all applicants, regardless of age or dependency status. HHS programs include Health Professions Student Loans, Loans for Disadvantaged Students, Primary Care Loans, Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, and Nursing Student Loans.

Independent students, under 30, who only want to apply for the Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan, Federal Work-Study, and the minimum UCSF grants are not required to provide parents' information.

Applicants who will be under 30 by December 31, 2012 and want to receive consideration for low-interest loans and grant and scholarship assistance in addition to federal aid, must submit parents' information.  Medical students regardless of age must submit parents' information for this type of funding consideration. This information should be completed on the PROFILE, for students applying for financial aid at UCSF for the first time.

UCSF considers the financial circumstances of parents, because of the high cost and limited funding for a professional education. Parents' income, assets, age, number of dependents, and other factors are analyzed, and a "Financial Strength Index" (FSI) is determined.

The FSI is not used to compute eligibility for financial aid but is used to determine the type and amount of aid awarded. The greatest priority for grants, scholarships, and low interest loans is given to students whose families have historically lower income. For example, an independent student with high-income parents would be awarded a Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan and perhaps a Federal Perkins Loan, but would probably not receive University need-based scholarships or loans.

Special Circumstances may be considered for those students under 30 years old who would like to be considered for Full Funding, but find that one or both of their parents' information is not available to them. These circumstances do not include a parent filing a tax extension or divorced parents as the reason alone. Special circumstances for consideration of waiving parent's information are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Documentation of the circumstances is required. This documentation includes, but is not limited to, a letter from the student explaining why the parent's information is unavailable, a letter from the other parent also explaining the situation in detail, and a completed Third-Party Verification of Special Circumstances Form. Contact Student Financial Aid for more details.

Step Three: Student Loans:
 

Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, UCSF will originate all Federal Stafford and Graduate PLUS Loans via the Federal Direct Lending Program, which means students will no longer need to choose a lender. However, for international students, choosing a lender will remain necessary when applying for a private loan.

Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan Information

This loan program includes subsidized and unsubsidized components. The interest rate for the Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans are fixed at 6.8%. The federal government pays the interest for the subsidized portion of the loan during periods of enrollment, the six-month grace period, and periods of eligible deferments. Students who demonstrate financial need will qualify for the interest subsidized loan, up to a maximum of $8,500 per year if graduate, or $5,500 per year if undergraduate with at least a third-year status. Students who do not demonstrate financial need or who wish to borrow to replace their calculated student contribution, can obtain an unsubsidized loan.

Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Information

Only for students who have exceeded the Stafford annual or aggregate limits.

Some students may require additional funding beyond what the annual or aggregate Federal Stafford limits allow. The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan is available to graduate students who have not met their full financial aid budget for the year and have met the limits on the Federal Stafford Loan and other financial aid resources. If this is the case, you will be instructed to apply for a Federal Graduate PLUS Loan. The federal government does not pay interest on Graduate PLUS loans. You may choose to pay interest on your Direct Graduate PLUS loan while you are in school. If you choose not to pay the interest while you're in school, the Department of Education will add it to the unpaid principal amount of your loan when you enter repayment. Direct Loan Servicing will mail interest statements twice a year (January & July) to the student. Students may sign up for Direct Loan Servicing Electronic Mail Services to receive quarterly interest statements electronically at www.dl.ed.gov.

Graduate PLUS Loan Terms:

  • Interest rate is fixed at 7.9 percent
  • 4 percent loan Fee: Will be deducted from the loan proceeds at disbursement
  • Loan is not based on financial need. Maximum loan amount is school’s approved cost of attendance minus other financial aid (i.e., scholarships, grants, and Stafford Loans).
  • Interest accrues from the date of disbursement.
  • A quick online credit check is required by the Department of Education for each academic year that a student wants to borrow this loan.
  • Students with negative credit can get an Endorser (cosigner) who meets the credit requirement.

How to apply for the Graduate PLUS Loan

  • Obtain credit approval and e-sign the Federal Direct PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentloans.gov. Our office will receive electronic notification of your MPN.
  • Complete both the “Borrower Section” and “Student Section” with your own information (not your parents) on the MPN.

The Department of Education COD Applicant Services Department (800/557-7394) is available to assist Direct PLUS Loan borrowers and endorsers in a variety of ways

  • Providing information about credit status and denied credit decision appeals
  • Providing information about obligations/responsibilities to endorsers of Direct PLUS Loans

The COD School Relations Center is currently experiencing unusually high call volume on the Applicant Services Department's telephone lines. Often the questions are requests for loan or disbursement status information and/or requests to change the student's address. Only the school can address actual loan or disbursement status questions and the school should initiate any permanent address changes on the COD System. Federal Student Aid encourages schools to advise only its Direct PLUS Loan borrowers, endorsers, or borrowers experiencing issues completing actions on the StudentLoans.gov Web site to contact the Applicant Services Department at 800/557-7394 for assistance. Loan or disbursement status and other general questions from borrowers are best handled by the school.

Private Loan Information

Although many UCSF students can obtain sufficient funds through Federal and University loans, others need additional help. Private Loans are only awarded after all types of federal student loans have been awarded to the student. See below for private loan lender lists. The lists contain loan terms and interest rates as well as lender contact information. Contact the Student Financial Aid Office for details before applying.

Each year, regulatory changes and market conditions impact individual lenders’ loan terms. To help students and families make informed choices, the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) has developed a Preferred Lender List for the Private Loans. Lenders were invited to compete for placement on each of these loan products. From those who responded, a systemic and equitable method for selecting the top lenders was held. These lenders had to meet a stringent standard of requirements that included, but were not limited to, competitive borrower benefits, lender stability, efficient loan servicing, online support and tools, and customer service.

The lenders selected by UCOP can be found by following the link below. Please note that loan terms are subject to change by the lenders. Furthermore, these loan terms are offered to the University of California and not necessarily other colleges.

While the University carefully considers our selections in order to provide you with the best possible list of suggested lenders, you have the right to use another lender that is not on this list. The choice of a loan lender is your decision.

Private Education Loans for Health Professions (Medicine, Dentistry, & Pharmacy)
Private Education Loans for Graduates (Nursing, Physical Therapy, Graduate Division, & Post Bac)
Private Education Loans for International Students

Step Four: Submit Required Documentation

Please login at the UCSF Financial Aid Portal to view your missing documents after completing the online financial aid application.

  • Documentation may be required by your financial aid advisor. Please keep your mailing address and email address current with the Office of the Registrar (OAR) to receive communication from our office.
     
  • If you are required to complete the PROFILE, please submit your parents' Tax Return to the "IDOC" service using the instructions received via email after completing the PROFILE. 
     
  • Special Circumstances may be considered for those students less than 30 years old who would like to be considered for Full Funding, but find that one or both of their parents' information is not available to them. These circumstances do not include a parent filing a tax extension or divorced parents as the reason alone. Special circumstances for consideration of waiving parent's information are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Documentation of the circumstances is required. This documentation includes, but is not limited to, a letter from the student explaining why the parent's information is unavailable, a letter from the other parent also explaining the situation in detail, and a completed Third-Party Verification of Special Circumstances Form. Contact Student Financial Aid for more details.
     
  • E-sign the Federal Direct (Stafford) Master Promissory Note (MPN) at the Direct loan website (studentloans.gov). (Not required to apply for financial aid, but the Direct (Stafford) Loan is standard in a UCSF financial aid package and e-signing the MPN is recommended soon after submitting your application.) The Student Financial Aid Office will automatically receive confirmation once you've completed the MPN.
     
  • Before loan funds are disbursed, first time Direct and/or Graduate PLUS Loan recipients at UCSF must complete online student loan counseling at: studentloans.gov. This should take about 20 minutes to complete. The Student Financial Aid Office will automatically receive confirmation once you've completed the counseling session.

Step Five: Receive Notification and Respond
 

Receive your Student Aid Report (SAR)

After submitting the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor by email.

  • Read the SAR carefully! If all the information is accurate and UCSF is included in the school list section, you have completed this part of the application process.
  • If UCSF is not listed, we will not receive your application information. You must follow SAR instructions for submitting a school change or addition.
  • If the data you reported is incorrect or failed any of the database matches, you must follow the instructions given to correct or resolve matters. The most common causes of database mismatches are incorrect names, birth dates and citizenship status.
  • Do not submit the SAR to UCSF. But, do ask for our assistance if you need help resolving any problems.

Communication from the Student Financial Aid Office

Once you submit the FAFSA, PROFILE (if required) and online financial aid application, you will be contacted if additional information is needed.

You will receive an email of the availability of your Financial Aid Offer sometime between late March and the end of August, depending on your curriculum and when your application was completed.   Access to your offer letter will be online at the Financial Aid Portal, which will list your financial aid awards and explain how funds will be disbursed. 

More Application Information:

Choose Basic or Full Funding

New applicants will need to choose either the basic or full funding option when when submitting the UCSF Financial Aid Application online.  Applying for full funding generally requires submission of parental information and provides a broader level of funding consideration than the basic option.

  • Full Funding includes consideration for all need-based university loans and need-based grants/scholarships, in addition to federal student loans.
     
  • Basic Funding consists primarily of federal student loans and may include minimal grant funding, depending on your eligibility. It does not include full consideration for need-based campus funds.

If under 30 by December 31, 2012, you need to submit your parents' information on the PROFILE  to be considered for Full Funding.  Medical students regardless of age must submit their parents' information for full funding consideration.

Parents' Information
 

Most UCSF students are automatically independent because they are in a graduate or professional program. The exception is first-year pharmacy students without a bachelor's degree and fewer than 90 semester or 135 quarter units upon enrollment at UCSF. During their first year such a student is considered an undergraduate for financial aid purposes and therefore, possibly considered a dependent student.

When students are dependent, their parents' financial information is evaluated to determine whether the parents should contribute financially.

With the exception of medical students, applicants who will be 30 or over by December 31, 2012, are not required to submit parents' information unless applying for programs through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This federal department requires parents' information of all applicants, regardless of age or dependency status. HHS programs include Health Professions Student Loans, Loans for Disadvantaged Students, Primary Care Loans, Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, and Nursing Student Loans.

Independent students, under 30, who only want to apply for the Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan, Federal Work-Study, and the minimum UCSF grants are not required to provide parents' information.

Applicants who will be under 30 by December 31, 2012 and want to receive consideration for low-interest loans and grant and scholarship assistance in addition to federal aid, must submit parents' information.  Medical students regardless of age must submit parents' information for this type of funding consideration. This information should be completed on the PROFILE, for students applying for financial aid at UCSF for the first time.

UCSF considers the financial circumstances of parents, because of the high cost and limited funding for a professional education. Parents' income, assets, age, number of dependents, and other factors are analyzed, and a "Financial Strength Index" (FSI) is determined.

The FSI is not used to compute eligibility for financial aid but is used to determine the type and amount of aid awarded. The greatest priority for grants, scholarships, and low interest loans is given to students whose families have historically lower income. For example, an independent student with high-income parents would be awarded a Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan and perhaps a Federal Perkins Loan, but would probably not receive University need-based scholarships or loans.

Special Circumstances may be considered for those students under 30 years old who would like to be considered for Full Funding, but find that one or both of their parents' information is not available to them. These circumstances do not include a parent filing a tax extension or divorced parents as the reason alone. Special circumstances for consideration of waiving parent's information are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Documentation of the circumstances is required. This documentation includes, but is not limited to, a letter from the student explaining why the parent's information is unavailable, a letter from the other parent also explaining the situation in detail, and a completed Third-Party Verification of Special Circumstances Form. Contact Student Financial Aid for more details.

Appeal Procedure

Students who have unusual circumstances or are not satisfied with a financial aid decision may appeal to the Director of Student Financial Aid or the Financial Aid Review Committee, which consists of the Student Financial Aid Office professional staff.  Contact us by email at finaid@ucsf.edu or phone at 415-476-4181 for additional information. If you have budget concerns, specific information about possible exceptions to the standard student budget can be found on our Student Budget Increases page.

Rights and Responsibilities
 

You have the right:
  • To know what financial aid programs are available at your school.
  • To know the deadline for submitting applications for each available program.
  • To know how financial aid will be distributed, how decisions are made, and the basis for these decisions.
  • To know how your financial need was determined. This includes how costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, travel, personal and miscellaneous expenses, etc., are considered in your budget.
  • To know how much of your financial need had been met as determined by the financial aid advisor at the school or college.
  • To know what resources (such as parental contribution, other financial aid, your assets, etc.) were considered in the calculation of your need.
  • To know what portion of the financial aid you received must be repaid, and what portion is grant aid. If the aid is a loan, you have the right to know what the interest rate is, the total amount that must be repaid, the repayment procedures, the length of time you have to repay the loan, and when repayment is to begin. Under the Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan program, if you cannot meet the repayment schedule, you may request that the loan payments be reduced for a specific period of time if it will assist you in avoiding default.
  • To know how the school determines whether you are making satisfactory progress, and what happens if you are not.
  • To request an explanation of the various programs in your student aid package.
You have the responsibility:
  • To complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the right place.
  • To provide correct information. In most instances, misreporting information on financial aid applications is a violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense.
  • To return all documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by either the Student Financial Aid Office or the agency to which you submitted your application.
  • To read and understand all forms that you are asked to sign and to keep copies of them.
  • To accept responsibility for all the arrangements that you sign.
  • To perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work-Study award before you receive payment.
  • To be aware of your school's refund procedures.
  • All schools must provide information to prospective students about the school's programs and performance. You should consider this information carefully before deciding to attend a school.
  • As a recipient of a Federal Stafford Student Loan, you must notify the lender if any of the following occur before the loan is repaid:
  • change of address
  • graduation
  • withdrawal from school or less than half-time attendance
  • name change
  • transfer to other schools