Eligibility

All students must meet certain eligibility requirements in order to receive and retain their student financial aid, including all types of federal loans.

Who is Eligible for Financial Aid

  • Students enrolled in an eligible program
  • U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens
  • Students registered with the Selective Service (if required)
  • Students making satisfactory academic progress
  • Student who are not in default on a student loan or owe a refund on a student grant

Who is NOT Eligible for Financial Aid 

  • Students enrolled in the following programs
    • SFGH Nurse Midwifery Program
    • Second Year Midwifery Master's Track and Family Nurse Practitioner attending UCSD
    • Paramedics
    • Emergency Room Technician
    • Dental Post-Graduate Fellowship Programs in Oral Medicine
    • Clinical Epidemiology
    • Geriatric Dentistry
    • Advanced Education in General Dentistry
    • Continuing Education
  • Pharmacy Residents
  • Medical Residents
  • Interns at the Landberg Center
  • Limited Status Students
  • International Students who are not permanent U.S. residents

Eligibility Requirements

  • Do not be in default or owe a refund
    In order to receive financial aid, students must not be in default on repayment for a Federal Perkins Loan/NDSL, a Federal Stafford Loan/GSL, Federal Direct Loan, or any other educational loan given for attendance at UCSF or another institution. Additionally, students must not owe a refund on a Federal Pell Grant, a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or a State Student Incentive Grant.
  • Complete verification (if selected)
    To receive funds from federal programs, students must sometimes complete a process called verification. If selected, the necessary verification form plus instructions will be provided by the Student Financial Services Office. In such cases, the U.S. Department of Education requires us to verify the information used to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by collecting supporting documentation from students who are selected for verification during FAFSA processing. If you are selected for verification, you will also receive notification from the Department of Education via the Student Aid Report. The Student Financial Services Office also notifies you about the verification process and may request additional documents. For a complete list of required verification documents, please visit Forms. Your financial aid package is conditional, and subject to change, until the verification process is completed and funds cannot be released to you. Once the verification review is complete, your Financial Aid Hold will be removed from your record.
  • Make satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

    Students receiving financial aid are required to make satisfactory progress toward their degree objectives. The specific definition of satisfactory progress varies from one curriculum to another, and a copy of the applicable policy is sent to each entering student during the first quarter of enrollment. Copies of the policies can be viewed here:

  • Attend school full-time
    UCSF students are expected to attend school on a full-time basis unless official arrangements have been made and documented. Full-time attendance is generally defined as completing at least twelve units per quarter for the professional curriculums, and eight units per quarter for master's degree nursing students and students working toward the D.N.S. and PhD degrees. Despite minimum program requirements, students must attend full-time to maintain eligibility. Students may attend less than full-time, but financial aid will be decreased. Borrowers receiving a Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan must maintain at least half-time enrollment.
  • Do not exceed number of years on financial aid
    Students can receive financial aid for the length of time it normally takes to complete the program. Exceptions are occasionally made for students having academic or physical problems. Students who elect to attend longer (e.g. medical students who wish to do research) may fund the additional time with a Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan or other outside loans.
  • Report changes

    Financial aid recipients are required to report in writing any change in their status. Changes include but are not limited to:

    • Housing status
    • Student and spouse earnings
    • Resources from family
    • Receipt of scholarships and loans from outside agencies
    • Changes in marital status
    • Name changes
  • Avoid overawards

    If additional financial assistance is received after the initial offer is made, a student may be overawarded if the total amount of aid exceeds the amount of financial aid eligibility. Additional financial assistance includes but is not limited to:

    • Awards from UCSF such as Traineeships and Graduate Opportunity Awards
    • Private loans or scholarships

    Financial aid (usually loans) is reduced to resolve an overaward situation.

Return of Title IV Funds and Refund Policies

If you receive financial aid and subsequently do not enroll in the University or enroll and then withdraw, you may be required to return the financial aid funds received. If you have questions about Return to Title IV Funds, please contact Student Financial Services at [email protected].

What is Title IV Aid?

Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended in 1998, (Title IV, and HEA program) establishes general rules that apply to federal student financial assistance programs. For purposes of Return of Title IV Funds, these programs include:

  • Federal Direct Stafford Loans
  • Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans

What Return of Title IV Funds Means to Financial Aid Recipients

UCSF Return of Title IV Funds policies apply to any student who cancels enrollment, withdraws, is dismissed, or drops enrollment below part-time. These apply to students that discontinue enrollment in all classes, on or after the first day of the term.

When you officially withdraw from the institution, we use the date that you started the process with the Registrar’s office as the withdrawal date and then two separate calculations listed below must take place:

  1. A refund of fees must be calculated by the Office of the Registar.
  2. Student Financial Services must calculate the Return of Federal funds.

We first determine if you have completed more than 60 percent of your scheduled enrollment for the term.

  • You earn all your financial aid when you have participated in more than 60 percent of your scheduled enrollment for the term. The Return of Title IV funds calculation counts the number of days from the first day of class until the last date you were enrolled and compares that to the total calendar days of your scheduled enrollment for the term. This includes the first day of classes through the last scheduled day of exams, including weekends and holidays, and excluding any scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days.
  • If you have not completed more than 60 percent, the amount of your financial aid you are allowed to keep and the amount that must be repaid will be calculated.

Return of Title IV Funds (Earned vs. Unearned Aid)

Within 45 days from when you discontinue enrollment, Student Financial Services must calculate the Federal Student Loan amount you have earned prior to your withdrawal date. Federal Loans received more than the earned amount is considered unearned. The unearned loans must be returned to the respective federal programs no later than 45 days from when the student separated from the institution.

Fee Refund vs. School Return Amount

In many cases, when a school refunds fees to a student, the refunded amount may be less than the portion of Title IV funds that the school is required to return. This difference means that the student is responsible for paying the remaining balance, along with any other outstanding charges related to the student's portion of the return.

If the Registrar’s Office determines that a student is eligible for a fee refund, and the student also owes a federal loan return to UCSF, the refund will be directed to Student Financial Services and applied to the outstanding loan balance. If any additional loan amount remains unpaid, the student must repay those funds to Student Financial Services.

Students should contact the Registrar’s Office for details on procedures for withdrawing or requesting a leave of absence. If you have questions about your Title IV program funds, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243). TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913. Information is also available on Student Aid on the web at studentaid.gov.