University of California-Santa Barbara

Students must begin by filling out the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application to be considered for financial aid opportunities at UCSB. There are a variety of ways that the university helps students pay for their education including scholarships, grants, loans and work-study opportunities.

There are many state scholarships and grant opportunities. Federal grants include the Pell Grant, the SEOG, and the TEACH grant. Additional university opportunities include the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which may available for UC students whose income is $80,000 or below in an effort to help make a UC education accessible to everyone who wants it. There is also a UC Health Insurance Grant available to some students along with the UCSB Scholarship that is available to students with a demonstrated financial need. In addition to federal and university based awards, students have ample types of state awards to help afford UCSB. Examples include the Middle Class Scholarship which is a state scholarship that students whose families with incomes up to $171,000 and a maximum household asset amount of $171,000. There is also the Cal Grant and consideration requires a separate application through the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) website. Students can access the scholarship catalog to find additional scholarship opportunities

There are several types of loans in addition to the federal student and parent loans. Students who are eligible may be awarded the UCSB loan or the California Dream Loan (for undocumented students). There is also the option of private student loans to help supplement the cost of your education. UCSB also offers short-term emergency loans to students who are expecting financial aid that may end up as a credit on the tuition bill. These can help in situations where books and supplies are concerned. Some students may be eligible for federal work-study aid. Students can search potential jobs for their work-study assignments through Handshake or check out the UCSB Career Services page.

Students with special circumstances may also be eligible for certain aid opportunities. For example, students wishing to study in the summer months have some summer aid opportunities available. Also, veterans, transfer students, and students who wish to study abroad will find a variety of opportunities and programs available to help subsidize the cost of their UCSB education. Additionally, international students will find some financial aid opportunities with the Dream Scholars Program.

There are a variety of resources and tools for students to help them including local links to food assistance, financial literacy, budget planning tools including a monthly budget planner, a financial aid guide, financial aid tutorials, and parenting resources. Students can get help organizing by using the financial aid checklist, budget worksheet, and the net price calculator.