A Guide to UCSD’s Financial Aid Program

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Learn Everything About the UCSD Financial Aid Program and Reduce Your Tuition Costs

With its fast-paced three-semester-per-year program, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is a place where you learn faster than in any other school. Still, the tuition—ranging from $33,195 for California residents to $62,949 for non-residents—can be too much for students to handle.

Are you not sure about whether you want to apply for UCSD? Use this guide to find out how UCSD’s financial aid program works, how it can take some pressure off your budget, and how to if you receive a negative response!

What Types of Financial Aid Does UCSD Offer?

UCSD offers numerous types of financial aid, such as:

  1. Grants
  2. Loans
  3. Scholarships
  4. Work-study

The amount of financial aid you will get from UCSD depends on your financial needs, which is the difference between the tuition and attendance costs and your or your family’s ability to pay.

UCSD Grants

UCSD offers and distributes the following grants:

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Cal Grant
  • University of California Grants:
    • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
    • Opportunity Grant (OG)
    • Grant-in-Aid (GIA)
    • Blue and Gold Opportunity Grant
    • Summer Aid

UCSD offers additional benefits to veteran families, such as college fee waivers and more.

UCSD Financial Aid—Loans

Check out this table to see which loaning options are available at UCSD:

Federal LoansUC LoansPrivate Loans
  • Federal Undergraduate Loans
  • Federal Graduate/ Professional School Loans
  • Federal Direct Loan Program
  • California Dream Loans
  • University Undergraduate and Quon Family Loans
  • Short-Term Emergency Loans
Any private loan programs you or your family opt for to fill any leftover financial gap after receiving every other type of financial aid

Scholarships at UCSD

UCSD divides scholarships by student status:

  • Entering first-year students
  • Entering transfer students
  • Continuing undergraduates
  • Enrolled transfer students

Check out these documents listing all scholarships that are:

Scholarships available at but not offered by UCSD include:

  • Hope Scholars Program for former foster youth (formerly Guardian Scholars)
  • Middle Class Scholarship
  • National Competitive Scholarships
  • Outside Agency Scholarships
  • Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Funds
  • The San Diego Foundation
  • Private and Foundation Scholarships

UCSD also offers undergraduate research scholarships during summer and additional financial aid for students applying for exchange and study-abroad programs.

UCSD’s Work-Study Program

You can participate in UCSD’s work-study program by:

  • Searching for jobs using Handshake—the UCSD database of:
    • Off-campus jobs
    • On-campus jobs
    • Internships
    • Volunteering opportunities
  • Visiting the UCSD Career Center page
  • Asking your employer at your part-time campus job to keep the job as a work-study employee
  • Consulting the Career Center about creating a new job on or off-campus

UCSD offers work-study awards valued from $600 to $2,800, depending on your job title and work hours.

When and How To Apply for UCSD’s Financial Aid Program

To apply for financial aid from UCSD:

  1. Complete your FAFSA and DREAM Act applications
  2. Submit your forms before March 2 for priority financial aid
  3. Complete the required tasks and submit additional documents by May 1 if you’re a continuing student or June 15 if you’re an entering student

After you complete all of the steps, it’s time to wait for UCSD’s Student Aid Report (SAR).

If you have any additional questions, you can always contact the UCSD Financial Aid Office by calling (858) 534-4480 or sending an email at finaid@ucsd.edu.

What Can I Do if UCSD Rejects My Application or Offers Little Financial Aid?

If you’re dissatisfied with UCSD’s decision regarding your application, you can appeal it by writing a financial aid appeal letter. It should explain why the University should reconsider your application and list the better offers you got from other schools to kick it up a notch and get you more financial aid.

Write Your Financial Aid Appeal Letter to UCSD the Simple Way—With DoNotPay!

Writing and mailing a financial aid appeal letter to UCSD has never been easier with our nifty tool!

The process takes two minutes if you follow these steps:

  1. Search for Appeal for More Financial Aid
  2. Answer a few questions regarding your financial aid application and UCSD’s reply

Upon completing the final step, we will generate your custom financial aid appeal letter, and you can choose whether you want us to mail it to UCSD or send it to you via email.

We Offer More Guides on Financial Aid Programs From Other Universities for You To Check Out

You should be aware of all the options at your disposal in case you receive a negative response from UCSD. We hand-picked some of them for you:

University of California, Irvine Financial AidHarvard University Financial AidColumbia University Financial Aid
New York University Financial AidUniversity of California, Los Angeles Financial AidUniversity of California, Davis Financial Aid
Yale University Financial AidPrinceton University Financial AidUniversity of California, Santa Cruz Financial Aid
MIT Financial AidPurdue University Financial AidStanford University Financial Aid
Rutgers University Financial AidUniversity of California, Berkeley Financial AidCornell University Financial Aid

Our Guides Can Answer All of Your Financial-Aid-Related Questions

Wondering if you can get financial aid for graduate schools? Our learning center answers specific questions like that but also helps you understand the basics of financial aid, such as:

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