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FAFSA Tips

Filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year is an important first step to ensuring you have access to the funding you need to cover educational expenses.

  • The FAFSA is available for US citizens and eligible non-citizens (ie, permanent residents). If you are an AB 540 eligible student, you should submit a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) instead.
  • The FAFSA priority submission period is typically October 1-March 2. These dates are subject to change.
  • The UC San Diego school code for your FAFSA is 001317.
  • To receive priority funding, be sure to file your FAFSA no later than the priority filing deadline. For 2026-27 the deadline is March 2, 2026. 
  • Students can continue to apply on or after April 2 for Federal and other limited financial aid consideration.
  • The FAFSA requires tax information from the previous year's tax return.
    • For the 2025-2026 academic year, we’re using the 2023 tax return information.
    • For the 2026-2027 academic year, we’re using the 2024 tax return information.

The U.S. Federal government, state of California, and UC San Diego all offer financial aid based on the FAFSA application. These offers could include grants, loans, or work-study. Be sure to mark your calendar each year and follow the tips below to ensure you’re considered for the funding you need.

Applying for the First Time

Don't wait until you receive your application decision from UC San Diego or any other university to submit your FAFSA! Most admissions decisions are released after the March 2 priority deadline, so you don’t want to miss out.

Follow these steps to ensure you submit all the necessary information the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will need to create a financial aid estimate.

  1. Register for your FSA ID online. This ID gives you and your parents access to your personal information and allows you to sign student aid documents electronically.
  2. File a FAFSA by the March 2 priority deadline. This ensures you are considered for all the best forms of funding, including awards like work-study, UC grants, and university loans. 
  3. Print your FAFSA confirmation once you have completed the online application.
  4. You'll receive an email to check your FAFSA Submission Summary about 3-5 days after your FAFSA is processed.
    Review the FAFSA Submission Summary carefully to make sure it's correct and complete.
    • Make sure the FAFSA Submission Summary lists UC San Diego (Title IV Code 001317) in the school section so you can be sure UC San Diego's financial aid team will receive your FAFSA information.
    • Correct your FAFSA if you need to make changes or add UC San Diego's school code (001317).
  5. If you haven't received your FAFSA Submission Summary within 2 weeks:
    • Check the status of your application online (even if you filed a paper FAFSA), or
      contact the Federal Student Information Center at (800) 4FED-AID (433-3243).
      If you are offered admission to UC San Diego, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will review your application for aid and provide a financial aid estimate through your Applicant Portal.
  6. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may ask you for additional documents to support the information on your FAFSA, so check your email often.
    • You must submit any additional documents to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office by the document deadline.
    • Your FAFSA is based in part on tax returns filed by you and your parents. If you or your parents file late, your FAFSA won't be processed until you file your final federal tax returns. This could affect your aid package since financial aid is based on the availability of funds.

Applying for Continuing Aid

You must file a FAFSA before each academic year to be considered for continuing financial aid.

Follow these steps to ensure you submit all the necessary information the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will need to provide your financial aid package for the upcoming academic  year.

  1. Reapply for financial aid by filing the FAFSA, typically starting in October, but no later than the priority filing deadline for the year. You'll be prompted to pre-fill your FAFSA from the previous year's application.
  2. Print your FAFSA confirmation after you renew online.
  3. After your FAFSA is processed you'll receive an email within about 3-5 days to access your FAFSA Submission Summary.
    • Review the FAFSA Submission Summary carefully to make sure it's correct and complete.
    • Make sure the FAFSA Submission Summary lists UC San Diego (Title IV Code 001317) in the school section so that UC San Diego's Financial Aid Office will receive your FAFSA information.

    • Correct your FAFSA if you need to make changes or add UC San Diego's school code (001317).
  4. If you haven't received an email to access your FAFSA Submission Summary within 2 weeks:
  5. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may ask you for additional documents to support the information on your FAFSA, so check your email often.
    • You must submit any additional documents to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office by the annual document deadline.
    • Your FAFSA is based in part on tax returns filed by you and your parents. If you or your parents file late, your FAFSA won't be processed until you file your final federal tax returns. This could affect your aid package, since financial aid is based on the availability of funds.

Making Changes to Your FAFSA

If you realize corrections are needed to your FAFSA, make those changes immediately online (even if you filed a paper application).

The most common mistake on the FAFSA is not including UC San Diego’s code (001317), but see the other possible scenarios below to help you understand what changes may be needed to your FAFSA and how to complete them.

If you receive a “reject” notice from FAFSA:

Incomplete or questionable data may result in rejection of your application by FAFSA.

  1. The FAFSA processing center will notify you of the reject status via email, with instructions to correct or complete any inaccurate data.
  2. Make corrections online, even if you filed a paper FAFSA.
  3. Call the FAFSA processor at (800) 4FED-AID (433-3243) if you have questions about your reject status or how to clear it.

If you need to declare a change of circumstances to your income or expenses:

Change of circumstances can include loss of income, one-time only income, rent increase, car repairs, computer purchase, medical or dental costs, etc.

  1. Complete your financial aid application (FAFSA or CADAA) with the information it’s requesting. 
  2. After your financial aid application is complete, you can search our Forms page to gather the correct appeal form. 
  3. Complete the appeal form and provide all supporting documentation to our office and we will make the changes to your financial aid application for you.

If your income or expenses change:

  1. File an appeal with UC San Diego's Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (not with FAFSA/CADAA).
  2. UC San Diego will review your appeal and make any adjustments to your financial aid based on new financial aid eligibility and available funds.

If You Filed Your FAFSA After the Priority Filing Deadline

Filing later than the priority deadline means you will only be eligible for the following types of awards:

  • Federal Pell grants
  • Federal Direct loans
  • Federal parent PLUS loans
  • Graduate/ Professional PLUS loans
  • Private loans
  • Renewal Cal grants (not for new Cal grants)