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FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

Important Facts

  • Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college or grad school.

  • The FAFSA is available for US citizens and eligible non-citizens (ie, permanent residents).

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

  • The FAFSA application opens in December.

  • The UC San Diego school code for your FAFSA is 001317.

  • The U.S. government, California, and UC San Diego base financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study are all awarded based on the FAFSA.

  • To receive priority funding, file your FAFSA no later than the May 2 extended state deadline. 

  • Students can continue to apply on or after May 3 for Federal and other limited financial aid consideration.

  • We recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to complete your FAFSA.

    The FAFSA requires tax information from the previous’ year’s tax return.

    • For the 2023-2024 academic year, we’re using the 2021 tax return information.

    • For the 2024-2025 academic year, we’re using the 2022 tax return information.

Check your UC San Diego email account often

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may ask you for additional documents after you file your FAFSA. Check your UC San Diego email account often, and make sure you submit any additional documents or clear any FAFSA rejects by May 1.

More Information and Help With FAFSA

If You're Applying for the First Time

Note:

Don't wait until you are admitted to UC San Diego to submit your FAFSA.

    1. Register for your FSA ID online, which gives you and your parents access to your personal information on the Web and allows you to sign student aid documents electronically.

    2. File a 2024-25 FAFSA by the May 2, 2024 extended state deadline for priority funding for awards like work-study, UC grants, and University loan. 

    3. Print out a confirmation when you have completed the FAFSA online.

    4. You'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) about 3 - 5 days after your FAFSA is processed.

      • Review the SAR carefully to make sure it's correct and complete.

      • Make sure the SAR 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 on the Web if you need to make changes or add UC San Diego's school code (001317).

If you haven't received your SAR within 2 weeks:

  2. If you are admitted to UC San Diego, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will review your application for aid.

  3. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may ask you for additional documents to support the information on your FAFSA, so check your e-mail often.

    • You must submit any additional documents to the Financial Aid Office by May 1.

    • 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.

If You're Applying for Continuing Aid

Note:

You must file a FAFSA before each new school year to be considered for financial aid.

  1. Reapply for student financial aid by filing the FAFSA on the Web starting in December, but no later than May 2. You'll be prompted to pre-fill your FAFSA from the previous year's application.

  2. Print out a confirmation after you renew the FAFSA online.

  3. After your FAFSA is processed (within about 3 – 5 days), you'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR).

    • Review the SAR carefully to make sure it's correct and complete.

    • Make sure the SAR 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 on the Web if you need to make changes or add UC San Diego's school code (001317).

  4. If you haven't received your SAR 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 e-mail often.

    • You must submit any additional documents to the Financial Aid Office by May 1.

    • 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.

Note:

Make corrections to your FAFSA immediately.

Making Changes On Your FAFSA Application

Make corrections on the Web, even if you filed a paper FAFSA.

The most common mistake on the FAFSA is not including our school code (001317).

If You Received 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 e-mail, with instructions to correct or complete any inaccurate data.

  2. Make corrections on the Web, 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 From 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.

Complete your FAFSA with the information it’s requesting. After your FAFSA is complete, you can search our website under Forms and Resources to gather the correct appeal form. Complete the appeal form and provide all supporting documentation to our office and we will make the changes to your FAFSA 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).

  2. UC San Diego will review your appeal and make any adjustments to your awards.

If You Filed Your FAFSA After the May 2 Deadline

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)
Financial Aid Estimator

Net Price Calculator

Use this tool to see how much financial aid you may be eligible to receive for in the 2024-25 academic year.

Estimate Your Aid

FA TV

FA TV

Higher Education videos for Financial Aid & Student Services.

FA TV Videos

YouTube

UC YouTube Resources

Videos focus on applying for financial aid and offer tips on other methods of financing your education.

UC Videos

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? Use this resource to find answers to all your frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions