Financial Aid & Scholarships Office
The Financial Aid & Scholarships Office is serving students in-person, virtually and by phone. Please review our service hours and upcoming closures.
Contact UsProspective Students
As a first-year applicant, you must earn a high school diploma (or equivalent) and satisfy these requirements.
Current Students
Learn about the important dates that you'll encounter throughout the application process.
Special Cases
Our goal is to identify and admit students who are fully prepared to excel in our challenging academic environment.
The First Step
The first step to apply for financial aid is to submit the appropriate application, ideally by the priority deadline.
Video Resources
Videos focus on applying for financial aid and offer tips on other methods of financing your education.
Calendar
December 6-13: Fall 2025 Finals week
December 19: Winter 2026 Registration fee payment deadline
December 24-January 1: Winter Campus Closure
December 27: Winter 2026 Financial Aid begins disbursing to billing accounts for eligible students
January 5: Winter 2026 First day of classes
January 16: Winter 2026 Financial Aid Unit Freeze
February 16: Office closed: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 19: Winter 2026 earned 100% Federal Financial Aid
March 2: 2026-27 FAFSA and CADAA Priority filing deadline
March 13: Winter 2026 Instruction ends
March 14-21: Winter 2026 Finals week
March 27: Office Closed: César Chávez Day
News
Cal Fresh/SNAP: for the latest information and assistance options for those impacted by the federal SNAP program visit the UC San Diego HUB Basic Needs Center.
Middle Class Scholarships To help avoid unexpected changes or billing, the campus is working closely with the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and is scheduled to begin posting Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) to the financial aid portal in the next few weeks and will through the end of the Fall quarter.
Adding or Dropping units? This can impact your financial aid and your bill Just a reminder, adjusting your enrollment this can impact your financial aid on TritonPay, please allow time for your bill to reflect any updates.
2025-26 Special Circumstances appeals for Cost of Attendance and Student Aid Index (SAI) Financial Aid are available.
2026-27 FAFSA and CADAA applications- Priority Filing Deadline March 2, 2026. File your 2026-27 FAFSA or CADAA today...don't forget the UC San Diego school code 001317.
Monitor your ucsd email for important updates.
UC San Diego is committed to using the Principles & Standards of the College Cost Transparency Initiative in its student financial aid offer.