Frequently Asked Questions

For information on accessing the 1098-T please visit https://sfs.ucsd.edu/student-accounts/1098-t.html.

Financial aid disburses about 10 days before the beginning of instruction at the beginning of each quarter. If your financial aid file is complete, and you’re enrolled in units for the quarter (12 units to ensure full disbursement, waitlisted units do not count), then you can expect any remainder financial aid refund to pay around the first week of instruction each quarter. For more refund questions please visit https://sfs.ucsd.edu/student-accounts/refunds.html.

You can view the financial aid items needed in the same place where you would see your award offer. From TritonLink, go to the section “Financial Tools” and then select “Financial Aid” to get to your award offer. Review the Required Documents and Tasks area for details on forms or documents that are needed. If you find nothing is listed in this section, generally that means your file is complete.

We also send emails to your UC San Diego email address with important updated and notifications for any additional required information. Please check your UC San Diego email often.

Direct deposit can be set up via the Direct Deposit tool on TritonLink.

Blue and Gold is our commitment to offering financial aid that greatly benefits all California students and provides cost predictability to all students. The plan does not include Summer Sessions. For more information please visit the University of California Admissions page here: Blue and Gold | UC Admissions.

Log into TritonLink and navigate to the financial aid page by going to the section “Financial Tools” and then “Financial Aid.” There you will have access to your award offer for the school year. You will be given the option to accept or decline the awards that are offered to you. After you have reviewed your awards and approve/decline each award, make sure to click the orange button to complete the acceptance process.

You can apply for financial aid every year by completing the annual FAFSA or California Dream Act application. To be eligible for the best financial aid, you want to complete your application prior to April 2nd for the 2025-26 academic year.

Work-study is a great way to earn money while in school. If you are awarded work-study, you must accept the award to be able to use it. You then will need to find a job via the Career Services website. Upon accepting a position, your work-study funds will be issued to you via a paper check/direct deposit every two weeks. Work-study students are generally allowed up to 20 hours of work per week, depending on the work-study assignment.

If your financial aid is not enough to cover your fees, then you can take advantage of our payment plan option. The Triton Registration Installment Plan (TRIP) allows you to break up your remaining balance into monthly payments each quarter. For questions on TRIP please contact Student Financial Solutions (SFS) at https://sfs.ucsd.edu.

Please stop by our office and speak to a counselor. We do have ways to assist you or put you in touch with the right resources to assist you.

Yes, you must complete a FAFSA or Dream Act Application each year. The applications generally  become available in October. For more information on when the applications are available and the priority filing deadlines for the current year please visit our page: Applying.

The priority deadline date for Institutional aid (grant/loan) and Work-study consideration can vary from year to year. The 2025-26 priority filing deadline is extended to April 2, 2025. Though the 2024-25 priority filing deadline (May 2, 2024) has passed, you may still complete the application at any time during the academic year for federal aid consideration. For more information on when the applications are available and the priority filing deadlines for the current year please visit our page :Applying.

If all your fees are paid, and if a credit balance is created, then you can expect left over funds to be refunded back to the student by Student Financial Solutions (SFS). You have the choice of setting up direct deposit or receiving a paper check. For more information on refunds please visit https://sfs.ucsd.edu/student-accounts/refunds.html.

If you receive scholarships, keep in mind that the scholarship money has to be accounted for in your annual estimated Cost of Attendance. Your other financial awards may be replaced with scholarship money, first reducing any unmet need in your financial aid package, then your other awards in the following order going against your financial need: university loan, work-study, parent PLUS loan, student loans, grants. Generally any scholarship money that replaces a loan reduces your future loan debt.

If you don’t work and you don’t earn your work study money, there are no penalties. This is not something you pay, instead it’s a way for you to earn money while going to school.

Scholarship checks should be mailed to the following address:

TritonPay Office

Attn: Scholarships

Student Services Center Suite 170

9500 Gilman Drive 0009

La Jolla, CA 92093-0009

Limited Summer financial aid is available. Summer awards may include Pell grant, student loans, parent loans, private loans and/or UC San Diego grant funding are available for use in the summer. For more information visit https://fas.ucsd.edu/summer-session.

No. Your Master Promissory Note for your federal loans is generally good for 10 years. You only need to do this document one time based on your years in school.

To apply for a PLUS visit https://studentaid.gov/. The parent can request a loan amount up to the Parental Contribution amount that’s listed on the award offer.

An annual FAFSA must be completed and on file with our school. Federal student loans are offered and can be accepted via the student’s online award offer on TritonLink. A Master Promissory Note and Entrance Loan Counseling will need to be completed for the loan to pay out.

Private loans are certified by our office and are set to disburse a third of the loan amount, at the beginning of each quarter.

You can reach out to our Student Veteran Benefits Coordinator in the Registrar’s Office at vao@ucsd.edu. They will be able to answer all your VA questions.

If your loans haven’t paid out, it could be because your file is incomplete. Please check your award offer and see if there are any recommended tasks to complete. If all your tasks are complete, please check your enrollment. You must be enrolled in at least six units for your loans to start to pay (waitlisted units do not count as enrolled).

If you are not enrolled full time, and if you’re a Pell Grant or Cal Grant recipient, then your financial aid will pay less, based on the number of units that you’re enrolled in. If you have at least six units, then you can expect your student loans to pay.

Yes, you have the option to decline your loan now and then accept it later. You can accept your student loans up until just before the end of the school year (generally mid-May).

Parents are notified via email by the Department of Education if the loan was approved, and if not the options to see an approval next steps. Once you receive the decision email, then you can expect the parent loan to start to pay once financial aid disbursement begins for the academic year (about 10 days before instruction begins each term). The Parent must complete a Parent PLUS Master Promissory Note before any money will be disbursed.

In the event the Parent PLUS loan is denied, you can email our office and let us know. Most dependent students will be eligible for additional unsubsidized loan money after the parent’s been denied. You will need to email our office to let us know of the denial and to request the additional unsubsidized loan money.

A withdrawal calculation will be performed within 45 calendar days of last date of attendance to determine how much financial aid you’re eligible to keep, and if the campus is required to bill any financial aid. The calculation is based on the last date of attendance. The funds that you’re not eligible to keep will be sent back to the Department of Education and in some cases, this may create a bill for the student. An email is sent once the calculation is processed and at that time you can check your billing statement for any account adjustments. For more information please visit Financial Aid and Withdrawing From UC San Diego.

The University requires all students to have major medical insurance. UC San Diego automatically enrolls all students in UC Student Health Insurance Plan (USHIP) and the cost is charged to each student’s account. Note: Students are encouraged to waive out of USHIP and reduce their overall costs if they meet all USHIP waiver requirements.

Financial Aid and Scholarships will post initial financial aid offers in mid-Summer on TritonLink. Financial Aid to cover USHIP will not be included in your aid offer initially.

After the UCSD UC Health Insurance waiver period ends for the Fall quarter, the Financial Aid and Scholarships office will update aid offers for students who remained enrolled in USHIP. The type of aid offered to cover this cost can vary from student to student. For example:

• Students offered only loan(s) may be offered additional loan to assist with the SHIP cost. 
• Undergraduate students who meet all of the following criteria may receive a SHIP grant to assist with a portion of the SHIP cost:
  • Student must be enrolled in USHIP;
  • California Resident or meet AB540 eligibility criteria;
  • Met financial aid priority filing and document submission deadlines
  • Pell eligible with a Student Aid Index equal to or less than $7,395
  • Enrolled in at least 6 units as of the quarterly freeze date
  • Student must have sufficient financial need in their aid offer
  • Pursuing first baccalaureate degree;

Note: The UC Health Grants can only be used for USHIP charges. Financial aid awarded for USHIP expenses, including UC Health Grants, may be reversed if a student waives out of USHIP after initial awarding.

Students are encouraged to waive out of USHIP and reduce their overall costs if they meet all USHIP waiver requirements. If a student waives out of the coverage this reduces their overall cost and the health insurance charge will be waived on the student’s account.