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Grants for Undergraduates

  • File your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (if AB540 eligible) by May 2 to be considered for need-based grant. 

  • Submit any additional documents requested by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office before the May 1 deadline.

  • Any other application requirements are listed below, under each specific grant type. Each type of grant may have its own eligibility requirements.

  • The grant amounts listed in the table below are estimates and depend on available funding.

Effective since Fall 2016 Admits and future Admits:
The university is unable to provide university grant or scholarship support to Non-California Residents.

Grant Types and Details

Cal Grant A

Annual amount:

Pays systemwide registration fees and stipend amounts:
Cohort 0 - $12,570 for 2021-2022 academic year or prior
Cohort 1 - $13,104 for 2022-2023 academic year
Cohort 2 - $13,752 for 2023-2024 academic year 
Funded by:

State of California (California Student Aid Commission)

Note: Amounts are set by the State government and are subject to change at any time. You must be enrolled full-time (12 or more units) to receive the full grant award.
Note:

Amounts are set by the State government and are subject to change at any time. You must be enrolled full-time (12 or more units) to receive the full grant award.

How to Apply

  1. File your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (if AB540 eligible and cannot submit a FAFSA) by May 2 and file any requested documents by May 1.

  2. If you're already in college and are applying for a new Cal Grant, submit the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form before March 2.

Note: Additional documents may be requested from the Commission after a new Cal Grant is awarded. Failure to provide the documents will result in a loss of the Cal Grant. UC San Diego will not be able to replace lost Cal Grant with other university funding (grants, work study, loans).

More Information

If you are enrolled in less than 12 units, you'll receive a reduced amount of the Cal Grant fee award:

  • 6-8 units = 1/2 the amount
  • 9-11 units = 3/4 the amount
  • 12+ units = the full amount

Cal Grant B

Annual amount:

Pays systemwide registration fees:
Cohort 0 - $12,570 for 2021-2022 academic year or prior $1,648 Stipend
Cohort 1 - $13,104 for 2022-2023 academic year $1,648 Stipend
Cohort 2 - $13,752 for 2023-2024 academic year $1,648 Stipend
For the first year, you receive only the subsistence stipend.
Funded by:

State of California (California Student Aid Commission)

Note: Amounts are set by the State government and are subject to change at any time. You must be enrolled full-time (12 or more units) to receive the full grant award.
Note:

Amounts are set by the State government and are subject to change at any time. You must be enrolled full-time (12 or more units) to receive the full grant award.

How to Apply

  1. File your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application by May 2 and file any requested documents by May 1.

  2. If you are already in college and are applying for a new Cal Grant, submit the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form before March 2.

Note: Additional documents may be requested from the Commission after a new Cal Grant is awarded. Failure to provide the documents will result in a loss of the Cal Grant. UC San Diego will not be able to replace lost Cal Grant with other university funding (grants, work study, loans).

More Information

If you're enrolled in less than 12 units, you'll receive a reduced amount of the Cal Grant fee and stipend awards:

  • 6-8 units = 1/2 the amount
  • 9-11 units = 3/4 the amount
  • 12+ units = the full amount

Cal Grant B recipients will automatically have their full Access award applied to their student account to pay any outstanding balances. Alternatively, students may elect to receive the full disbursement of their Access award directly prior to disbursement to be used towards educational expenses not directly charged by UC San Diego. If you would like to choose this alternative method please submit a request to Student Financial Solutions through the student support portal. Please note: requests can be submitted at any time and applied to future quarters, but cannot be processed retroactively.

Federal Pell Grant

2023-24:

Annual amount:

$750 to $7395
Lifetime Limit:

Six years (18 quarters) or the equivalent. This includes amounts received at other colleges.
Funded by:

U.S. Department of Education (Federal Student Aid)

More Information

If you're enrolled in less than 12 units, you'll receive a reduced amount of the Pell Grant:

  • 6-8 units = 1/2 the amount
  • 9-11 units = 3/4 the amount
  • 12+ units = the full amount

Changes to Pell Grant: Effective 2024-25

Enrollment intensity is a percentage that represents how many units you are taking compared to a full-time course load. Your Pell Grant award will now be calculated based on this enrollment intensity percentage, rather than the old enrollment level categories. This new enrollment intensity system provides a more flexible and accurate way to calculate your Pell Grant, tailoring the award amount to your actual enrollment level rather than fitting into broad categories. Please keep in mind, the chart below is only for the Federal Pell Grant, other aid, such as CalGrant, will still use the old system of Enrollment Level to award (Full-time, 3/4 Time, 1/2 Time, etc) See chart below:

Enrollment Intensity

The Maximum Pell Grant for 2024/2025 is $7,395 for the entire year (If enrolled in 12 or more units for Fall, Winter, and Spring AND Student Aid Index (SAI) is between –1500 and 0). Adjustments will be made based on actual enrollment and SAI. The Student Aid Index (SAI) is what the FAFSA calculates based on your income and household information reported on the FAFSA.

Students can receive a Pell Grant for up to six years, the equivalent of 18 full-time quarters. This includes semesters/quarters used at other colleges and summer terms. Since the amount of a scheduled Pell Grant award you can receive each award year is equal to 100% for full-time enrollment, the six-year equivalent is 600%. You can read more about Pell Lifetime Eligibility online.

As part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, the Special Rule for Pell Grants replaces the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG) and the Children of Fallen Heroes (CFH) Scholarship with new or modified eligibility criteria for a student who is less than 33 years old as of the first of January of the FAFSA award year and who indicate on the FAFSA that their parent or guardian died in the line of duty while:

  1. Serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001 (i.e., IASG); or
  2. Actively serving as and performing the duties of a public safety officer (i.e., CFH).

If you answered yes to the FAFSA question the Financial Aid and Scholarships office will request documentation in the Financial Aid Tool. Eligible students will receive a maximum Pell Grant regardless of their Student Aid Index (adjusted for enrollment intensity).

 

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

Annual amount:

$100 to $4,000
Funded by:

U.S. Department of Education (Federal Student Aid)

Grant-In-Aid (GIA)

Annual amount:

Varies depending upon need
Funded by:

University of California

University grant: Blue and Gold Opportunity Grant

Annual amount:

Varies depending upon the total amount of your gift aid; if your existing gift aid from all other sources does not cover your systemwide UC tuition and fees, the Blue and Gold grant will make up the balance.
Funded by:

University of California

To be eligible for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Grant, you must:

  • Demonstrate income of less than $80,000 with financial need, as determined for federal need-based aid programs
  • Be a California resident
  • Be in your first 4 years of attendance at UC (or your first 2 years if a transfer student) Meet other basic eligibility requirements for need-based financial aid
  • Apply for Cal Grant by submitting the Cal Grant GPA Verification to the Cal Grant Program

The Blue and Gold plan applies only to the academic year (Fall, Winter and Spring). It does not cover Summer Sessions charges.

More information:

UC Blue and Gold Opportunity plan

University Grant: Native American Opportunity (NAOP) Grant

Annual amount:

Varies depending upon the total amount of your gift aid; if your existing gift aid from all other sources does not cover your systemwide UC tuition and fees, the NAOP grant will make up the balance.
Funded by:

University of California

To be eligible for the Native American Opportunity Grant you must:

  1. Must be a current or newly admitted University of California undergraduate, graduate or professional school student.
  2. Must be a California Resident.
  3. Must be an enrolled member in a federally recognized Native American, American Indian and/or Alaska Native tribe.
  4. Must be enrolled in a qualifying UC degree program.

FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application is required for entering students or new applicants. Existing recipients at UC San Diego will have their award automatically renewed during their years of undergraduate enrollment.

NAOP applies only to the academic year (Fall, Winter and Spring). It does not cover Summer Sessions charges.

More information:

UC Native American Opportunity Plan

Summer Session Grants

For more details on UC San Diego summer grants, learn more about Summer Aid.

Pell Grants are also available for those who qualify.