Federal Financial Aid: Direct Loans & Pell Grants

Eligible Programs

To be considered for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled in an eligible program. Only the UCLA Extension programs listed below are eligible for federal financial aid. Additionally, courses that are not part of the approved program curriculum will not qualify for financial aid.

Programs Eligible for Federal Aid

Pre-Medical and General Science Studies
Program Type: Undergraduate Certificate
Financial Aid: Direct Loan, both subsidized and unsubsidized, Pell Grant

Landscape Architecture
Program Type: Graduate Certificate
Financial Aid: Direct Loan, unsubsidized only

Paralegal Training Program
Program Type: Graduate Certificate
Financial Aid: Direct Loan, unsubsidized only

UCLA Post-Baccalaureate Program in Classics
Program Type: Graduate Certificate
Financial Aid: Direct Loan, unsubsidized only

Pathway Learning & Lifeskills Program
Financial Aid: Pell Grant only

Types of Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at UCLA Extension offers students the following types of aid only.

Federal Direct Loans

The Subsidized Federal Direct Loan is based on financial need determined by a federal formula. A loan is subsidized when the interest is paid by the government until six months after a student leaves school or drops below half-time status.

The Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan is not based on financial need and is available to students, regardless of income. Interest accrues from the date of the loan disbursement.

To receive an offer of either type of Federal Direct Loan, a student must first submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Federal Direct Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized, must be repaid with interest.

If you are a student who has borrowed or will be borrowing via Federal Direct Loans, you must provide your Social Security number on your online student account. If you do not do so, you will not be able to borrow Federal Direct Loans and/or your enrollment will not be reported to the Department of Education. This may cause your loans to fall out of deferment or delay your loan forgiveness.

LOAN FEES AND INTEREST RATES
Loan Type/ Career Level	Interest Rate	Interest Rate Period	Origination Fee
Subsidized & Unsubsidized/ Undergraduate	5.50%	July 1, 2023– June 30, 2024	1.057%
Unsubsidized/ Graduate	7.048%	July 1, 2023– June 30, 2024	1.057%

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you:

Have earned a high school diploma or GED*
Are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (must be documented)
Are enrolled in one of the approved UCLA Extension programs listed above
Have not defaulted on any educational loan or do not owe a refund on any state or federal student aid grant
Are not receiving Federal Aid at a different school in the same academic year. **
Are enrolled in at least six units of an undergraduate or four units of a graduate program per quarter to maintain at least a half-time student status each quarter, as follows:

Enrollment Status Undergraduate
Units Needed Graduate
Units Needed

Full-time Student 12 units 8 units

Half-Time Student 6-8 units 4-5 units

Enrollment Status	Undergraduate Units Needed	Graduate Units Needed
Full-time Student	12 units	8 units
Half-Time Student	6-8 units	4-5 units

*If you have not completed this requirement, call your local high school for information regarding GED completion and testing schedule.

** Students can only receive Federal Financial Aid from one school at a time.

Federal Pell Grants

These grants are need-based and do not have to be repaid.

Eligibility

Eligibility for need-based Pell Grants is determined by the federal government, based on a formula developed by the U.S. Department of Education and approved annually by Congress. They are awarded to students enrolled in qualified undergraduate programs, who have not earned a bachelor’s degree. When you file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you are automatically considered for a Pell Grant. Awards may range from $767 to $7395 per year. The Pell Grant award is adjusted according to your enrollment status and based on the number of units enrolled in per quarter.

Pell Grant for Pathway Learning & Lifeskills Programs

In order to receive Federal Student Aid for the Pathway Program, students must:

Have a documented intellectual disability as defined in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
Be enrolled in the program full time (at least 12 unit equivalents per quarter)
Maintain passing grades (“C” or better or "Pass") in all enrolled classes
Complete the program in six quarters

Download application instructions for Pathway

Note: Students enrolling in the Pathway Program are not eligible to apply for the Federal Direct Loan program and therefore should not complete the master promissory note (MPN) and/or supplemental certification form.

Cost of Attendance

The total Cost Of Attendance (COA) at UCLA Extension includes tuition, fees, housing costs, food, books, and transit. We have compiled information about Typical Housing Costs. This gives you an idea of housing prices near UCLA Extension. The COA is not a bill and amounts may be different for individuals students. Please use this only as a guide to help you budget for your time at UCLA Extension.

Your maximum loan eligibility cannot exceed COA (cost of attendance) per quarter. Please see the budgets below for current standard costs. You must be enrolled in at least Half-time units per quarter.

The budgets below reflect three quarters.

2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Budgets

	Undergraduate	Graduate
Food & Housing	$18,609	$26,091
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment	$1,64	$1,817
Transportation	$1,458	$3,465
Personal	$2,340	$2,920
Health Insurance	$3,842	$5,571
Loan Fees	$117	$1,044
Tuition & Fees	**	**
Total	$28,007 + Tuition and Fees	$40,908 +Tuition and Fees

**Tuition and fees are all different and dependent on your Certificate. To view estimated fees please visit the certificate webpage.

2023-2024 Undergraduate and Graduate Budgets

	Undergraduate	Graduate
Food & Housing	$17,436	$24,849
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment	$1,574	$1,731
Transportation	$1,196	$3,300
Personal	$1,921	$2,781
Health Insurance	$3,202	$5,571
Loan fees	$117	$985
Tuition & Fees	**	**
Total	$25,329 + Tuition and Fees	$39,217 + Tuition and Fees

** Tuition and fees are all different and dependent on your Certificate. To view estimated fees please visit the certificate webpage.

Disbursement Schedule

Financial aid will be equally disbursed over your quarters of enrollment for the current school year. Loans are disbursed 10 days before the start of the quarter. Loan disbursement dates can not be adjusted and are the earliest a loan can be disbursed.

2024-2025 Disbursement Dates

Quarter	Loan Period	Disbursement Date
Summer 2024	06/24/24 – 09/15/24	06/14/24
Fall 2024	09/23/24 – 12/15/24	09/13/24
Winter 2025	01/06/25 – 03/23/25	12/27/24
Spring 2025	03/31/25 – 06/15/25	03/21/25

Please note: Loans will only disburse after students have already paid for classes at UCLA Extension (at least 6 units per quarter) Courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Paralegal Studies Students: These disbursement dates do not apply to Paralegal Studies students. Please see loan disbursement dates on Payment schedule or on the Financial Aid Guide & Application Instructions.

Maintaining Eligibility

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) measures your progress toward certificate completion. All Financial aid students must be meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements to maintain Financial aid eligibility.

Qualitative and Quantitative Standards

Federal regulations require UCLA Extension to establish, publish and apply standards of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility. If you fail to meet minimum progress standards, you will become ineligible to receive financial aid until you are in compliance with the standards. If, during any quarter, you expect you cannot meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements listed, you should contact the UCLA Extension Financial Aid Office immediately.

Programs are held to a qualitative standard of a 2.0 grade point average, which applies to all courses taken for credit (letter grade), and a minimum grade of “C” in each class. It should be noted that certain programs may require a higher GPA. In such cases, your evaluation will be based on the higher GPA requirement.

The quantitative standard requires you to be enrolled in at least six units in your undergraduate program each quarter or four units in your graduate program in order to obtain funds. You must also successfully complete at least 18 undergraduate units or 12 graduate units in each year of your program. Additionally, each program has a quarter cap, i.e., the maximum number of quarters to complete a program. After the quarter cap established for one program has been reached, no further need-based financial aid will be granted. See UCLA Extension Federal Financial Aid Guide and Application for quarter limits.

Withdrawal and Cancellation

Withdrawal from a quarter in which you receive financial aid may apply as a quarter attended and may work to your disadvantage in reaching the quarter cap of your program. Cancellation of registration (prior to the first day of classes), however, does not apply as a quarter attended. Refund and payback of aid received is based on the date you officially withdraw or cancel.

Disqualification and Reinstatement

The Financial Aid Office monitors satisfactory progress annually. Progress is measured according to the number of quarters you have attended and the number of units you have successfully completed. If you have not met the requirements, you will be disqualified from receiving funds and your financial aid will be discontinued until the deficiencies are satisfied.

Financial aid eligibility is reinstated for the quarter following the quarter in which you reestablish compliance with the units-per quarter agreement. For example, if you successfully complete all deficit units in Fall Quarter and therefore make up the deficiency, you become eligible for financial aid in Winter Quarter.

Appeals Process

If you fail to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards and are disqualified, you may appeal your disqualification.

To appeal, submit a letter and supporting documentation to the UCLA Extension Financial Aid Appeals Committee. In your letter, be sure to explain the circumstances that led to your disqualification and how they affected your ability to meet the requirements. Upon written receipt of your appeals packet, the Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review your request and inform you in writing of its decision.

Return of Title IV Funds

Federal student aid is awarded to a student with the understanding that the student will enroll in a certificate program that qualifies for federal financial aid for the entire quarter for which they received aid. When a student completely withdraws and/or drops below half-time enrollment, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of federal aid the student was originally scheduled to receive.

Based on the date of your withdrawal, the UCLA Campus Financial Aid Office will calculate how much of your financial aid you “earned” from the beginning of the quarter until the date you dropped classes, including administrative cancellations, if applicable. If you received more financial aid funds than what you were entitled to, you will be required to repay federal financial aid funds received for the quarter of withdrawal to UCLA. Withdrawal may affect your eligibility to receive financial aid in subsequent quarters/terms.

FAFSA Simplification

The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020 allowed for major improvements in the financial aid application process beginning in the 2024/25 academic year. The 24/25 FAFSA is now available to complete.

The Simplified FAFSA will:

Expand the access to Federal Financial Aid.
Reduce the number of questions asked.
Enhance data sharing with the IRS to ease the applicants experience.

The delayed FAFSA and CADAA application launch will only impact the 2024/25 academic year. In the meantime, we recommend viewing each respective FAQ page for an overview on the major changes and improvements that students and families can expect.

FAFSA Simplification FAQs

Learn how to apply

Download the Federal Financial Aid Guide & Application Packet (pdf).

Paralegal Training Program: download additional information (pdf).

See enrollment conditions and FAQs further down this page.

Federal Financial Aid Guide & Application Packet

Important Notice

Enrollment Conditions

To meet requirements, you must be enrolled in your eligible program for the entire quarter in which you are receiving aid, and you must be enrolled in required courses for your program.

If you completely withdraw and/or drop below half-time enrollment, you may no longer be eligible for the full amount of federal aid that you were originally scheduled to receive. Our Financial Aid team will use the date of your withdrawal to calculate how much of your financial aid you “earned” from the beginning of the quarter until the date you dropped or were cancelled from your course(s).

If you received more financial aid funds than you were entitled to, you will be required to repay to UCLA all federal financial aid funds received for the quarter in which you withdrew or from which your enrollment was cancelled. Please note that withdrawing may affect your eligibility to receive financial aid in subsequent quarters/terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's: Eligibility & How to Apply

What paperwork will I need to complete in order to apply?

See pages 8-9 of the Federal Financial Aid Guide & Application Packet.

Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application online does not constitute a complete application. All students must submit a financial aid packet to the Financial Aid Office to process their aid request.

What is UCLA Extension's school code?

UCLA and UCLA Extension share the same school code: 001315.

Should I apply as a graduate student if I already have a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral degree?

Your status depends on the certificate.

If you are applying for the Paralegal Training Program (graduate track), Landscape Architecture or the Post-Baccalaureate Program in Classics, you should apply as a graduate student.

If you are applying for the Pre-Medical and General Science, or Paralegal Training (undergraduate track) programs, you should apply as an undergraduate student even if you already have an undergraduate or higher degree.

Please note that in order to enroll in a certificate program, students must meet certificate prerequisite(s).

What is a professional student?

A professional student is someone doing a post-graduate program. This category does not apply to UCLA Extension students or programs. Do not check this category on any of your forms.

Do I need to list all schools on Form 591, even if I attended but never completed?

Yes, you must list all schools at which you have registered, even if you never attended the classes, or attended and did not complete classes, or are currently attending.

If I am attending two colleges at the same time, can I receive financial aid from both colleges?

No. You may only receive federal aid from one institution at a time. However, private loans may be available to meet any gap in your educational financing needs.

I understand that if I am 24 or older, I am considered independent, but what if I am under 24 and I am independent?

Your dependency status is determined by FAFSA. However, if your have special circumstances you may be eligible for an appeal.

Special circumstances refers to students who no longer have any relationship with their parents for reasons such as, but not limited to: severe estrangement from parent, removal from home due to abuse*, parent incarceration or incapacitation, or parent's whereabouts are unknown.

The following circumstances do not qualify for appeal:

Parents refusing to contribute to college education
Parents unwilling to provide information on your financial aid application (i.e. FAFSA or California Dream Act Application);
Parents do not claim student on income taxes
Student is financially independent of parents

You must contact the Financial Aid Office to request the "Independent Appeal Form." Our contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.

How long does it take to be approved for financial aid?

The approval process can take up to 2-3 weeks. In some cases students are selected for Verification, which may increase the processing time from 2-3 weeks to 3-5 weeks.

Do international students qualify for federal financial aid?

No.

I only want to apply for the Pell Grant. Do I have to complete the FAFSA?

Yes. Since financial need is a criterion, you must complete a FAFSA.

Do concurrent courses qualify for federal financial aid?

No.

FAQ's: Student Aid Report (SAR)

I received my SAR. Do I need to review it?

Yes, you must review the entire document. If there are any errors, follow the directions on the first page. If you are not sure what to do, contact the UCLA Extension Financial Aid Office. Our contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.

Will UCLA Extension electronically receive all corrections I have made on my SAR?

No, UCLA Extension does not receive anything electronically. You must wait to receive a new SAR. Please inform the Financial aid Office of any updates made to your FAFSA.

I went to another college and UCLA is not listed under the school section on my SAR. What should I do?

You will need to call (800) 433-3243 and have the federal processor add UCLA’s name and school code (001315) to your SAR. You should request that a new SAR be emailed to you.

FAQ's: Once you've applied

Once I am accepted for financial aid, how long is it good for?

Your aid is good from July 1 through June 30. You must reapply for financial aid every year; to meet the deadlines, you should apply for FAFSA by early spring of each year.

Do I need to pay the school anything before receiving my financial aid?

Yes, you must pay your certificate candidacy fee and course fees at the time of registration. UCLA Extension does not defer these fees.

Candidacy fees can be found on certificate pages and paid by clicking “Apply Now.”

How is the amount of money I will receive determined and who determines it?

The amount is determined by a formula instituted by the U.S. Department of Education. You can read more about this at studentaid.gov.

Can I apply for an Extension Grant if I am receiving federal financial aid?

No. UCLA Extension grants are only available for students who can not use any other type of aid.

How and when do I enroll in UCLA Extension courses?

You may enroll in classes approximately six weeks prior to the beginning of the quarter. To enroll in classes via our website, a valid major credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, JCB, Visa, or debit card) is required. In order for your financial aid check to be released, you must be enrolled in a minimum of six units in an eligible undergraduate certificate and/or four units in an eligible graduate certificate.

Note: Only courses that are a part of your certificate curriculum are eligible for funding.

Students enrolling in the Pre-Medical and General Science Certificate: Courses numbered in the 400, 700-900 series, as well XLC concurrent/online courses are not eligible for funding.

What if I drop or withdraw from my course or program?

If you completely withdraw and/or drop below half-time enrollment, you may no longer be eligible for the full amount of federal aid you were originally scheduled to receive. Our Financial Aid team will use the date of your withdrawal to calculate how much of your financial aid you “earned” from the beginning of the quarter until the date you dropped or were cancelled from your course(s).

How can I view my financial aid history?

You can use the studentaid.gov to view information on any federal student aid you have received, including loan and/or grant amounts, outstanding balances, loan status and disbursements. You can also look up your loan servicer.

The Studentaid.gov site is the U.S. Department of Education’s central database for student aid. It receives data from schools, agencies that guaranty loans, the Direct Loan program and other U.S. Department of Education programs. Your studentaid.gov account provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and grants that are tracked through their entire cycle – from aid approval through closure.

To view your information, you will be asked to sign in with your FSA ID, which is the same as the one used to apply for FAFSA.

What are the interest rates for Federal Direct Loans?

The Direct Loan Program consists of low-interest subsidized and unsubsidized loans funded by the federal government. Loans are available to students enrolled in an approved certificate. Loan repayment begins six months after graduation or upon dropping below half-time enrollment status. Interest rates are subject to change each academic year. Interest rates applicable to the current school year can be found on page 5 of the Federal Aid Guide & Application Packet and on this website page above under the Direct loan sections.

What is A Financial Aid Notice? and where can I access it?

Once UCLA Extension has processed your financial aid application you should receive a Financial Aid Notification (FAN) via email. The FAN will list your award amount by quarters that you are eligible for. You will need to fill, complete and return the FAN to the Financial Aid Office in order to accept or decline the aid offered to you.

Where is my Disbursement ?

If you have completed a Financial aid Application ( see Financial Aid Guide ) and have submitted your Financial aid notice and have not received your disbursement, please make sure to review the following.

Financial aid will only disburse if the following are complete.

1. You are enrolled in at least half time ( 6 units undergrad, 4 units grad)

2. you have completed both the master promissory note and loan counseling.

3. The scheduled disbursement date has occurred. Aid can only be disbursed 10 days before the start of the quarter. (see Financial aid guide for dates)

4. You do not have any holds on your account

If all of the items are complete and you still do not have you disbursement you can check your disbursement history and refund status on Myucla BruinBill.

If you have signed up for BruinDirect you will get a direct deposit with your funds in the bank account associated with your BruinDirect account. (2-3 days)

If you did not sign up for BruinDirect you get a paper check sent to your mailing address listed on your UCLA Extension account. (10-15 days)

Learn more about Loan Disbursement

What if I have not received my refund ?

If you have reviewed your BruinBill Account and see that your refund was sent out to you either via direct deposit or check but you have not received it you may contact UCLA Student accounts to verify your bank account info is correct or to reissue check if needed.

To access BruinBill: