A student’s financial aid award is an estimate based on the information available as of the time the financial package is created. There are several factors, from different sources outside Financial Aid and Scholarships, that may lead to adjustments to a student’s financial aid package throughout the academic year.
Additional Resources
Per federal regulations outside awards may affect a student's financial aid package, and if reported after the school year begins may result in a bill. Outside awards include:
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Stipends
- California and Federal Fee waivers or fee payments
- Research or Teaching Assistantships (RA/TA)
- Department of Rehabilitation Benefits
Changes in Enrollment
If you reduce the number of units you are taking, change your enrollment status to part-time with the Office of the University Registrar, or are receiving a staff fee reduction, you may be required to repay financial aid already received. Full-time enrollment is 12 or more units per quarter. Financial aid cannot be disbursed to students who are on a waiting list for courses/units.
Complete and submit to Financial Aid and Scholarships a Change in Aid form online through MyAwards for any of the following circumstances:
- Change to part-time status: If you are on official part-time status through the Office of the University Registrar the cost of attendance for the quarter will be reduced to reflect the amount of the part-time fees versus the amount of the full-time fees, and financial aid is adjusted accordingly. Please be aware that students must be enrolled in at least 6 units in order for financial aid (except for Pell Grant) to disburse to a student's account.
- Report returning from Planned Educational Leave Program
- Request additional Direct Loan
- Request a loan instead of Work-Study
- Request Work-Study instead of a loan
- Adjusting summer units. For more information on the impact on summer aid visit the section Return of Title IV Funds and Refund Policies.
Undergraduate Enrollment
In order to remain eligible to receive your full Cal Grant, Middle Class Scholarship (MCS), and/or Pell Grant award, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units at the census date every quarter. The census date occurs typically on the 25th day of instruction. If you are enrolled in less than 12 units on the census date, your Cal Grant, Middle Class Scholarship (MCS), and/or Pell Grant will be reduced or prorated accordingly after the census date has passed, which may result in a charge on your student account. Please refer to the chart below for the prorated percentages based on enrollment.
| Enrollment Status | Units | % Disburse |
|---|---|---|
| Less than Half-time | 4 - 5.5 |
25% (Pell Grant Only) |
| Half-time | 6 - 8.5 | 50% |
| Three-quarter time | 9 - 11.5 | 75% |
| Full-time | 12 or more | 100% |
Changes in Housing
If you change from on-campus to off-campus, or to commuting to campus, this can affect your financial aid package. To ensure your financial aid package is current, complete and submit to Financial Aid and Scholarships a Change in Aid form online through MyAwards.
Confirming Class Participation
All students are required to acknowledge the Code of Academic Conduct for each registered course.
Beginning on the first day of instruction, my.ucdavis.edu will notify students online and through email to participate in keeping UC Davis a fair and honest community. Failure to confirm academic activity for enrolled courses before the 15th day of instruction will result in a student potentially being billed for all of the financial aid within the term.
Please note: Students attending another UC for Summer Session do not have access to the online Academic Participation tool. Financial Aid and Scholarships sends a separate notification to their UC Davis email based on enrollment information provided by the other UC.
If Financial Aid and Scholarships cannot determine a student's academic activity, then students may submit supporting documentation for all courses attended as supplemental evidence for review. For more information please visit participate.ucdavis.edu.
Family Contribution Appeal
Students or parents may request a review of extraordinary circumstances not included in your financial aid application. Situations that we will review include loss of employment or income, death in the family, divorce or separation, or significant medical expenses. Documentation will be required. For more information visit the Family Contribution Review page.
Late-Term Registration
The deadline for adjusting enrollment for Pell and Cal Grant consideration for each quarter is the 25th day of instruction (for Summer Sessions, the Last day to opt for Pass/Not Passed (P/NP) or to change units of variable-unit courses in Schedule Builder). Registration for all classes must be completed by this date to ensure the classes count towards Pell and Cal Grant eligibility. Please check the academic calendar for these published dates.
Repeating a Course for a Second Time
In regards to financial aid eligibility, a student cannot receive financial aid for repeating a course a second time if the course was previously passed; Federal and State funding considers a passing grade to be a D- or better, regardless of any school or program policy requiring a higher qualitative grade or measure to have been considered to have passed the course.
If you are a financial aid recipient appealing to your Dean's office to take a course as a second repeat, you are advised to consult with Financial Aid and Scholarships prior to the appeal submission regarding any effect to your financial aid eligibility. Visit the Office of the University Registrar's website for more information on repeating a course and illegal course repeats.
State and University charges and funding availability
Actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California and could be affected by state funding reductions. Federal, state and university funds are limited and subject to availability at the time they are offered. The amounts and types of aid are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.
Updating Financial Aid Application
If a student updates their financial aid application (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) Financial Aid and Scholarships is required to review and resolve any conflicting information. In addition to changes to the financial aid package, this may also result in a bill to your student account.
If you have questions about updating the financial aid application please contact your Financial Aid Office.
Uncashed Paper Checks
If a paper check was issued for your financial aid refund by Student Accounting and includes federal funds, it must be cashed within 160 days from the date of issue due per federal regulations. If it is not cashed within this timeframe, the check will be canceled and the funds recouped from your account possibly creating a balance due.
Verification
If selected for verification, Financial Aid and Scholarships may request additional documents to verify the information on your financial aid application. We cannot disburse financial aid until all verification and documentation requirements are satisfied. All financial aid awarded is subject to change after verification. For more information, visit Verification.