Graduate Students

Where Do You Start?

  • All Graduate students who are U.S. Citizens or Eligible Non-Citizens are required to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UC Davis will use the information you provide on the FAFSA to determine your need and to provide you with financial aid (if you are eligible). The Priority Filing Period for 2013-2014 is January 1 through March 2, 2013 for all types of funding, which may include fellowships, block grants, scholarships, stipends, loans, Work-Study funds, Teaching Assistantships or Graduate Student Researcher fee remissions, and Direct Loans.
  • File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA online at fafsa.ed.gov.
  • Obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) at pin.ed.gov
  • File online after January 1 at fafsa.ed.gov
  • List UC Davis School Code on the FAFSA: 001313
  • Applying to other schools? View the Federal School Code List

When Completing the FAFSA. . .

  • File electronically. Obtain a PIN at pin.ed.gov to sign your FAFSA online.
  • Answer all questions on the FAFSA. If you or your spouse haven't filed your federal income taxes yet, calculate your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and taxes paid using the instructions for IRS Form 1040. The instructions and the form are available online at irs.gov/formspubs/index.html. DO NOT SUBMIT TAX RETURNS TO THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE UNLESS THEY ARE REQUESTED.
  • Include UC Davis School Code 001313 and a housing code on your FAFSA.
  • When you file online, be sure to write down your confirmation number or (if possible) print the confirmation page, which is provided when your FAFSA is accepted and submitted online. If you don't receive a confirmation number, your FAFSA has not been properly completed or filed.
  • When filing online, we recommend using the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet before you begin (see links at the top of this page).
  • We recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool available through FAFSA to directly access your tax returns from a secure IRS website to simplify providing income information. For more information on the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, please see the video tutorial available at finaid.ucsb.edu/media/videos/1314/english/IRSDRT2013.html.
  • Immediately respond to any requests from the Financial Aid Office for additional information.

After You File the FAFSA . . .

  • Be sure to include an email address when you apply online. The Federal Processor will notify you by email when your FAFSA is received and processed, and direct you to a web site to view your Student Aid Report (SAR) online. The SAR explains how your eligibility for federal aid was determined, summarizes your FAFSA information, and provides you with an EFC (Expected Family Contribution), which is also referred to as an SC (Student Contribution) for graduate students. If you don't receive an email confirmation, you may not have completed the FAFSA. Check the status of your application through fafsa.ed.gov.
  • Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC): The EFC is shown in the top-right corner of the SAR. The Financial Aid Office will use the EFC to determine your eligibility for aid. Note: The EFC is also referred to as the SC (Student Contribution) for graduate students.
  • If there is no EFC included on the SAR, the federal processor could not process your application and you might need to correct the SAR. You can make corrections online through fafsa.ed.gov, or contact the processor to resolve the problem.
  • An asterisk printed next to the EFC (e.g., EFC: 1234*), indicates your file has been selected for federal verification. We will require a completed Federal Verification Worksheet and additional documents as needed to confirm your eligibility for need-based financial aid. DO NOT SUBMIT TAX RETURNS TO THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE UNLESS THEY ARE REQUESTED.
  • To ensure that we can match your FAFSA information with your UC Davis student account, you must visit the UC Davis Student Information System (SISWEB) website at sisweb.ucdavis.edu, to provide your Social Security Number, local address, and phone number.
  • UC Davis Financial Aid award information for graduate students will be available online beginning in June for some programs. When your need-based aid is available for viewing, usually October 1 for academic graduate students obtaining a Masters or Ph.D., we will send email to your UC Davis account directing you to MyAwards.

Financial Aid Requirements

  • Once you've applied for financial aid and received notice of your eligibility, there are important requirements you should be aware of before you accept financial aid at UC Davis. These requirements will be listed for your review throughout the summer months online at MyAwards. Be sure to read the requirements and submit any additional information needed. Financial aid will not disburse to your account until all outstanding requirements have been satisfied.
  • Verification: If your FAFSA is selected for verification, the electronic notice available through MyAwards will instruct you to submit a Federal Verification Worksheet and additional documents as needed. All financial aid is subject to change or cancellation pending verification. Aid cannot be processed until all documents are received. DO NOT SUBMIT TAX RETURNS TO THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE UNLESS THEY ARE REQUESTED
  • Report All Resources: Report to the Financial Aid Office all outside scholarships, fellowships, or stipends, and any other income or benefits not reported on the FAFSA. You may notify us by email or complete and submit a Change-In-Aid Request form. Students who do not report all outside resources may be required to repay financial aid.
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): Federal regulations require that students who receive financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress. The SAP Standards for Financial Aid for graduate students are available for review online at financialaid.ucdavis.edu.
  • Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP), Leaving School, Withdrawing from School, Cancelling Enrollment or Dismissal: If you participate in the UC Davis Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP), withdraw from school, leave school, or are dismissed from UC Davis for any portion of the academic year, you may be required to repay financial aid. If you accept loans as part of your financial aid, your grace period, which is the six-months you are given after you leave school until you must begin repaying your loans, will be reduced by the amount of time you are on leave.
  • Accuracy is important when you apply for financial aid. All information is subject to verification according to state and federal regulation. Any false statements or misrepresentations will be cause for denial, reduction, cancellation, or repayment of financial aid.
  • Apply for fellowships, stipends, and other funding through the Office of Graduate Studies at gradstudies.ucdavis.edu and your academic department or graduate group.
  • Coursework Only Status: Coursework Only is an admission status for students who are enrolled in coursework and paying fees, but have not been admitted into a degree-bearing program. This status is also referred to as Non-Matriculation and Limited Status. Students may be in Coursework Only status for no more than 3 consecutive quarters and only once during their educational history. Students may only apply for alternative loans while in this status. To obtain more information about Coursework Only Admission status, visit the Graduate Studies Web site to learn more about "Non-degree Status": gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/prospective/admissions.html

Questions About Applying?

Graduate Financial Aid
(530) 752-9246
FAX: (530) 754-7022
www.fafsa.ed.gov
E-mail:gradfinaid@ucdavis.edu
financialaid.ucdavis.edu

Office of Graduate Studies
University of California
250 Mrak Hall
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
gradstudies.ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-0650
FAX: (530) 752-6222

Federal Student Aid Information Center
1-800-4-FED-AID (433-3243)
8 a.m. to 12 midnight (EST) 7 days a week
www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.pin.ed.gov
www.studentaid.ed.gov

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
UC DAVIS
ONE SHIELDS AVENUE
DAVIS, CA 95616-8596