California's Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) is a program that provides undergraduate students with family incomes up to $201,000* and a maximum annual household asset amount of $201,000*, a scholarship to attend University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) campuses. Scholarship award amounts will vary by student and by the institution. Award amounts will be based on the institution's cost of attendance and the following:
- Any other gift aid for which the student is eligible (i.e., federal, state, institutional, or scholarship aid)
- A self-help student contribution of $7,898 (applied to all students)
- A parent contribution for dependent students with a household income of over $100,000
These three factors collectively are referred to as a student’s “available resources.” These amounts are deducted from the student’s total cost of attendance to determine the MCS award. Under this formula, award amounts will vary widely among students, with each award reflecting their costs and available resources.
*figures are for the 2022-23 academic year.
Disbursement Information
The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) is a unit-sensitive award and will disburse each quarter based on enrolled units.
| Enrollment Status | Units | % Disburse |
|---|---|---|
| Less than Half-time | Less than 6 | 0% |
| Half-time | 6 - 8.5 | 50% |
| Three-quarter time | 9 - 11.5 | 75% |
| Full-time | 12 or more | 100% |
For more information please visit Disbursement and Direct Deposit and Changes That May Affect Your Aid.
Award Notification
Once the MCS award is processed, students will receive an email to review MyAwards. Please note, this program is contingent upon state funding. Qualifying maximum annual household assets and income are subject to change.
Update as of March 28, 2023: We continue to disburse the remaining MCS awards. Thank you for your patience.