Need-Based Financial Support
Other Pages In Financing Graduate Education
Graduate students may apply for both need-based support and federal loans through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Students must file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid found at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa) each year and provide the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships with supplemental information as requested. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website is: www.finaid.ucsb.edu.
The combination of graduate student loans, federal work-study, fellowships, fee remissions, and health insurance awards cannot exceed the budget or cost of attendance. In other words, if a graduate student has received a financial aid award containing loans and then receives a fellowship from their department, loan eligibility will be reduced to accommodate the fellowship if the overall award exceeds the cost of attendance. If the loan has already been accepted and disbursed, a portion or all of the loan funds already credited to BARC may be billed back.
Information about additional financial assistance for Graduate students—including fellowships, fee remissions, and heath insurance awards—is reported to our office periodically throughout the academic year. Thus, in many cases an award may not be reported to our office until late in the academic year. Graduate students should review their financial aid award letters on My Aid Status for any types of assistance that have not been reported and then plan for changes in financial aid that may occur throughout the academic year.