Federal Financial Aid: Direct Loans & Pell Grants

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

Please note, 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The approval process can take up to four months.

No.

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

Pell Grants are only applicable to the Pathway program.

No.

Yes. We do not receive an electronic report of your SAR.

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.

No, UCLA Extension does not receive anything electronically. You must wait to receive a new SAR.

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.

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

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.”

The amount is determined by a complex formula instituted by the U.S. Department of Education.

No.

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.

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

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). 

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.

You can use the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) 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 using NSLDS. 

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) 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. NSLDS 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 provide your Social Security number (SSN), the first two letters of your last name, your date of birth and your FSA ID. 

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.