Federal Financial Aid: Direct Loans & Pell Grants

Eligible Programs

To be considered for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled in an eligible program.  Only the UCLA Extension programs listed below are eligible for federal financial aid. Additionally, courses that are not part of the approved program curriculum will not qualify for financial aid.

Eligible for Federal Direct Loans

Pre-Medical and General Science Studies
Undergraduate Certificate; Direct Loan, both subsidized and unsubsidized

Landscape Architecture
Graduate Certificate; Direct Loan, unsubsidized only

Paralegal Training Program
Graduate Certificate; Direct Loan, unsubsidized only

UCLA Post-Baccalaureate Program in Classics
Graduate Certificate; Direct Loan, unsubsidized only

Eligible for Federal Pell Grants

Pathway Learning & Lifeskills Programs

 

Federal Direct Loans

The Subsidized Federal Direct Loan is based on financial need determined by a federal formula. A loan is subsidized when the interest is paid by the government until six months after a student leaves school or drops below half-time status.

The Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan is not based on financial need and is available to students, regardless of income. Interest accrues from the date of the loan disbursement. To be considered for an Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan, you must apply for the Subsidized Federal Direct Loan. To receive an offer of either type of Federal Direct Loan, a student must first submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Federal Direct Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized, must be repaid with interest. 
If you are a student who has borrowed or will be borrowing via Federal Direct Loans, you must provide your Social Security number on your online student account. If you do not do so, you will not be able to borrow Federal Direct Loans and/or your enrollment will not be reported to the Department of Education. This may cause your loans to fall out of deferment or delay your loan forgiveness.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you: 

  • Have earned a high school diploma or GED*
  • Are a U.S. or eligible non-citizen (must be documented)
  • Are enrolled in one of the approved UCLA Extension programs listed above
  • Have not defaulted on any educational loan or do not owe a refund on any state or federal student aid grant
  • Are enrolled in at least six units of an undergraduate or four units of a graduate program per quarter to maintain at least a half-time student status each quarter, as follows:
Enrollment Status Undergraduate
Units Needed
Graduate
Units Needed
Full-time Student 12 units 8 units
Half-Time Student 6-8 units 4-5 units
*If you have not completed this requirement, call your local high school for information regarding GED completion and testing schedule.

 

How to Apply

Download the Federal Financial Aid Guide & Application Packet (pdf). 

Paralegal Training Program: download additional information (pdf).

See enrollment conditions and FAQs further down this page.

Federal Pell Grants

These grants are need-based and do not have to be repaid. 

The only UCLA Extension program that qualifies for a Pell Grant is the Pathway Learning and Life Skills program. 

Eligibility

Eligibility for need-based Pell Grants is determined by the federal government, based on a formula developed by the U.S. Department of Education and approved annually by Congress. They are awarded to students enrolled in qualified programs who have not earned a bachelor’s degree. When you file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you are automatically considered for a Pell Grant. Awards may range from $767 to $7395 per year. The Pell Grant award is adjusted according to your enrollment status.

In order to receive Federal Student Aid, students must:

  • Have a documented intellectual disability as defined in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
  • Be enrolled in the program full time (at least 12 unit equivalents per quarter)
  • Maintain passing grades (“C” or better or "Pass") in all enrolled classes
  • Complete the program in six quarters

Download application instructions for Pathway 

Note: Students enrolling in the Pathway Program are NOT eligible to apply for the Federal Direct Loan program and therefore should NOT complete the master promissory note (MPN) and/or supplemental certification form.

Important Notice

Enrollment Conditions

To meet requirements, you must be enrolled in your eligible program for the entire quarter in which you are receiving aid, and you must be enrolled in required courses for your program.  

If you completely withdraw and/or drop below half-time enrollment, you may no longer be eligible for the full amount of federal aid that 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's: Eligibility & How to Apply

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.

Please note that in order to enroll in a certificate program, students must meet certificate prerequisite(s).

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.

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

Pell Grants are only applicable to the Pathway program.

 

FAQ's: Student Aid Report (SAR)

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.

 

FAQ's: Once you've applied

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.

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. 

Contact Financial Aid

Our team members are here to help. Mon-Thur, 8am-5pm.

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