Navigating Scholarships for UC San Diego Students: A Comprehensive Guide

Securing funding for higher education can be a significant undertaking. UC San Diego offers a variety of scholarship opportunities to help students achieve their academic goals. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the scholarships available, eligibility requirements, and the application process.

Understanding the Financial Aid Application Process

The first step in securing financial aid is to complete the necessary application. You will need to submit either the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) to receive a financial aid estimate to help cover the costs of attendance. The FAFSA is for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens, while the CADAA is for AB540 eligible students who are unable to file a FAFSA.

FAFSA Filers: Create your FSA ID at StudentAid.gov. Your FSA ID is your username and password for your StudentAid.gov account.

Gather the Information You Will Need to Complete the Financial Aid Application. You and anyone contributing to your FAFSA or CADAA will need income tax returns (if eligible to file), records of investments and assets, Social Security Numbers, child support information (if applicable), and other personal information. All contributors must provide consent for Federal Student Aid (FSA) to verify their identity and to access their Federal Tax Information (FTI) from the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) regardless of the filing status.

Special Circumstances Appeal

If your financial circumstances have changed significantly, you may be eligible to submit a Special Circumstances appeal to UC San Diego. This appeal allows the university to re-evaluate your financial aid eligibility based on your current situation.

Exploring Scholarship Opportunities

Researching and applying for external scholarships is a valuable way to reduce the cost of education and minimize student loan debt. While scholarship searches and applications require time and effort, every dollar received can make a significant difference.

Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide

Note: If you are not yet a UC student, your admissions application will act as your scholarship application for the first academic year.

Types of Scholarships at UC San Diego

UC San Diego offers a diverse range of scholarships, including merit-based and restricted scholarships.

Merit Scholarships

Merit scholarships are awarded solely based on academic achievement. These scholarships recognize and reward students with exceptional academic records. The Regents Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship awarded to undergraduate students at the University of California and are merit scholarships, selected on the basis of academic excellence.

Restricted Scholarships

Restricted scholarships are awarded based on academic merit plus additional criteria such as demonstrated financial need, field of interest, or leadership. If selected for a restricted scholarship, you may need to provide supporting documentation to verify how you meet the specified criteria. All personal and medical information remains confidential.

Scholarship Examples and Eligibility Criteria

Here are some examples of scholarships available to UC San Diego students, along with their eligibility requirements:

Alice Y.: Undergraduates, born in California, who are Arts or Humanities majors, who are meaningfully involved in foreign language study, with a 3.0+ cum GPA, and demonstrated financial need.
Brython P. C.B. C.: Open to all undergraduate and graduate students.
C.: Open to all undergraduate students.
Charles and Cora L.: UC San Diego student employees, working 15+ hours per week, at least one quarter in the current academic year and will continue working Fall, Winter, and Spring in the upcoming academic year.
Clayton H.: Entering first-year students, graduates of a San Diego County High School, financial need, are first generation college students or are eligible AB540/DACA students.
Diana C. E.: Mathematics majors, who will be juniors or seniors in the upcoming academic year, with demonstrated financial need.
Dr. A.R. Award amount and term: A 4-year award up to $8,000, paid at up to $2,000 per year. Eligibility: Graduates of San Diego County or Imperial County high schools who are historically underrepresented at UC campuses.
F. Gary C.: Combined Mathematics-Computer Science majors, who will be juniors or seniors in the upcoming academic year, who show exceptional promise for making future contributions in their field of study.
Gregory T.: Visual Arts majors.
James W.:
James R.: Economics majors, with a 3.75+ cum GPA, and demonstrated financial need.
Jeffrey R.: First-generation college students (i.e.
Joseph H.: Full-time Computer Science and Engineering majors, who will be seniors in the upcoming academic year, with a 3.0+ cum GPA.
Kelly J.
Kevin T.
Klara D.: Physics majors, who plan to teach at the high school level.
LCDR Gregory A. Chauncey and Naomi C. World War I veterans (i.e. citizens who are naval combat veterans. Marine Corps, and assigned to a combat zone.
Mary S. and Joseph W.
Philip R.: Full time continuing Transfer student, with a 2.0+ GPA, who has demonstrated action / support / leadership in helping high school or community college Latinx students advance to college or university.
Richard L. and Fern W.: Undergraduate students who are Computer Science and Engineering Majors (CSE) at Jacobs School of Engineering.
Stanley E.: Microbiology majors or related fields of study, with a 3.0+ cum GPA.
Thomas B.: Biology, Chemistry, or Physics majors, who are juniors or seniors in the upcoming academic year, with at least a 2.75 cum GPA.
William F. Rogers Jr.
Willis & Jane Fletcher Foundation and Peter T.: Full-time juniors or seniors in the upcoming academic year, first-generation college students (i.e.

Scholarships Focused on Sustainability and Environment

UC San Diego also offers scholarships for students interested in sustainability and environmental issues:

Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships

Registered UC San Diego students interested in doing research towards maintaining climate neutrality, reducing GHG emissions, and positively impacting the environment.
Registered UC San Diego students interested in doing research on urban agriculture, sustainable food systems, and food justice.
Registered UC San Diego students interested in using communication to participate in broad-based decarbonization efforts and contribute to making a positive impact on the environment and human health. Interested applicants should have general knowledge and understanding of sustainability and sustainable practices, as well as an interest in climate resilience and climate action planning.
Registered UC San Diego students interested in contributing to healthcare waste reduction and resource conservation, as well as sustainable practices in the workplace. Interested applicants should have general knowledge and understanding of waste reduction principles and sustainable practices, as well as experience in research, data collection and reporting.
Registered UC San Diego students interested in doing research towards maintaining climate neutrality, reducing GHG emissions, and positively impacting the environment. An ideal applicant will have an interest in furthering UC San Diego Health's efforts to reach decarbonization goals through research in high-performance building designs, building controls in the healthcare environment, impacts of decarbonization, CA and national energy efficiency guidelines and codes, LEED certifications for existing buildings, healthcare standard practices in building systems, and/or high energy-intensity healthcare equipment.
Registered UC San Diego students interested in the communications aspect of maintaining climate neutrality, reducing GHG emissions, and positively impacting the environment. Award amount and term: One-year award up to $4,000.

Scholarships for Specific Student Populations

Several scholarships target specific student populations:

First-Generation College Students: Scholarships are available for first-generation college students, providing support to those who are the first in their family to attend college.
Transfer Students: Transfer students can find scholarships specifically designed for them, recognizing their academic achievements and potential. The Regents Transfer Student Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship awarded to undergraduate students at the University of California. Regents Scholarships are merit scholarships, selected on the basis of academic excellence. Eligibility: Selected students from among the Fall admitted students from San Diego City College, Imperial Valley College or Southwestern College that meet the UC's Blue and Gold Opportunity Program (CA Residents with a total family income of less than $80,000 with financial need, for the academic year not including Summer Sessions along with any additional requirements as outlined by UC Office of the President).
Underrepresented Students in STEM: Scholarships are available for undergraduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields.
Veteran and Military-Connected Students: UC San Diego is dedicated to assisting veteran and military-connected students in achieving their higher educational goals.
Former Foster Youth: Scholarships are available for students who are former foster youth with high financial need. For the upcoming academic year, junior or senior standing with demonstrated high financial need.

LGBTQIA+ Community Scholarship

Eligibility: Computer Science, Computer or Electrical Engineering, Communications, or Political Science/Public Policy* majors, and other programs touching on networked systems, who can describe in their application how they are connected to the LGBTQIA+ community* and are actively advocating for LGBTQIA+ issues.
- CONFIDENTIALITY - The answers you provide in the Opportunity Specific Question section are confidential - only the LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Committee can view your responses. If awarded this scholarship, we will ask you to provide a statement about how you have contributed to the visibility and advocacy of the LGBTQIA+ community. How does your activism connect to your academic goals and contribute to your area of study?

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Undergraduate students who are passionate about helping underserved communities in environmental justice. Students must have a Junior class standing, have at least a 2.50 GPA and must plan to graduate by Spring.
Undergraduate students who are majoring in Bioengineering. Must be at a junior level and 1st generation college students.
Undergraduate students who are majoring in Engineering and have academic, campus, or community leadership experience.
First Generation continuing student who has Financial Need based on a FAFSA or California Dream Application. Demonstrated contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion or social justice for Chicanx/Latinx communities.
Marshall College student, with demonstrated financial need, and first-generation college student (i.e.
Natural Sciences or Engineering majors. citizen transfer students, who are Engineering majors, with a 3.0+ cum GPA, and demonstrated financial need.
Undergraduate students who are currently registered, in good academic standing with a cumulative UC San Diego GPA of 2.50 or higher. Awarded to undergraduate students who have demonstrated leadership and/or contributions to their community, financial need and are in good standing at UC San Diego.
Currently enrolled juniors or seniors with a 3.0+ GPA, have demonstrated financial need; and have academic, campus, or community leadership experience. Preference for applicants who have achieved the highest award in either Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Examples include the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Award and the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Armed Forces as enlisted or non-commissioned officers, have demonstrated financial need, and are Engineering majors.
Continuing students of any major who have demonstrated financial need, and college-level academic, campus or community service leadership.
Undergraduate, currently enrolled full-time students, who have demonstrated academic achievement in the study of African American history or culture, through a research paper or publicly presented creative work.

Fulfilling Institutional Requirements

Submitting your FAFSA/CADAA is the initial step for financial aid consideration. UC San Diego may request additional documentation to provide a financial aid offer. Depending on your financial need, eligibility for certain programs, and other factors, you may qualify for various types of aid. You can apply online for many of the continuing undergraduate scholarships. Some scholarships will have different application deadlines and may require a separate application or supplemental documentation.

Important Dates and Deadlines

File a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) OR if AB540 eligible and not able to file a FAFSA, file a California Dream Application by MARCH 2.
For financial need scholarships, file your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), OR if AB540 eligible, and unable to file a FAFSA, file a California Dream Application by the April 2 deadline.
UC San Diego will notify scholarship recipients by May 1.

Additional Resources and Support

The Financial Aid & Scholarships Office: Serving students in-person, virtually, and by phone. Review service hours and upcoming closures.
UC San Diego HUB Basic Needs Center: Cal Fresh/SNAP: for the latest information and assistance options for those impacted by the federal SNAP program.
Webgrants 4 Students: Log in to Webgrants 4 Students to confirm or change your school of attendance to UC San Diego (school code 001317). Be sure to complete any verifications or forms that are outstanding to ensure timely disbursement of your grant.
Undocumented Student Services Center: Available to offer additional support.

Managing Your Financial Aid

Middle Class Scholarship (MCS): The campus is working closely with the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and is scheduled to begin posting Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) to the financial aid portal in the next few weeks and will through the end of the Fall quarter.
Adjusting Enrollment: Adjusting your enrollment can impact your financial aid on TritonPay, please allow time for your bill to reflect any updates.

Read also: Scholarship Guide

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