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Grad Only All UCI

Need Based Financial Aid Instructions

All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent Resident graduate students who wish to receive any form of financial support (including university fellowships) from UCI are required to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Students applying for need-based financial aid and/or federal loans must also submit any documents as requested by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Foreign students are not eligible for financial aid (e.g., loans) and therefore do not need to complete a FAFSA.

On all documents you send to UCI, please be sure that your name and UCI ID number is printed on the top of each document. Be sure that all copies and entries are legible. If Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration documentation is required, be sure to photocopy both sides of the document.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The FAFSA submission deadline is March 2nd if you wish to be considered for need-based federal financial aid (e.g., loans), and June 1st prior to enrollment if you wish to receive any university support you may have been offered (e.g., fellowship support). While UCI's offer of financial support is not federally funded, the university uses the FAFSA to qualify students for university support.

It is highly recommended that students complete the online FAFSA. By obtaining a PIN from the US Department of Education you can sign your FAFSA electronically and the information is sent to UCI in as little as 24-48 hours. Once your FAFSA is submitted via the Web, you will receive a confirmation number. You should print out the confirmation page from your computer as proof that you submitted your FAFSA.

Paper FAFSAs can be obtained from the UCI Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, the UCI Office of Graduate Studies, or from your undergraduate institution.

Proof of Mailing

It is recommended that you get a Certificate of Mailing from the U.S. Postal Service when mailing the FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA Application.

It is important that you return the postcard enclosed with the FAFSA to the processor. The processor will then mail the postcard back to you verifying receipt of the application. If you file a FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA on the Web, and don’t sign the application electronically, you will need to print and sign the signature page and mail it to the address indicated.

Student Aid Report

The Student Aid Report (SAR) (pink in color for 2004-05) is your official notification indicating whether you must submit citizenship documentation, Selective Service confirmation, loan default clearance verification, or other supporting documentation. If you complete the FAFSA on the Web your SAR will be sent to you via email (if provided).

Read the SAR carefully, follow the instructions, and make any necessary changes or send any required supporting documentation. Corrections to your SAR can be made electronically at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Information requested on the SAR must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships by May 1, 2004.

Citizenship Documentation

Priority Deadline: May 1, 2004

The U.S. Department of Education will match Student Alien Registration Numbers with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data for verification of eligibility for federal financial aid programs. If there is no match, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will need to obtain confirmation of your immigration status. The U.S. Department of Education will also match citizenship status with Social Security Administration data. If there is no match, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will also need to confirm your citizenship status.

If your SAR indicates this information is required you will need to submit one of the following documents to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to confirm your citizenship or immigration status. This information must be submitted each year that it is requested:

U.S. Passport
U.S. Birth Certificate
Temporary Residency Card
Certificate of Naturalization
U.S. Noncitizen National, Alien Registration Receipts Card (Form I-551 or I-151)
Departure Record (Form I-94)

Selective Service Confirmation

Priority Deadline: May 1, 2004

If your SAR indicates Selective Service Status must be confirmed or that you have not registered, proof of registration must be provided to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

If you did not register with Selective Service but because of your age can no longer register, provide the Financial Aid office with documentation of your status from Selective Service along with a letter from yourself indicating why you did not register.

Default/Refund Clearance

Priority Deadline: May 1, 2004

If your SAR indicates you are in default or owe a refund, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships cannot evaluate your financial aid application until they receive written verification that your default status has been cleared. Updated information on your default must be submitted each year. NOTE: It is your responsibility to provide the verification that the default status has been cleared.