Appeals

We understand that certain circumstances affecting your ability to pay for college may not be reflected in your financial aid application. For example, your family’s income may have changed since you filed, or you may have additional extenuating expenses not included in your financial aid budget. If this applies to you, you may consider submitting an appeal so our counselors can evaluate how these special circumstances may impact your financial aid eligibility.

DEADLINE: Please submit your appeal as early as possible. Keep in mind that most appeals take 6-8 weeks to process. Appeals submitted after the academic year has ended will not be reviewed or considered. Some funding (ex: institutional grants) may be limited so try to submit your appeal as early as possible.

How to Submit:

UCLA students (continuing and new admits who submitted their Student Intent to Register) can upload appeals for the academic year using the Bruin Financial Aid Portal.

EVALUATION PROCESS: Appeals are typically reviewed within 6-8 weeks. During busy processing times it may take longer for your appeal to be evaluated.

Please take a look below at the list of most common reasons for an appeal.

Changes that affect your Student Aid Index (SAI)

Appeals that result in a reduction of your Student Aid Index can result in an increase of grant aid. If the Student Aid Index on your Student Aid Report is between -1,500 to 0, submitting this type of an appeal will not further decrease your SAI. Given that zero is the lowest SAI number, you have been offered the maximum amount of Financial Aid available.

Circumstances that qualify for a reevaluation of income are:

• Loss of employment
• Divorce
• Death of a Parent
• Parents’ out-of-pocket medical and/or dental expenses. Please submit a statement explaining the circumstances, AND copies of parents’ federal tax returns for the last year, AND verification of the medical condition that necessitated the expenditure, AND verification of out-of-pocket costs paid.
• Expenses resulting from the impact of a natural disaster not covered by insurance or FEMA assistance.

To submit an appeal:

• Log in to your Bruin Financial Aid Portal.
• Select Documents, then click Upload a Non-Requested Document.
• Complete the following fields to access the appeal form:
  • Document Name: Select Appeal: Projected Year Income Appeal.
  • Owner: It is recommended that you select Student for submission purposes.
  • Academic Year: Select the appropriate academic year.
• Download the appeal form, complete it, and upload the completed form along with all required supporting documentation using the same document request.

Note: If you encounter file size limits when uploading your documents, you may either compress the file or upload the appeal and supporting documentation in separate attachments under the same document request.

Campus Medical Care Assistance Fund (CMCAF) for students with medical expenses not covered by UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UCSHIP)

UCLA can provide up to $3,000 to eligible students for out-of-pocket medical expenses. You must be currently enrolled in UC SHIP. More information at: Campus Medical Care Assistance Fund (CMCAF)

Changes that affect your cost of education (financial aid budget)

If the student has allowable educational expenses during the academic year that exceed their basic financial aid budget, an APPEAL can be submitted to request additional assistance. Your cost of education can only be adjusted to reflect your (not parent’s) expenses. If a budget increase is approved, the increase will be funded with additional loans.

Please refer to Budget Increase Request | Financial Aid & Scholarships for information on allowable expenses and how to document and submit your request for a budget increase.

Appealing for On-Time Consideration

Financial aid is limited for students who do not submit their FAFSA or DREAM Act Application before the March 2nd deadline.

We understand that there may be extenuating circumstances which prevented you from filing your application in a timely manner. If you are in this position, we encourage you to submit an appeal for on time consideration and explain what prevented you from submitting your application on time. Please include supporting documentation as part of your appeal submission.

Appeals for on time consideration will be reviewed on the basis of your circumstances and availability of funding. Factors that will be considered are: were the circumstances beyond your control; past record (if you are a continuing student and applied on time in the past); and availability of funds (awarding priority is given to applicants who file by the deadline). Some funding sources are limited. You will be notified of our decision via email once the appeal has been reviewed.

To submit an appeal:

• Log in to your Bruin Financial Aid Portal.
• Select Documents, then click Upload a Non-Requested Document.
• Complete the following fields to access the appeal form:
  • Document Name: Select Appeal: Late FAFSA or Dream Act Application
  • Owner: It is recommended that you select Student for submission purposes.
  • Academic Year: Select the appropriate academic year.
• Download the appeal form, complete it, and upload the completed form along with all required supporting documentation using the same document request.

Note: If you encounter file size limits when uploading your documents, you may either compress the file or upload the appeal and supporting documentation in separate attachments under the same document request.

Independent Appeals

If unusual and adverse circumstances prevent you from providing the required parental information on your financial aid application, you can submit an appeal to be reclassified as an independent student for financial aid consideration. Here are some examples of unusual circumstances:

• You left home due to an abusive or threatening environment;
• You were abandoned by or are estranged from your parents;
• You have refugee or asylee status and are separated from your parents, or your parents are displaced in a foreign country;
• You are a victim of human trafficking;
• Your parents are incarcerated, and contact with them would pose a risk to the you;
• You are unable to contact or locate your parents.

NOTE: Approval criteria for independent status for financial aid are different from those used by the Residence Deputy for CA residence determination. For example, you are required to document financial independence to be classified as a resident for tuition purposes but that is not a factor in independence determination for financial aid. Financial hardship, parents' inability, or refusal to provide support and/or student's ability to be self-sufficient CANNOT be used to classify you as an Independent Student for financial aid purposes.

To submit an appeal:

• Log in to your Bruin Financial Aid Portal.
• Select Documents, then click Upload a Non-Requested Document.
• Complete the following fields to access the appeal form:
  • Document Name: Select Appeal: Independent Status.
  • Owner: It is recommended that you select Student for submission purposes.
  • Academic Year: Select the appropriate academic year.
• Download the appeal form, complete it, and upload the completed form along with all required supporting documentation using the same document request.

Note: If you encounter file size limits when uploading your documents, you may either compress the file or upload the appeal and supporting documentation in separate attachments under the same document request.

Homeless/Unaccompanied Youth Appeals

As an Unaccompanied Homeless Youth, you must meet the following definition established by the US Department of Education:

HOMELESS: you lack fixed, regular, and adequate housing. This includes: living in shelters, motels, cars, parks; temporarily living with other people because you have nowhere else to go; situations in which you are fleeing an abusive parent who would otherwise provide you with financial support and a place to live.

AND UNACCOMPANIED: means you are not living in the physical custody of your parent or guardian.

If you answered “YES” to the HOMELESS/UNACCOMPANIED question on your Financial Aid Application but indicated that an official determination was not made by an authorized agency, you must verify your status with our office.

If you answered “NO” to the HOMELESS/UNACCOMPANIED question on your Financial Aid Application but are NOW Homeless and/or Unaccompanied, you are encouraged to reach out to UCLA Financial Aid & Scholarships to schedule an appointment with your Financial Aid Counselor to document your circumstance. You do NOT need to make changes to your Financial Aid Application at this time.

Appealing for additional unsubsidized loan due to ineligible parent borrowers

If you are a dependent student, and your parent is unable to borrow due to exceptional circumstances, the DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM allows a school to award additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds. Examples of exceptional circumstances are:

• The parent is incarcerated;
• The parent’s whereabouts is unknown;
• The parent is not a US citizen, or cannot provide evidence they are in the US other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident;
• The parent receives only public assistance or disability benefits, and the school has documented that they would not be able to repay the PLUS Loan;
• The parent has filed for bankruptcy (must provide documentation from bankruptcy court stating parent may not incur any additional debt); or
• The parent is unlikely to repay the PLUS Loan due to an existing debt burden or their low income-to-debt ratio.

To submit an appeal:

• Log in to your Bruin Financial Aid Portal.
• Select Documents, then click Upload a Non-Requested Document.
• Complete the following fields to access the appeal form:
  • Document Name: Select Appeal: Special Circumstance.
  • Owner: It is recommended that you select Student for submission purposes.
  • Academic Year: Select the appropriate academic year.
• Complete the document data requested and submit.