We understand that there may be circumstances that affect your ability to pay for college. They may not be apparent on your financial aid application. Perhaps your or your family’s income has changed since the application was filed. Or, you may have educational expenses that weren't included in your financial aid budget. Consider submitting an appeal. This will allow our counselors to evaluate the impact of your special circumstances on your eligibility for financial aid.
DEADLINE: Please submit your appeal as early as possible, but NO LATER THAN 6 WEEKS BEFORE THE END OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR. Some funding (ex: institutional grants) may be limited so try to submit your appeal as early as possible.
How to Submit:
For 24/25: Currently enrolled UCLA students can submit documents to our office by uploading them on MyUCLA. For step by step guidance, please review our 24/25 MyUCLA upload Guide.
For 25/26: UCLA students (continuing and new admits who submitted their Student Intent to Register) can upload appeals for the 25/26 academic year using the Bruin Financial Aid Portal.
EVALUATION PROCESS: Appeals are typically reviewed within 4-6 weeks. During busy processing times (such as the Summer), 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 SAI
Appeals that result in a reduction of your Expected Family Contribution 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.
Please refer to the Forms and Publications Page for instructions on how to submit an appeal.
Campus Medical Care Assistance Fund (CMCAF) for students with medical expenses not covered by SHIP
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 2 deadline. For the purposes of the 2024-2025 Academic Year, the Priority filing deadline was May 2, 2024.
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.
For instructions on how to submit this appeal please visit our Forms and Publications page.
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.
For instructions on how to submit this appeal please visit our Forms and Publications page.
Homeless/Unaccompanied Youth
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. Request for additional information and documentation will be made via MyUCLA (for 24/25) or via your Bruin Financial Aid Portal (for 25/26).
If you answered “NO” to the HOMELESS/UNACCOMPANIED question on your Financial Aid Application but are NOW Homeless and/or Unaccompanied, visit our Forms and Publications page for instructions on how to submit this appeal. You may also reach out to Financial Aid Scholarships and we can 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.
If you meet these criteria for an additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan, please complete the Special Circumstance Appeal. We can advise you on how to document your circumstances.