Financial Aid FAQ
General Questions
Please visit the Tuition page for more information about the cost of attendance at UC Law SF.
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Students use federal loans, private loans, UC Law SF scholarships and grants, and outside scholarships to fund their education. The majority of UC Law SF students take out federal loans to cover at least part of the cost of tuition and living expenses. Please follow these links to learn more about federal loans, scholarships, veterans programs, work study, summer study, Bar study support, and the PICAP loan repayment assistance program.
Entering students are automatically considered for institutional scholarships based on outstanding academic performance. Applicants for federal loans and need-based grants must submit two forms: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the UC Law SF Financial Aid Supplement. Students are encouraged to complete the financial aid application process as soon as possible to ensure that funds will be available in a timely manner to pay for tuition, fees and living expenses. Students who complete the FAFSA online and submit the UC Law SF Financial Aid Supplement by the deadline (March 2) receive priority consideration for UC Law SF need-based grants. Students who miss this priority deadline will be given the best financial aid package available depending upon remaining funds.
You will receive your living expenses refund on the last business day before the first day of school. You refund will be sent to you via direct deposit through the Fiscal Office.
Please use Self-Service.
To contact Financial Aid, please call 415-565-4624 or email FinancialAid@uclawsf.edu. To make a a virtual appointment with a Financial Aid advisor, please visit this page.
FAFSA & UC Law SF Supplement Form
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
These are the primary application materials and may be all that is required. However, if your Student Aid Report (SAR) is selected for verification, we will also request additional documents. In addition, there are certain messages on your SAR which may require separate action by you.
The UC Law SF Federal School Code is G03947
The first batch of Financial Aid offer letters is scheduled to be sent via email by the end of March to applicants who have completed both FAFSA and Financial Aid Supplement forms. Starting in April, offer letters will be sent on an on-going weekly process.
Review your offer letter and decide what type of aid you wish to accept, and submit the electronic award letter. If you accept the Unsubsidized Stafford and/or Graduate Plus loans, you need to apply for these loans with the Department of Education. Please refer to our instructions. You will also need to complete federal loan Entrance Counseling before these loans can be disbursed. You can complete the federal loan Entrance and Exit Counseling online.
Federal Loan Entrance Counseling is an on-line session to inform you of your rights and responsibilities when you enter the program and is required by your lender, the Department of Education. The Federal Loan Exit Counseling is required every time you cease to enroll at least half-time.
Each year the Department of Education selects a number of students for a process called Verification. The Student Aid Report (SAR) you received after filing your FAFSA will indicate whether or not you were selected. Verification means the data on your FAFSA must be verified by comparing it to the federal tax return you filed with the IRS. There are two ways to do this. The Department of Education’s preferred method is for you to initiate the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) process through their website. This process will pull data directly from your tax return and update the FAFSA. The DRT is not available to all tax filers. The alternative option to DRT is to submit a copy of your Tax Return Transcript to the UC Law SF Financial Aid Office. If you have questions on how to retrieve a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS, please contact our office or refer to the Tax Filer Verification form we send via email. If your application is selected, you will be contacted by our office via email. You must submit the requested documentation to the Financial Aid office as soon as possible. If you are married, you must also submit all requested information for both you and your spouse. No financial aid award can be finalized until the verification process is complete.
For general financial aid information, including further information on scholarships and loans, please visit the FinAid website. For more information about UC Law SF specific information, please read through these pages or contact the Financial Aid Office at 415.565.4624. Financial Aid Office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Phone calls are taken from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To make a a virtual appointment with a Financial Aid advisor, please visit this page.
Scholarships, Grants & Loans
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or other eligible non-citizens who are making satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. Eligibility for different categories of aid is based on the determination established by the financial aid system developed by the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). To receive Direct Stafford and Direct Grad-PLUS loans or a UC Law SF Grant, applicants cannot be in default on a federal student loan or owe a federal student aid repayment. Students are eligible for a maximum of six semesters of campus-based aid.
It depends on your own expected available financial resources and awarded scholarships/grants. You should borrow at least enough to pay for tuition and fees not covered by aforementioned funds (in addition to the need for living expenses).
Withdrawal and tuition refunds information are available from the UC Law SF Office of Fiscal Services.
After you have accepted the loans, any modification requests will need to be submitted to the Financial Aid Office in writing.
Payments are due six months after you cease to attend school at least halftime for any reason.
A loan calculator is available here.
Yes, here is more information about the UC Law SF Public Interest Career Assistance Program.
About two weeks after your first day of school, the UC Law SF Registrar’s Office will report your enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse. Your federal student loan servicer(s) will use the reported information to defer your loan payments. If you have private student loans, you may need to bring in a loan deferment request form from your lender to the Records Office for certification.
Work-Study & Working
Because of the intensive nature of the first year of law school, first year students are not permitted to work on- or off-campus during their first year.
The Federal Work-Study program is a federal program that provides funds to assist students who are working while pursuing their education. These funds can be used for on-campus employment as well as off-campus jobs with qualifying employers (typically, non-profits and government agencies). Current students should refer to Sharknet for more information.