Applying for Financial Aid
at UC Berkeley

All undergraduate students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application is completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is available on January 1 each year.

For academic year 2012-13, the deadline for filing a FAFSA is March 2, 2012.

UC Berkeley's federal school code is 001312.

For help with the FAFSA, watch "7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA," a video tutorial on how to complete the FAFSA application. For more FAFSA tips, read "Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for Student Aid" and "FAFSA Tips for Applicants in Unique Situations." For questions about the FAFSA, see http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/contact.htm and http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm. You can also follow @FAFSA on Twitter for the latest FAFSA information and financial aid tips.

For fun, check out this rap video about the FAFSA made by students at the Williamsburg Charter High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Parent information is required on the FAFSA for all dependent students. Parents also will need to get a personal identification number (PIN) from the Federal Student Aid PIN website. This PIN will serve as an electronic signature. Only one parent needs to get a PIN for the FAFSA.

The undergraduate FAFSA application deadline is always March 2. Campus-based financial aid may be limited for students who file the FAFSA after the March 2 deadline.

California residents who are new undergraduate students, or current UC Berkeley freshmen who haven't yet received a paid Cal Grant for academic year 2011-12, should contact their former high school to have their grade point average submitted to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by March 2 so that they will be considered for a 2012-13 Cal Grant. For more information about Cal Grants, please see our Cal Grant Frequently Asked Questions page or the Cal Grant Frequently Asked Questions page on the CSAC website.