Applying for Financial Aid
at UC Berkeley

File a FAFSA

All undergraduate students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application is completed online at fafsa.ed.gov. UC Berkeley's federal school code is 001312.

The FAFSA is available on January 1 each year, and the deadline for the 2013-14 academic year is March 2, 2013. If your student files after the March 2 deadline, some types of financial aid could be limited. The last day to file a FAFSA for 2013-14 is March 15, 2014.

Transfer Students applying for fall semester 2013 who filled out a 2012-13 FAFSA need to also complete a 2013-14 FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov by March 2, 2013.

Parent information is required on the FAFSA for all dependent students. Parents 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.

Cal Grants
If your student is a California resident and a new undergraduate student, without a paid Cal Grant award in his or her financial aid package, your student must have his or her grade point average submitted by the appropriate certifying school to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by March 2, 2013 so that he or she will be considered for a 2013-14 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.

California Dream Act
Undergraduate students who qualify for an AB 540 waiver may be eligible for California Dream Act Aid. Please see the Berkeley Undergraduate Dream Act Aid page for more information.