Whether you are coming to UC Berkeley for the first time or are preparing for a new school year, it is important to make sure you are completing the necessary steps to pay for your education.
Use this checklist to guide you through the financial aid process—from applying for aid, to reviewing your awards, to completing loan requirements, and more—to make sure you don’t miss any opportunities for financial aid.
- Apply for financial aid by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act Application
- Apply for a Cal Grant (California residents only)
- Apply for outside scholarships
- Use our online tools to estimate your aid, build a budget, and manage your expenses
- Monitor My Finances in CalCentral regularly:
- Review your Communications and Tasks for missing information
- Review and accept your financial aid awards, including work-study
- Review information like your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Satisfactory Academic Progress status
- Ensure your budget is accurately reflected
- Delegate access and review the privacy information provided
- Report if you have other resources and report your outside scholarships
- Borrowing Federal Student Loans? Complete your loan requirements to be eligible for disbursement
- Review the work-study information, accept your work-study award and begin your successful job search
- Monitor your aid payments and refunds and student account regularly