The UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office works closely with the Student Parent Center to provide financial support to students with dependent children.
Supporting Students with Dependents
Some important financial aid considerations for student parents are listed below:
- You may be eligible for a Parent Grant. Please refer to the Parent Grant page to determine your eligibility.
- The federal government does not allow for a “married student” or “student parent” budget. However, once we have confirmed eligibility for a Parent Grant, some living allowances for food and living expenses are added to the student budget for students with dependent children.
- You can request a Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request (COAAR) for the cost of childcare for children under age 14, and any other allowable expenses that you are incurring during the academic year that are higher than your standard Cost of Attendance. Please see the Cost of Attendance Adjustment page for more information.
- Many student parents often take a reduced course load because of parenting responsibilities. Please note that student parents are required to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards to maintain financial aid eligibility. We measure your progress each year to ensure you are completing 67% of attempted units cumulatively. You must also maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete your degree within a maximum time frame. If you are not meeting the SAP requirements, there is an appeal process that allows you to explain your extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the SAP policy for the SAP requirements and a description of the appeal process.
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