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Understanding How Financial Aid Can Be Used to Pay for UCEAP

The type and amount of aid a student is eligible to receive is determined by Federal Student Aid, Office of the US Department of Education, using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the student’s annual Cost of Attendance.  

Financial aid can be packaged by a student’s UC campus for any UCEAP program—it's one of the benefits of studying abroad with UCEAP versus another study abroad provider. 

Ultimately, UC students can use the same gift aid, grants, loans, and scholarships to pay for their UCEAP program that they use to pay for their quarters and semesters at UC.

How are UCEAP financial aid packages determined?

UC Financial Aid Offices can package a student’s financial aid and apply it to their selected UCEAP program. These are conversations every student must have with their respective UC campus Financial Aid Office, and not UCEAP.

How does summer affect financial aid for study abroad?

For some UC semester campuses, the summer semester is considered part of the academic year. Summer gift aid (grants, scholarships, etc.) is typically limited and based on a student’s FAFSA eligibility. 

In some cases, depending on how many quarters or semesters the student has attended, the remaining financial aid allocated to them may not be sufficient to cover the cost of a summer program abroad.  

If additional funding is required for a student to attend a summer study abroad program, it may be provided in the form of any remaining student loans from the academic year, and other forms of financing such as Direct Loan, Parent PLUS Loan, or private loans.  

When to start working with your UC financial aid office

UCEAP recommends that every student start working with their campus financial aid office as early as possible and prior to submitting an application to study abroad. 

  1. Get a customized estimate for each program you're considering on the Cost subpage for the program.  
  2. Print or save the customized estimate (or estimates).
  3. Head over to your campus financial aid office or make an appointment to talk with your financial aid officer. 

How is financial aid applied to a student’s UCEAP account?

Once a student’s home UC campus Financial Aid Office packages the student’s aid, and the student has accepted the award, the UC Financial Aid Office will notify UCEAP and the aid will be applied to the student’s UCEAP Portal account to pay the UCEAP program costs. 

  • A student’s financial aid will go toward covering their UCEAP balance owed (after paying any balance in their home campus portal).  
  • Any excess balance will be issued as a refund by UCEAP eRefund (if the student signed up for it). 
  • If the financial aid award does not cover the UCEAP program costs, the student is responsible for paying the difference before the payment due date. 

The student will receive a message by email from UCEAP informing them that a payment is due. 

How does California Veteran’s Fee Waiver work with UCEAP?

Per the College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents (CalVet) criteria, UCEAP waives the following fees for a qualifying student’s study abroad program: UC Tuition, UC Student Services Fee, and UCEAP Participation Fee. 

When a CalVet-eligible student applies to study abroad, they'll be required to submit a copy of their benefits award letter for the academic year in which they plan to study abroad to the program’s finance accountant. Instructions are provided in the UCEAP Portal. 

UCEAP Financial Aid FAQs

As a financial aid student, the program’s first payment is deferred to the final payment due date. If a first payment late fee is assessed to the student’s account, that fee will be refunded once financial aid is received. 

All questions about financial aid packaging, including revisions, must be directed to the student’s UC Financial Aid Office. UCEAP cannot make changes or revisions to a student’s awarded financial aid package. 

The UCEAP Portal is not the same as a student’s UC campus account—they are two different systems. 

There are several reasons why a student may see different numbers between the two accounts: 

  • UCEAP may not have received notification of the student’s financial aid package from their UC campus. 
  • Once financial aid is packaged, it may take a few business days for it to be applied to a student’s UCEAP Portal account. 
  • In some cases, depending on a student’s UC campus account, financial aid may be sent directly to the student. 

And there can be other systematic reasons for the aid discrepancy.  

If a student has questions about their financial aid package, those questions must be directed to their UC Financial Aid Office and not to UCEAP. 

UC Financial Aid Offices and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determine each student’s eligible amount of aid—not UCEAP. If a student’s financial aid package isn’t enough to pay for UCEAP program costs, the student has these options: 

  • Contact their campus Financial Aid Office to ask for a revision. 
  • Contact their parents, family members, and other supporters to make payments. 
  • Cover the remaining costs themselves. 

Please contact the financial aid office at your campus to discuss your options. It may be helpful to take the customized estimate available on the Cost subpage of the program or programs you're considering.



Before finalizing your plans, schedule a meeting with your financial aid office. They will be able to give you an estimate of your expected aid package and help you understand how it applies to your study abroad program.


Samantha Michel UC Berkeley Media Studies France