Scholarships and College Savings Plans

Reporting Scholarships

Every scholarship received must be reported to the financial aid office, whether or not you are receiving financial aid. Follow the instructions in Your Aid Offer to report your scholarship using MyUCSC. Click on the link titled "Report Outside Awards" at the top of the my.ucsc.edu Awards Summary page to report the source and amount of your scholarship.

If you are not a financial aid recipient or if you prefer, you may notify the financial aid office of a scholarship award by mail or email.

Scholarships and Your Financial Aid

All financial resources a student receives, including scholarships, stipends, and other awards are included in a student's financial aid package. When incorporating outside awards, we reduce remaining need and financial aid we have offered in the following order: Perkins Loan, remaining need, Federal Direct Student Loan and Federal Work Study. These awards are reduced before we reduce grant or scholarship aid we have offered.

All private scholarships received are divided evenly between the fall, winter, and spring quarters, unless otherwise specified by the scholarship agency. Private scholarships cannot replace the estimated family contribution for students with need-based financial aid.

Scholarship enrollment verification

Enrollment Verifications for Scholarship Agencies
All enrollment verifications are processed by the UCSC Registrars Office. Forms for scholarship enrollment verifications can be obtained in person on the first floor of the Hahn Student Services Building or you may download a scholarship enrollment verification form from the UCSC Registrar's Office website.

College Savings Plans

Paying Your Bill with Funds from a 529 or Other College Savings Plan

The plan owner should request a distribution through the plan administrator. Most have a distribution form available online which is used to specify the distribution amount and where the funds should be sent.

If you choose have the funds sent directly to UCSC, request that the check be made out to “UC Regents” and mailed to the Cashier’s Office at UC Santa Cruz, 102 Hahn Student Services Bldg, Santa Cruz, CA 95064.

College Savings Plans and Financial Aid

The value of qualified tuition programs (QTPs, also known as section 529 plans because they are covered in section 529 of the IRS tax code) and other college savings plans such as the Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs) must be reported on the FAFSA as an asset of the the parent. Asset value of these plans generally has minimal impact on a student’s financial aid eligibility.

Distributions from a college savings plan have no impact on financial aid eligibility (i.e. they do not reduce any financial aid awards you already have).

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