Nov15
The financial aid application process is complex and the priority application deadlines are early. Applicants should read the guide carefully before applying for financial aid and follow the instructions provided to avoid costly mistakes.
Eligibility
The more carefully you proceed from the outset, the less time will be lost due to incomplete or incorrect information. Once you complete all steps to applying, the USD Office of Financial Aid will make every effort to process your application for assistance quickly and carefully.
You may submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be considered for financial aid at the University of San Diego if you are:
- A United States citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid Social Security number, and
- Enrolled at least half-time as a regular student in an eligible degree, certificate or credential program.
You may NOT be considered for federal financial aid if you:
- Are currently in default on any Title IV loan;
- Owe a refund to any institution for any Title IV grant;
- Are in an overpayment status on any Title IV aid;
- Are classified as a student in an Open Campus program (not admitted to an eligible degree/certificate/credential program);
- Are auditing classes; and/or
- Are enrolling for continuing education units, except if required by your academic program.
You are eligible to apply for financial aid at USD if you will be enrolled at least half-time as a regular student in an eligible degree, certificate or credential program and:
- You are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, or
- You are a student without legal immigration status who meets California AB540 criteria, or
- You are a student without legal immigration status who attended high school for at least three years in any U.S. state other than California and graduated from high school in that state, passed the state's high school equivalency exam or GED, or have completed an associates degree from a community college in a U.S. state other than California.
You may NOT be considered for federal financial aid if you:
- Are currently in default on any Title IV loan;
- Owe a refund to any institution for any Title IV grant;
- Are in an overpayment status on any Title IV aid;
- Are classified as a student in an Open Campus Program (i.e., not admitted to an eligible degree/certificate/credential program);
- Are auditing classes;
- Are enrolling for continuing education units, except if required by the academic program you are in; and/or
- Are attending less than half time
Teaching Credential Students
- If you received a bachelor's degree and have been accepted into a Single or Multiple Subject Credential or Education Specialist Credential program, you're considered a fifth-year undergraduate for federal and state financial aid purposes. You are considered a graduate student for billing and institutional funding purposes and may receive a USD Graduate Grant.
- If you have previously received a Cal Grant, you may apply for a fifth-year Cal Grant through the California Student Aid Commission. You must do so within 15 months of 1) exhausting Cal Grant A or Cal Grant B eligibility, or 2) of receiving a BA/BS degree.
- Since teaching credential students are not considered to be enrolled in a graduate program, you will be considered dependent unless you qualify as independent under Federal Student Aid dependency criteria.
- Dependent Credential students
- If you're an eligible dependent student, you may borrow up to $7,500 annually, with an aggregate undergraduate maximum of $31,000
- The Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan is available
- Independent Credential students
- If you're an independent undergraduate student, you may borrow a maximum of $12,500 annually with an aggregate limit of $57,500
- You are not eligible for the Federal Direct Parent or Graduate PLUS loan programs
- If you're enrolled in a master's degree program while completing credential classes, you're considered a graduate student for financial aid purposes by federal, state and USD guidelines
- You are eligible to apply for a maximum Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan of up to $20,500
- You may borrow up to your cost of attendance through the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS program
- Dependent Credential students
- Certain funds require full-time enrollment. Only the Federal Pell Grant may be available for less than half-time enrollment if you are enrolled only in the teaching credential program.
- If you complete your undergraduate degree and teaching credential at the same time, you'll be offered financial aid as an undergraduate. Undergraduate USD institutional funds (i.e., USD Grant) may be offered only if you are completing a teaching credential at the same time as your undergraduate degree.
If you do not qualify for financial aid, there are numerous other opportunities to receive financial support to help fund your education at USD such as applying for loans and scholarships.
Deadlines
Priority deadlines are important because many funding sources are limited and will run out.
Priority Applicants
To be considered a priority financial aid applicant, you must complete the FAFSA by the published deadline listed below. The priority filing deadlines are for students applying for the 2026-27 academic year, including if you are applying for only one semester (i.e., Spring 2026).
Late Applicants
You will need to appeal late if your FAFSA is not in prior to the first day of the semester in which you start. If you do not meet this deadlines OR do not provide all supporting documentation within the indicated timeframes, you will be considered for remaining funds if funds become available. If you are in this situation, you may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid.
Very Late Applicants
All financial aid forms must be received by the Office of Financial Aid at least two months prior to the end of the term (Spring 2027 semester for students attending Fall and Spring 2026-27). If documentation required to complete the financial aid application is received late, eligibility for any type of financial aid for that academic term may be limited.
Federal Aid
010395
USD's Federal School Code is
Submit the FAFSA between October 1 and March 2, 2026, for continuing undergraduate students.
For incoming 1st year and transfer students, please refer to the Undergraduate Admissions Timeline website for FAFSA priorty dates .
Keep a copy of the completed FAFSA for your records.
What is FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
It's a form provided by the federal government of the United States and is used to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid for higher education. Financial aid can include grants, scholarships, work-study programs and federal student loans.
- You will need to apply for a Federal Student Aid Identification (FSA ID) before starting the FAFSA application process.
- You can access the FAFSA online at StudentAid.gov. Paper FAFSAs are available by calling the Federal Student Aid Programs at 1-800-4-FEDAID or by downloading a PDF form from StudentAid.gov.
You will need to apply for a Federal Student Aid Identification (FSA ID) before starting the FAFSA application process.
You can access the FAFSA online at StudentAid.gov. Paper FAFSAs are available by calling the Federal Student Aid Programs at 1-800-4-FEDAID or by downloading a PDF form from StudentAid.gov.
Completing the FAFSA
Continuing Applicants
Follow the instructions that were emailed to you from the Department of Education or log on to StudentAid.gov.
- Note that you must select the "pre-filled" option for this year's FAFSA to transfer your biographical information from last year's FAFSA.
- All income and asset information must be updated each year.
- You must also enter 010395 as USD's federal school code.
First-time Applicants
The fastest way to file the FAFSA is by completing the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW). You (and your parents) will sign electronically when completing the FAFSA using your FSA username and password or by printing out the signature page at the end of the FAFSA and mailing it to Federal Student Aid.
A FOTW Worksheet is available on the FAFSA website to help you complete the FAFSA. It is highly recommended that you complete the worksheet prior to starting the FAFSA entry process. DO NOT mail the worksheet to Federal Student Aid; only the FOTW information entered by you online, or on the paper FAFSA, are considered official FAFSA documents.
You are not required to complete the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW) Worksheet before entering your information on the FAFSA on the Web, but it's highly recommended that you refer to it to assist you with the process. Use the sections at the bottom of each page (Notes) to remind yourself of questions you need to research or look up before you start entering the information.
The instructions for each section are listed on the FOTW. Below are a few additional helpful hints. Please note that the format online will look different when you open the FOTW.
Student Information (and Parent Information for Dependent Students)
Enter your name and Social Security number exactly as listed on your Social Security card.
Enter the highest level of education your parent(s) completed because the information may be used to determine eligibility for grants or scholarships.
For first-year students: If you enter the state to find the name of your high school, select [CONFIRM] to get the list of schools. When you have added the school, select [NEXT] to continue.
Dependency Status — If you answer "Yes" to any of the dependency questions, the sections for parental information will not be displayed. USD may ask you to provide documentation of your status.
Parent and Student Information —
- For dependent students whose biological or adoptive parents are separated or divorced, report the income and asset information for the parent with whom you lived the most during the last 12 months. If the parent with whom you lived most has remarried, report their current marital status as "married."
- Refer to the online "help" box for detailed directions with regard to the number of family members in your parents' or your (if independent per FAFSA definition) household.
- Enter parents' last names and Social Security numbers exactly as they appear on their Social Security cards.
- If you and/or your parents indicate Dislocated Worker status, documentation may be requested by USD.
- In the section for federal means-tested benefits received by you and/or your family, please note that one of the options is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The SSI program pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have very limited resources and is not the same as Social Security. Documentation of the benefits received may be requested by the Office of Financial Aid.
- If your answer to the asset threshold question does not result in additional questions about assets, please note that USD may request asset information directly from you.
- Asset values need to be listed as of the date when the initial FAFSA is signed. Do not list the value of the home in which you live, tax sheltered savings in retirement accounts. All other assets need to be listed (i.e., savings, CDs, trust funds, rental real estate, businesses and farms).
Remember to sign and date the FAFSA. If you provided parental information, at least one of your parents must also sign. If your biological or adoptive parents are separated or divorced, the parent who provided the most financial support should provide parental information and sign your FAFSA.
Submit the FAFSA between October 2025 and March 2, 2026, to ensure consideration as a priority applicant for financial aid.
If you complete a paper FAFSA, get a Certificate of Mailing from the Post Office to keep with your copy of the FAFSA to document when you mailed the form.
Student Information (and Parent Information for Dependent Students)
Enter your name and Social Security number exactly as listed on your Social Security card.
- For dependent credential students whose parents are separated or divorced, the question about parent marital status refers to the parent with whom you have lived most in the 12 months prior to completing the FAFSA. Contact the USD Office of Financial Aid if you have any questions.
- The FAFSA requests the number of members in your parents' household, or your household if you are considered independent for Federal Student Aid. Refer to the online "help" box for detailed directions.
- Dependent credential students: Enter parents' last names and Social Security numbers exactly as they appear on their Social Security cards.
- If you and/or your parent(s) filed a federal tax return, you may be offered the option to transfer your tax data directly from the IRS into your FAFSA through use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. This is the most accurate and secure way to provide tax data.
- In the section for federal benefits received by you and/or your family, one of the options is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The SSI program pays benefits to elderly and disabled adults and children who have very limited resources. It is not the same as Social Security. Documentation of the specific benefits received may be requested by the Office of Financial Aid.
- If you do not list assets on your FAFSA, USD may request asset information from you.
- Asset values need to be listed as of the date when the initial FAFSA is signed. Do not list the value of the home in which you live, tax sheltered savings in retirement accounts, or small businesses you own that have fewer than 100 employees. All other assets must be listed (i.e., savings, CDs, trust funds, rental real estate).
- Sign and submit your FAFSA. If a dependent credential student provides parental information, at least one of the parents must also sign the FAFSA.
Responses from Federal Student Aid
When you complete the online FAFSA process correctly, a system-generated response will appear which indicates the application was successfully submitted.
Within a few days, you'll receive an email from Federal Student Aid that indicates where to log in to view your Student Aid Report (FAFSA Submission Summary). The FAFSA Submission Summary shows a summary of your entries on the FAFSA.
Contact Federal Student Aid at 1-800-4-FEDAID if you do not receive your FAFSA Submission Summary within three weeks.
As a result of the FAFSA need analysis, a Student Aid Index (SAI) should be listed in the top right corner of your FAFSA Submission Summary. An SAI on your FAFSA Submission Summary indicates that a complete application will be sent to USD/the universities you listed on your FAFSA. Please check your FAFSA Submission Summary information for any corrections you may still need to make.
If an SAI is NOT on the FAFSA Submission Summary, your FAFSA is considered incomplete and cannot be used to calculate eligibility for financial aid. Follow the instructions on the FAFSA Submission Summary to make corrections so that it may be sent to USD for processing.
A completed FAFSA must be received by March 2, 2026 to meet the USD priority filing deadline for continuing students. For incoming 1st year and transfer students, please refer to the Undergraduate Admission Timeline website.
Responses from University of San Diego
USD does not prepare financial aid offers for students who have not been admitted.
Financial aid offers for students are ESTIMATED until all requested information has been received and reviewed.
Beginning in March, USD will send email notifications to financial aid recipients detailing how to view your financial aid status and financial aid offer on the MySanDiego portal. Your email notification will include instructions for accessing your financial aid status on the MySanDiego portal. For detailed information on how to navigate your MySanDiego portal, please see Navigating Financial Aid on Your Portal below.
- First year undergraduate and transfer students who have been admitted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will receive an email with instructions for accessing the financial aid offer online, once the awarding process has started. This email will be sent to the email address you have on file with the university after the FAFSA is received and 5-7 business days after the official date of admission. The information will be sent only if a valid FAFSA with USD's school code has been received from Federal Student Aid. Students selected for verification will also need to provide any information requested through their financial aid requirements.
- Continuing students who are priority financial aid applicants will receive email notification through their USD email account when additional information is requested or when their financial aid offer is available to view through the portal. Students whose FAFSA has been selected for verification will need to submit all requested information before their financial aid offer may be finalized.
Beginning in mid-February, USD will send financial aid award offers. You'll get an email with a link to view your award once it's ready. Please note that continuing students selected for verification must complete any outstanding requirements prior to receiving an award. Please see Navigating Financial Aid on Your Portal below for detailed information.
- New graduate/credential students: The email will be sent to the email address you have on file with USD Graduate Admissions 5-7 business days after the official date of admission and receipt of your FAFSA. The email will include instructions for viewing your financial aid offer and financial aid requirements on the MySanDiego portal.
- Continuing graduate/credential students: If you're a continuing student who is a priority applicant, you'll receive an email notification as FAFSAs are received. Financial aid offers for students whose FAFSAs are selected for verification will be completed after all the verification documents have been received and reviewed.
FAFSA
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Financial Aid in the MySanDiego Portal
The Financial Aid Status contains links to important information about your financial aid.
IMPORTANT: Check the status of your financial aid frequently
It is important to make sure your financial aid is up-to-date and all forms and applications are turned in on time. If you have any questions, please contact us using the Torero Hub question form.
Student Requirements
Financial Aid Requirements lists the status of each of the requirements for your financial aid. This includes verification documents and/or loan applications, as well as information regarding scholarships.
The status will be indicated by a red X that means Outstanding, a circle indicating received and under review, an envelope indicating the form was received and incomplete, a blue person in a circle indicating the parent portion has not yet been received, or a green check indicating it was reviewed and satisfied.
Cost of Attendance
The cost of attendance will give you a breakdown of the anticipated costs of tuition, books, fees, housing, etc. based on your reported number of units and residency.
Your cost of attendance is listed as part of your financial aid offer notification. If you believe there's a discrepancy, please contact us using the Torero Hub question form.
Undergraduate students' initial financial aid offer will be based on 12-18 units per semester. Undergraduate unit requirement for full-time and part-time enrollment:
- Full-time: 12+ units
- ¾-time: 9-11.5 units
- Half-time: 6-8.5 units
- Less than half-time: 1-5.5 units
If you will be enrolled less than full time, please complete the Fall/Spring Unit/Housing Update form with the number of units you will be enrolled in each semester. You may access the form through the MySanDiego portal.
Students initial financial aid award offer will be based on:
- Credential students: 12 units per semester
- Master's degree students: 9 units per semester
- Doctoral students: 6 units per semester
NOTE: If you're a credential or graduate student who will be enrolled for a different number of units, you must notify the Office of Financial Aid in writing prior to August 1, 2025, to be considered for maximum grant eligibility in accordance with USD policy.
Unit requirement for full-time and part-time enrollment:
| Credential Students | Graduate Students | Doctoral Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time | 12+ units | 9+ units | 6+ units |
| ¾-Time | 9-11.5 units | 7-8.5 units | 4-5 units |
| Half-Time | 6-8.5 units | 4.5-6 units | 3 units |
| Less than Half-Time | 1-5.5 units | 1-4 units | 1-2 units |
If you will be enrolled less than full time, please complete the Fall/Spring Unit/Housing Update form with the number of units you will be enrolled in each semester. You may access the form through the MySanDiego portal.
Financial Aid Offers
The financial aid award offer will allow you to view your financial aid offer and how much aid you will be receiving each term.
From this screen, you are able to access your Award Overview and Accept Award Offer tabs, which is where you accept or decline each type of aid you've been offered. Each corresponding tab has been highlighted below.
Award Overview — The Award Overview tab allows you to view your financial aid offer. This screen includes your financial aid need calculation, the housing status you listed on the FAFSA, your cost of attendance and the types of financial aid you have been offered. Each type of financial aid is listed by semester and shows the current status. To accept or decline your aid, navigate to the Accept Award Offer tab.
Accept Award Offer — The Accept Award Offer screen allows you to accept or decline each type of financial aid you have been offered. For any aid you have not previously accepted or declined, there will be a drop-down menu on the right side of the aid allowing you to select the appropriate action. To reinstate a previously declined loan, please contact us using the Torero Hub question form.
Housing and Units
Housing and Units displays the housing assignment and number of units on file for you in the Office of Financial Aid. If this information is not correct, you must submit a Fall/Spring Unit/Housing Update form. You may access the form through the MySanDiego portal.
Messages
Messages will allow you to view any messages the Office of Financial Aid has sent you regarding your financial aid offer, including important alerts.
Your Financial Aid Award
You will need to complete the steps below through your portal after you receive your email notification.
Your Financial Aid Offer
- Accept/decline each fund offered, EVEN IF you are appealing the financial aid offer. By accepting the aid that is offered, you indicate that you have read and understand all terms and conditions of the offer, including the requirements to renew scholarships and grants.
- If you have been notified by the California Student Aid Commission that you are eligible for a Cal Grant and it is not included in your financial aid offer, notify the Office of Financial Aid as soon as possible. USD counts eligibility for federal and state grants toward the determination of eligibility for institutional funds.
Requirements and Forms
The Parent Electronic Transactions Agreement and the Student Electronic Transactions Agreement are electronic forms (eForms) that authorize the use of electronic financial aid forms.
Use of electronic forms is optional. You may request paper forms if you prefer, or if your parent does not have an email account. Note: the parent who signs the Parent Electronic Transactions Agreement will also need to sign any electronic forms requiring a parent signature.
Verification forms are required and need to be submitted as soon as possible even if tax documents are not uploaded at the same time. Additional forms may also be requested as part of the verification process.
- Undergraduate forms
- For example, Parent Income Certification, Student Income Certification, Dependent or Independent Verification Worksheet and Parent or Student Statement of Income and Expenses.
- Links within Financial Aid Requirements will take you to the forms you will need to complete and submit. Forms requiring parent information will be forwarded via email to the parent whose email address is listed on the Parent Electronic Transactions Agreement after the student section of the form has been completed.
- Please note: For all 2025-26 forms, the tax, income and expense questions refer to the 2023 calendar year
- Graduate forms
- For example, Student Income Certification, Independent Verification Worksheet and Student Statement of Income and Expenses.
- There are links within Financial Aid Requirements to the forms you need to complete and return to USD; requests for additional information may also be sent to you through your USD email account.
These forms are required only if you plan to use the associated funds. Note that in order for loan funds to be available at the start of the fall semester, loans must be accepted on the portal by the first week in July.
For USD to begin the electronic process for the loans, all the steps listed on StudentAid.gov must also be completed.- Undergraduate loan/scholarship/FWS forms
- The Scholarship Questionnaire, FWS Acknowledgement & Background Requirement, USD Trust Loan contract, Federal Direct/PLUS Information and other forms requesting additional information regarding your application for financial aid.
- The Scholarship Questionnaire needs to be completed by students who would like to be considered for endowed or annual grants or scholarships, including those who appeal for additional assistance.
- Graduate loan forms
- The Federal Direct and Graduate PLUS Information forms provide directions for completing the application process for these funds.
Additional items regarding your application may be added to your financial aid requirements or may be sent to you via email through your USD student email account and may be requested at any time. It's important to check your USD student email account frequently and respond promptly.
Please monitor the MySanDiego portal and your USD student email frequently for any new requirements.Status Updates
It's your responsibility to check your email from the Office of Financial Aid. You may need to reset your spam filter to let USD emails pass through. Remember to check your financial aid status on your MySanDiego portal frequently and pay attention to your Financial Aid Requirements status indicators — you do not have to wait for email reminders. If a red X appears next to a requirement that you've already completed, additional information may be needed. Check the messages on your portal for an explanation.
Notification to check for updates/changes/active messages on your Financial Aid Portlet will be sent to:
- Prospective students: The email address you have on file with the university
- Continuing students: Your USD student email address
If you see the status of a requirement change from a circle to an envelope, this indicates that additional information is needed and an email has been sent to explain what is needed. As long as the requirements show a red X, circle, envelope or blue person in a circle on your portal, your offer is estimated.
If you see the status of a requirement change from a green check or yellow triangle to a red X, this indicates that additional information is needed. As long as the requirements show a red X or a yellow triangle on your portal, your offer is estimated.
For continuing USD financial aid applicants, all required forms must be received and reviewed before the financial aid offer is produced.
Offer Delays
Delay in receiving an offer may be caused by:
Incorrect Name/SSN
The Social Security number and name used on the FAFSA do not match the information submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the USD Registrar and the Social Security Administration. Always enter your name as it appears on your Social Security card.
Missing SAI
Your FAFSA Submission Summary did not have an SAI listed in the upper-righthand corner of the first page and generated a "Reject FAFSA Submission Summary." A Reject FAFSA Submission Summary must be cleared by you prior to the priority deadline to keep priority status. It is your responsibility to correct your FAFSA to clear any reject. You may also contact Federal Student Aid at 800-433-3243.
Missing School Code
An incorrect or missing school code. USD's school code is 010395.
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
You may grant the university permission to release information about your records to a third party (including parents, step-parents, etc.) by adding an authorized user to the FERPA page in the MySanDiego portal. View detailed instructions for how to release your student records.
Questions?