Dear UCSC Student,
I am reaching out to provide some context on financial aid processing for the 2024-2025 academic year, offer an apology for the subsequent delays some students experienced, and share our plans for the upcoming 2025-2026 cycle.
This past year, the implementation of FAFSA Simplification brought unexpected challenges nationwide, requiring our office to work closely with the U.S. Department of Education as new issues emerged and guidance evolved daily. Our team adapted as quickly as possible, reprocessing over 2,700 student applications, manually verifying thousands of updates instead of using the normal automated process, and changing nearly all reporting with the goal of ensuring timely disbursements, accuracy, and compliance. Throughout the summer and fall quarter, we prioritized direct communication with impacted students to resolve outstanding issues in a timely fashion, sought additional campus resources, and engaged with the UC Office of the President and federal relations teams to advocate for you, our students, at the highest levels, which included congressional offices.
Despite our best efforts, it deeply pains me that some students experienced delays. I recognize the financial and academic stress this caused, and I want to express my sincere apologies. Please know that this experience has only strengthened our resolve to prevent similar disruptions in the future. As of now, we are fully up to date with processing and actively assisting students who are navigating eligibility requirements related to financial aid satisfactory academic progress.
While we understand the frustration meeting financial aid satisfactory academic progress requirements and the required steps for verification can cause, it is important to emphasize that we must be in compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations and policies. These policies ensure our institution remains eligible to administer over $500 million in financial aid programs, which in turn safeguards funding not only for individual students but also for the broader campus community. Upholding these regulations is critical to maintaining financial aid access for all students, now and in the future.
Looking ahead, and aligned with the incredible advocacy efforts by Engaging Education and the Student Union Assembly, we are making proactive improvements for the 2025-2026 academic year. We are increasing the number of notifications students will receive about missing documentation and working with campus partners to put together workshops to provide students necessary information. The office is also looking into opportunities to share financial aid updates with our students via different modalities, including additional emails, City on a Hill, and the Dean of Students Newsletter.
We remain committed to timely aid processing and are working toward our goal of providing official aid packages throughout the summer and no later than September 1st for students with files completed by August 15th. This will help you make informed financial decisions before the fall quarter begins.
We appreciate your patience, understanding, advocacy, and trust as we continue to navigate the ever-changing financial aid environment. Our office remains dedicated to supporting your educational journey.
Sincerely,
Lorena Rodriguez
Director, Financial Aid and Scholarship Office