Needs Assessment

Financial need is determined by evaluating the student’s ability to pay for the cost of education. The process of determining your eligibility for financial aid, commonly referred to as “need analysis,” has been established by federal legislation with reliance on information contained in the FAFSA. If the need analysis shows that the cost of education exceeds the amount you and your family can contribute, you will qualify for need-based loans.

Need Analysis Formula

(Cost of Education) – (Expected Family Contribution) = Financial Aid Eligibility

Cost of Education

The School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office uses a standardized set of budgets to determine the cost of education. The budgets vary based on your living arrangements while in school (i.e., living with family vs. living off-campus). In addition to room and board, each budget also includes registration fees, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

Please note: The amount of financial aid that students receive cannot exceed the cost of education according to guidelines and regulations established by the federal government and administered through the central UCLA Financial Aid Office.

Budgets do not include items such as consumer (credit card) debts or car loans, so we recommend that you reduce these obligations before entering school. Because these items are not considered budget items under federal regulation, they cannot be included in your cost-of-education budget.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount that you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. The student contribution is calculated for dependent and independent students by analyzing the income and asset information of the student (and spouse if applicable). The EFC figure is not an actual amount that you have to pay, but it is an approximation of how much you should reasonably be able to contribute toward your educational expenses.  Students often fund EFC amounts with non-need based aid such as the unsubsidized Direct Loan and/or Direct Grad PLUS Loan.

One very useful way of estimating your EFC can be found online. Sallie Mae, a loan servicer, has a website that can help you estimate what your expected contribution might be.

Accessing Funds

Provided that you have completed the necessary paperwork on time, your loan funds should arrive at the School of Dentistry in time to pay your registration fees. Please remember that the loans are issued in three disbursements for entering students and four disbursements (one each quarter) for continuing students. You may not access your funds until you have completed an Entrance Interview as required by the federal government.

Registration Fees

Registration fees are paid through the billing and receivables (BAR) system. Once registration fees and other University obligations have been paid, a check for the balance of funds will be generated. These checks, called Refund Checks, are either mailed or directly deposited through Bruin Direct to the student's bank account. If you would like more information about BAR, please visit the UCLA Student Financial Services website.