• Introduction      
• Financial Aid Application Requirements
• Processing of Applications By School of Dentistry
• Master Promissory Note from Lender
• Mandatory Debt Management Session/Entrance Exam
• Budget Increase Request Form
• Housing Adjustment Form     
• Accessing Your Funds and Paying Your Registration Fees
• Repayment and Refunds
• School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office Information

Introduction

Thank you for visiting the Financial Aid web pages. These pages are designed to provide individuals in the 4 year traditional DDS program with information about available financial resources and to assist them in navigating through the form-intensive process of applying for financial aid.

Although it is possible to fund your entire education with financial aid, we recommend a conservative approach to borrowing. We also encourage you to save as early and as much as possible before you enter so that you may avoid a heavy debt burden. These savings will be particularly useful in your transition to dental school.

There are several available forms of financial assistance: loans, scholarships, grants and work-study. Approximately 90% of our financial aid is in the form of loans. These loans must be repaid with interest via a payment plan which usually does not commence until six months following graduation or separation/withdrawal. The remaining 10% of financial assistance is in the form of grants, scholarships and funds received for work-study none of which needs to be repaid.

When a student applies for financial assistance, he/she has five options:

1. Apply for all University Aid. The University reviews the information provided and determines whether the individual qualifies for such aid under the definition of “financial need." Among the required forms are documents which require parental information.
   
   
2. Apply for the Stafford Loan only.
   
   
3. Apply for Scholarships only or in conjunction with one of the other options.
   
   
4. Apply for a Private Alternative Educational Loan in conjunction with any of the above options.
   
   
5. Apply for a private loan outside of the School of Dentistry process.
   
   A Grad PLUS Loan may also be considered after Stafford Loan eligibility has been determined through the financial aid application process.
   

Financial Aid Application Requirements

OVERVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS BY TYPE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

**The paperwork required for Private Alternative Educational and other private loans vary. If you decide that you need to apply for a Private Alternative Educational Loan, please visit our private loan lender list. We encourage you to compare the various loans available through private loan sources. The Grad PLUS Loan is now available to provide funding in most cases where a private loans was needed in the past.

It is essential to note that the School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office will not process any forms received from any incoming students who have not submitted their required $1,000 acceptance deposit to the Office of Student Affairs. Any materials submitted prior to payment of the $1,000 deposit shall be shredded. It is requested that incoming students complete and submit all required aid application materials within 20 days of receipt of notification to begin the application process.

MEET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
In order to receive financial aid you must:

• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• have a valid Social Security number
• be registered with Selective Service, if required
• be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program
• not be in default on any federal funds
• be making satisfactory academic progress

SUBMIT APPLICABLE FORMS ELECTRONICALLY

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - www.fafsa.ed.gov
The FAFSA form must be completed by all who wish to be considered for any financial aid. There are currently no fees associated with this application. Please visit www.FAFSA.ed.gov to complete the online application. The FAFSA should be submitted in accordance with the instructions as early as possible. You must include full parental data in order to be considered for ALL University Aid (including loans, grants, and applicable University need-based scholarships). If you complete the FAFSA with estimated figures, you will need to update the application when you have accurate tax data. Be sure to list “UCLA School of Dentistry” under Releases and Signatures, and include Title IV Federal School Code number 001315.

Students who applied for financial aid in the previous academic year should receive a Renewal FAFSA form from the Department of Education in January. If you did not receive the Renewal FAFSA by the end of January, please visit the FAFSA website to access your account.

Need Access Application - www.needaccess.org
If you wish to be considered for ALL University Aid (including loans, grants and applicable University need-based scholarships), you must complete both the student and parent sections of the Need Access Application. This requires you to disclose both your own and your family’s income and resource information. Do NOT complete the Need Access application until you have accurate tax information as you may not update this application at a later date. There is a fee associated with this Need Access Application. Be sure to select the institution name “UCLA School of Dentistry”, so that you will be prompted to complete the required financial aid information for our school. *NOTE: You do NOT have to complete the Need Access application if you only wish to apply for Stafford Loans.

SUBMIT HARD COPIES OF THE FOLLOWING FORMS TO THE SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY FINANCIAL AID OFFICE   (see: School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office Information)
The following forms must be submitted to the School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office in order to process your financial aid. For 2008-2009 forms click here. 2009-2010 forms are available from the list below.

Financial Aid Agreement
This form serves to declare the types of aid for which the student is applying. It also explains what information needs to be submitted for such applications.

Income Tax Certification
This form has two parts – one for the applicant and one for the parents. Parent information only needs to be provided if the applicant is applying for All University Aid. Please note, in this case, a parent’s signature is required.

 Parent's Household Verification Form 
This form must be completed for all students applying for all university aid.

Student's Statement of Expenses and Resources
This form must be completed by all applicants. It requires the applicant to list all expenses and resources from the prior calendar year.

Parent's Statement of Expenses and Resources  (only required if you are applying for “All University Aid”)
This form is required to be completed by the parents of any applicant who is applying for “All University Aid.” It requires the parents to list all expenses and resources from the prior calendar year.

To select a Stafford Loan lender, applicants should review the Federal Stafford Loan Lender List  and other lenders who may not appear on the list. Please see the list on Useful Websites for a listing of some of these potential lenders. Factors applicants may want to consider include: whether they already have a loan from their undergraduate education; origination fees (processing fees); and individual loan benefits.

Processing of Applications By School of Dentistry

VERIFICATION PROCESS AND DETERMINATION OF FINANCIAL NEED
The School of Dentistry is required to verify the accuracy of financial aid documents submitted by students receiving financial aid. It is essential to note that we have the right to request additional information at any time in order to process your application for financial aid. The School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office is also responsible for determining the students' financial need. Click here if you are interested in learning more about the School's methodology for determining financial need.

ENSURE THE FILE IS COMPLETE
Before an applicant can be awarded financial aid, the applicant must have submitted all required forms. The applicant should check the status of his or her  financial aid application at  MYFAO to be sure it is complete. If you have submitted documents to us, and do not see any of  these listed as having been received, please remember that  we will  have many applications to process and may not have gotten to yours yet. If you have a question about any item still listed as outstanding, please contact The Financial Aid Office at Financial_Aid@dentistry.ucla.edu.

Once your file is complete and reviewed, an eFAN will be made available to you specifying the award types and amounts for which you are eligible. For information about the award types that may appear on your eFAN, please click here. You must complete the information requested in the eFAN (which includes your designation of a lender) in order for the processing of aid to be completed.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
If you or your parents’ financial situation changes after you have filed the FAFSA or the Need Access Application, you should submit a letter explaining your special circumstances, along with supporting documentation, to the School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office. Changes in your financial situation include, but are not limited to, loss of employment, reduction in work hours, disability, illness, separation, divorce, or death of a family member. Your special circumstances cannot be considered without supporting documentation. The School of Dentistry or Central Financial Aid Office will contact you to request additional information if needed. It is your responsibility to submit your petition in a timely manner in order to accommodate UCLA School of Dentistry ’s review process.

Master Promissory Note from Lender

If you are a first year dental student or first time borrower, the lender will require a completed Master Promissory Note for the Federal Stafford Loan. Be sure to fill out the Master Promissory Notes completely and correctly, as any omission or mistake may delay the financial aid process. You can follow the link provided in your eFAN (electronic Financial Aid Notification) to Sallie Mae's Open Net system to complete a Master Promissory Note on-line. If you have already completed a Master Promissory Note with the lender, you will not be required to complete another one.

Debt Management Session/Entrance Exam

All students borrowing federal funds are required to participate in a Debt Management Session/Entrance Exam. Failure to complete a Debt Management Session/Entrance Exam may result in suspension of federal aid.

Budget Increase Request Form

If a student experiences an unanticipated event such as significant car repairs, child care expenses, etc. he/she may apply for loan re-evaluation by completing the Budget Increase Request Form. Dental students wishing to file a Budget Increase Request Form must submit the completed form, with required documentation, to the Dentistry Financial Aid Office.

Housing Adjustment Form

If a student has rental expenses in excess of the amount allotted in the financial aid budget, he/she may apply for a budget adjustment by completing a Housing Adjustment Form . Dental students wishing to file a Housing Adjustment Form must submit the completed form, with required documentation, to the Dentistry Financial Aid Office. 

Accessing Your Funds And Paying Your Registration Fees

Provided that you have completed the necessary paperwork on time, your loan funds should arrive at the school in time to pay your registration fees. 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 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, directly deposited through Bruin Direct to the student's bank account. If you would like more information about BAR, please visit www.studentaccounting.ucla.edu. If you have selected a lender who is electronically linked to UCLA, your funds will be automatically credited to your student account through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

If you have selected a lender who does not use EFT, your loan funds will arrive at UCLA as a paper check and you will have to retrieve the check at Student Loan Services (A-227 Murphy Hall). Please note, it will be your obligation to pay your registration fees at the Main Cashier's Office (1125 Murphy Hall).

Repayment and Refunds

You should begin managing your debt in the first year of dental school and continue through graduation. It is a good idea to know your level of debt and how much money you will need to earn to repay your loans after graduation from dental school.

If you need to borrow money for dental school, it pays to choose your lender carefully. Although education lenders may look alike, the borrower benefits and services they offer can add up to a big difference, especially when applying for a private loan.

If you receive financial aid and subsequently do not enroll in the School of Dentistry, or enroll and then withdraw, you will be required to return the financial aid you have received. Refund and repayment is based on published schedules and the date you officially withdraw.

If you do not plan to attend the School of Dentistry, you must notify the school of your change in plans. Failure to withdraw with the Dean of Student Affairs will result in liability for financial aid disbursed.

School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office Information

The office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. However, financial aid appointments are scheduled from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM daily.

The Financial Aid Office provides counseling and assistance in completing the financial aid application, evaluation and determination of need.

The Financial Aid Office is here to assist students in meeting the rising cost of attendance at the institution and to try to fill the gap that exists between the cost of attendance and funds available form your family, savings and other resources.

Contact Information:

Connie Steppes, Director of Financial Aid
Frank Doucette, Financial Aid Counselor
Email: Financial_Aid@dentistry.ucla.edu