FAFSA processed but UCSC financial aid package missing Pell Grant - Cal Grant showing incomplete

This definitely sounds concerning, but I wouldn't panic yet. UC financial aid offices are notoriously backlogged this time of year. With an SAI of 1506, your daughter should absolutely be receiving Pell Grant and likely Cal Grant A as well. A few things to check: 1. Verify on studentaid.gov that her FAFSA lists UCSC as a recipient school 2. Check if UCSC sent any requests for verification that might be in her student portal or spam folder 3. The Cal Grant dashboard showing UC Davis instead of UCSC is definitely a problem that needs correcting with CSAC If she's starting in Fall 2025, you still have time to get this fixed, but I would escalate beyond just emails at this point.

omg the EXACT same thing happened to my son last year!!! UCSC is always behind on processing financial aid its ridiculous. they didnt include his Pell grant either and we were FREAKING OUT. turns out they send preliminary packages first that dont include everything and then update them later? so annoying. def call them tho, dont just email!!

I work with financial aid applications and can offer some insight. What you're describing sounds like a preliminary aid package that UCSC sent out before fully processing her FAFSA data. This is actually common practice at many UCs - they send out initial packages with just loans while they work through verifying and finalizing grant eligibility. For the Cal Grant issue, you need to contact CSAC directly to update her school selection from Davis to Santa Cruz. Their website should have a school change form. The "incomplete" status could be because they're trying to send confirmation to the wrong UC campus. With an SAI of 1506, she should ultimately receive: - Full Pell (around $6,000) - Cal Grant A (covering a significant portion of tuition) - Possible UC Grant to cover remaining need I'd recommend calling UCSC's financial aid office directly rather than emailing. When aid packages are being finalized for fall term, their response times to emails can stretch to 3+ weeks.

i had problem with csac 2 they kept sending my cal grant to wrong school even aftr i changed it online like 5 times!! so frustrating

If you've been trying to call UCSC's financial aid office without success, you might want to try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last semester with my Pell Grant missing from my package and couldn't get through on the phone for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to a live agent within 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through to a person, they were able to update my package right away and add my Pell Grant. The agent explained they were just behind on processing and the initial package was only meant as a preliminary estimate.

Regarding the Cal Grant showing as incomplete - this is a separate issue from the UCSC package. You need to contact CSAC (California Student Aid Commission) directly at 888-224-7268 to update her school selection. With an SAI of 1506, she should qualify for Cal Grant A, which covers a significant portion of UC tuition. For the UCSC aid package, make sure to check if this is marked as a "preliminary" or "estimated" package. Many schools send these out before finalizing all grants. The good news is that if her FAFSA shows an SAI of 1506, the Pell Grant is GUARANTEED - it's a federal entitlement program. The school can't just decide not to give it to her if she qualifies.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!!! my daughter had similar issue with Berkeley last year and we had to call EVERY SINGLE DAY for TWO WEEKS to get someone to fix it. They're DELIBERATELY making it hard to get the money the government says you deserve!!!

Just to clarify about the May 2nd deadline - that was likely the UCSC priority deadline, not the final deadline. The important dates to remember are: 1. March 2nd - Cal Grant deadline (which you met since her GPA is verified) 2. Federal FAFSA priority deadline (typically in February/March) Since everything shows as processed on the FAFSA side, and you submitted before May 2nd, you should be fine deadline-wise. This sounds more like processing delays and system coordination issues between CSAC and UCSC. I recommend: 1. Call UCSC financial aid office directly (keep trying different times of day) 2. Call CSAC about the school selection issue 3. Request a "revised" financial aid package once the Cal Grant issue is resolved With an SAI of 1506, your daughter should be receiving substantial grant aid - likely $15,000+ between Pell, Cal Grant, and UC Grant - so it's definitely worth the effort to get this sorted out.

y do they make this so confusing srsly hate fafsa season every year

When you call UCSC, ask specifically about the "Pell Grant disbursement timeline" and whether they have a "revision date" for initial financial aid packages. Using these specific terms might help get you better information. Also request that they check if there are any "C-flags" or "comment codes" on her FAFSA that might be delaying the Pell Grant processing. For the Cal Grant school change, you'll need her CSAC ID number (different from her FAFSA ID) which should be on any Cal Grant communications she's received. The online school change form is faster than calling in my experience.

My daughter goes to UCSC and we had a similar issue last fall. They sent us a package with just loans first, then about 3 weeks later they updated it with her grants. Something about their system processing federal aid after initial packages go out. So annoying but it worked out eventually!

I'm a current UCSC student and went through almost the exact same situation two years ago! My initial financial aid package showed only loans despite qualifying for both Pell Grant and Cal Grant A. Here's what I learned: UCSC sends out "preliminary" packages in waves, and federal grants often get added in later updates. The key is that if your FAFSA shows an SAI of 1506 and it's been successfully processed, the Pell Grant WILL come through - it's federally guaranteed. For immediate action, I'd recommend: 1. Call UCSC financial aid at 831-459-2963 (try calling right when they open at 8am for shorter wait times) 2. Ask specifically if this is a "preliminary package" and when they expect grant updates 3. Request they check for any verification flags or missing documents The Cal Grant/UC Davis mix-up is separate but fixable - log into your WebGrants account and submit a school change request. It took about 10 business days to process when I did it. Don't panic - with your daughter's SAI, she should ultimately receive around $16,000+ in combined grants. UCSC's financial aid office is slow but they do eventually get it right!