Federal Methodology
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.

Institutional Methodology
At the UCLA School of Dentistry, as with many other dental schools, students who wish to be considered for most need-based loans and all grants, are considered “dependent” and are required to provide parental information on a separate need analysis application. UCLA School of Dentistry uses the Need Access Application. Parental support is generally expected. In calculating the parent contribution, the parents’ total income and assets are considered. In addition, the amount of taxes paid by your parents, their ages, their need for retirement income, and the number of children and other dependents in the family, as well as the number of family members in college will be considered.

Need Analysis Formula

Cost of Education
A standardized set of budgets is used as the basis for determining the cost of attendance at UCLA Dental School. The budgets vary based on a student’s living arrangements while in school, from commuter (living with family), to living off-campus. In addition to room and board, each budget also includes registration fees, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
The EFC is the amount that you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. The students’ contribution is derived by analyzing the income and asset information of the student. 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.

One very useful way of estimating your EFC can be found on the Internet. Sallie Mae, a loan servicer, has a web site that can help you estimate what your expected contribution might be. The address is:
http://salliemae.wiredscholar.com/global/quicktools/quicktools.jsp#calc