• Introduction
• Financial Aid Application Requirements
• Processing of Applications By School of Dentistry
• Master Promissory Note from Lender
• Mandatory Entrance Interview
• Petition for Re-Evaluation
• 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.

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 contact the School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office to discuss the requirements. Please note, if you elect to apply for another type of private loan, you will need to apply outside of the School of Dentistry process. We encourage you to compare the various loans available through private loan sources.

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 $200 acceptance deposit to the Office of Student Affairs. Any materials submitted prior to payment of the $200 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. 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. 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.

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 2003-2004 forms click here. 2004-2005 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.

Non-Tax Filer's Verification Form
This form must be completed if the applicant and/or applicant’s parent specified that they did not file taxes.

Student 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.

Parents' 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.

Stafford Loan Information Sheet
This information sheet is used to designate the applicant’s lender selection and specify the amount of money required to be borrowed.

To select a lender, applicants should review the Preferred 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 which can be determined by visiting the various lenders’ websites.

There are three options for indicating the amount of money to be borrowed through an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Applicants may do any one of the following:

1. Indicate the exact amount wanted to be borrowed. This number is determined by reviewing the Student Budget which summarizes the estimated expenses for a dental student; or
   
   
2. Specify “Maximum” in the field. This is an ideal option for someone who wishes to have the full amount of their financial need fulfilled. The amount is determined by the School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office after all other aid (lower interest loans and grants, if applicable) has been awarded; or
   
   
3. Leave the field blank. This ensures that the Subsidized Stafford Loan is awarded but allows the applicant flexibility to determine their actual need after reviewing all other received aid (lower interest loans and grants, as applicable).

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. If any documents are missing from your file, you will be sent a “Missing Information Letter” requesting the missing document(s).

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

SUBMISSION OF PAPERWORK TO LENDER
Once the School of Dentistry receives your completed FAN, we will electronically transmit your loan request to your chosen lender.

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 mail you a letter requesting additional information if required. 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 process your request and send you a Master Promissory Note for the Federal Stafford Loan. Because UCLA awards the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans separately, you may receive two Master Promissory Notes. Be sure to fill out the Master Promissory Notes completely and correctly, as any omission or mistake may delay the financial aid process. Return the Master Promissory Note to your lender in the envelope provided, and retain the "borrower copy" for your records. If you have already completed a Master Promissory Note with the lender, you will not be required to complete another one.

Mandatory Entrance Interview

All students borrowing federal funds are required to participate in an Entrance Interview. The School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office will conduct an Entrance Interview during First Year Orientation. Failure to complete an Entrance Interview may result in suspension of federal aid.

Petition For Re-Evaluation

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 Petition for Reevaluation, which is found on the UCLA Financial Aid Office Forms' webpage.

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, or held for pick up in B303 Murphy Hall. 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 then be mailed to you. 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. Listed below are the benefits of choosing a lender whose loans are serviced by Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading provider of education loan services.

• Earn a 1/4 percentage point interest rate reduction with The Direct RepaySM Plan by authorizing monthly payments to be deducted electronically from a checking or savings account.
  
  
• Receive an interest rate reduction of 2 full percentage points by making your first 48 scheduled monthly Stafford loan payments on time under the Great Rewards® Program. You will need to continued making payments on time.

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 UCLA School of Dentistry Financial Aid Office is located in the Student Affairs Office Room A0-111. The mailing address is: 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Room A0-111, Box 951668, Los Angeles, California 90095.

The office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. However, financial aid appointments are scheduled from 12:00 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
Financial Aid Director
connies@dent.ucla.edu

Frank Doucette
Financial Aid Couselor
fdoucett@dent.ucla.edu