Middle Class Scholarship at UC Santa Barbara

About this scholarship

The Middle Class Scholarship at UC Santa Barbara is California state gift aid for eligible undergraduates and students pursuing a teaching credential. There is no separate UCSB scholarship form. Students are considered after submitting either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the California Dream Act Application by March 2 each year. The California Student Aid Commission then calculates eligibility after UCSB packages federal, state, institutional, and private gift aid. Awards are not a fixed tuition percentage or guaranteed maximum: the formula starts with cost of attendance and subtracts other gift aid, a state-set student contribution, and an applicable parent contribution. The final amount also depends on enrollment, household income and assets, the number of eligible students, and California budget funding. A student whose other grants and scholarships already meet or exceed calculated eligibility will not receive an MCS payment, and an award may be reduced if new aid arrives or state funding is insufficient. Students should use the FAFSA Apply link unless they qualify for the California Dream Act Application. The official UCSB page explains the campus calculation and links recipients to their state WebGrants account.

Eligibility

• Be enrolled or planning to enroll at UC Santa Barbara in an eligible undergraduate or teaching-credential program
• Be a California resident or meet the applicable AB 540 and California Dream Act requirements
• Meet the California Student Aid Commission’s annual household income and asset ceilings
• Submit either the 2027–2028 FAFSA or California Dream Act Application by March 2, 2027
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress and all institutional financial-aid requirements
• Remain within the state program’s applicable years-of-eligibility limit
• Have calculated eligibility remaining after other grants, scholarships, and required contributions are considered