A Partnership
Financing an education at UC Berkeley is a partnership between the university and the student. Paying for your education is a combination of:
- Gift aid from the university (scholarships and grants from federal, state, or UC sources)
- Self-help aid (work-study or student loans)
- Other sources of income (family support or outside employment)
After evaluating a student’s eligibility for financial aid, the university awards gift aid (scholarships and grants), which is free aid that does not need to be repaid. Gift aid helps cover a portion of the student’s educational expenses, also known as the cost of attendance.
For most students, gift aid does not cover all costs. Self-help aid is what a student is reasonably expected to contribute to their education costs from work, borrowing student loans, and outside scholarships (not from federal, state, or UC sources). This contribution is known as the self-help expectation. Students may also receive help to finance their overall costs through other sources of income, which can include outside employment and family savings.
Through this partnership, we seek to maximize the investment students and their families make in higher education and help ensure that students graduate with the lowest amount of debt possible.
Factors That Influence Self-help Expectations
The self-help expectation is determined through a comprehensive evaluation of the federal, state, and institutional funding availability, as well as the overall cost of attendance for students. Your self-help aid is determined by your financial need according to the information you submitted in your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Your self-help aid is determined by your financial need according to the information you submitted in your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. While tuition stability keeps your direct costs to the university consistent, your indirect education costs adjust over time with inflation (indirect costs can include off-campus rent, outside meals, books, supplies, transportation, and other personal expenses). As cost and resource factors fluctuate, the self-help level may vary from year to year.
How do you contribute to self-help expectations?
Common ways to cover self-help expectations are self-help aid (work-study or student loans), outside scholarships and awards (gift aid not from federal, state, or UC sources), and external sources of income (outside employment or family support).
- Outside scholarships can replace work-study or loans in your financial aid package. Our Scholarship Search page has advice for getting started and a list of scholarship websites you can search.
- Work-study employment is offered by both on- and off- campus employers. Read the Work-Study for Students Financial Aid Guide for an introduction and find details and FAQs at Work-Study Information for Students. Many employers on campus also hire students who do not have work-study.
- Outside employment opportunities listed on Handshake (Berkeley Career Engagement’s recruitment platform) will connect you directly with employers on and off campus.
- Student loans can be a critical part of your education financing plan. Loans are a great resource when used conservatively and wisely. We encourage you to carefully consider whether or not you really need to borrow, and if you do, to borrow as little as necessary.
Learn more about your responsibilities as a recipient of financial aid by reviewing the following pages:
- Verification Process
- Financial Aid Payments and Refunds
- Maintaining Your Eligibility
- Managing Outside Scholarships
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Withdrawing from Classes or School
- Repaying Your Loan
If you have special circumstances that are affecting your finances, please see our Appeals and Special Circumstances page.