MCS Updates

May 2024

• As a State of California program, the Middle Class Scholarship is subject to change based on the California state budget. The state budget, which will be finalized by June 15, 2024, currently includes a proposal for significant reductions to the Middle Class Scholarship Program, which would affect most recipients of the award. A reduction to the program would result in a reduction of the MCS award for many students with a conditional financial aid offer.
• A Middle Class Scholarship award replaces existing loans and/or work-study in a recipient’s financial aid package. If a reduction to the MCS program occurs, student aid packages will be updated with the original federal loans and/or work-study to offset the change.
• We are partnering with the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to confirm MCS eligibility and award amounts. We will update financial aid packages after the final California State budget is passed.
• Note: Prior receipt of an MCS award does not ensure eligibility for an MCS award in 2024–25.

December 2023

• The majority of MCS awards have been posted and disbursed for the fall semester. The remaining estimated awards that have not yet been disbursed are due to unique or special circumstances, such as students having less than full-time enrollment, being enrolled only for the fall semester, or having changes in the cost of attendance and or presence of new awards after MCS was initially awarded. These awards take additional time to resolve with the California Student Aid Commission before they can be disbursed. Our overall goal is to ensure that the MCS award that is disbursed to a student is as accurate as possible to avoid potential invoices at a later date. 

November  2023

• We are entering Phase 2 of 2023-24 MCS award actualization for students whose estimated MCS award does not match what they see on Web Grants. 
• Phase 3 is ongoing and will occur on a rolling basis throughout the year.  

October  2023  2 of 2

• The process of converting estimated MCS award into true MCS awards will occur in 3 phases: 
  • Phase 1: Beginning the week of October 9th, the conversion of MCS will occur for students whose estimated MCS is a match to the MCS they see on Web Grants. This occurs on a rolling weekly basis.
  • Phase 2: Any student whose estimated MCS is not a match to what they see on Web Grants will require a correction to be sent to CSAC regarding the information they use to determine their MCS amount. This includes changes as a result of a Cost of Attendance appeal, recently added awards, Income Appeals, or newly submitted FAFSA information. 
  • Phase 3: Any student currently without a valid award package because of an incomplete Verification, or Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal, will see the conversion upon completion of those outstanding tasks, followed by any correction potentially needed to match their MCS award to what they find on Web Grants.
    • This phase will be ongoing throughout the year, and may take up to two weeks from the completion of the outstanding tasks to the awarding of a true MCS.

October  2023  1 of 2

• The California Student Aid Commission has resolved the calculation error within the MCS formula. Beginning the week of October 9th, MCS awards will begin to convert from estimated awards to true awards in batches. We appreciate your patience while we confirm eligibility and begin the process of paying students.

September  2023

• The California Student Aid Commission discovered a calculation error within the MCS formula related to Cal Grants, which has delayed the finalization of MCS awards.

August  2023

• Currently, MCS awards are posted to all award packages as estimated awards. There is nothing you need to do in order to confirm or accept the award. 
• If confirmed, your estimated MCS award will be converted to a true award.
• We do not currently have an estimated date of when this might occur.
• Your award will not be finalized by our initial disbursement date of August 14th, or the fee payment deadline of August 18th.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office team is here to support you. Review the information provided below to learn more about the scholarship and additional resources.

• If you have not already, we encourage you to review the Middle Class Scholarship webpage. 
• Review the 2023-24 income and asset ceilings for Middle Class Scholarship applicants.
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding your MCS eligibility for the 2023-24 award year, please review your WebGrants 4 Students (WG4S) account which provides secure and easy access to your awarding status.
• Bookmark and monitor financialaid.berkeley.edu/mcs-updates where we will post important program updates as they become available.

The Official Fee Payment Due Date for Fall is August 18, 2023

• Paying at least 20% of tuition and fees by this deadline is an important step in ensuring that you will be officially registered and have access to campus services such as library privileges, the Recreational Sports Facility and University Health Services.
• If you make a payment out of pocket, you may be reimbursed if your eligibility for an MCS award is confirmed and the funds are disbursed.
• The Billing and Payment Services Office offers a Fee Payment Plan (FPP) that allows you to pay your semester tuition and fee charges on a monthly basis. You can sign up via your CalCentral account. 
• If you are in need of funds while we confirm your MCS program eligibility, the application for Fall 2023 emergency loans will become available on August 16.
• If you need support beyond the options outlined above, please contact Cal Student Central.