Maintain Eligibility
Staying in good standing
Understand the policies and requirements needed to maintain your eligibility for medical school scholarships and aid.
In addition to meeting the requirements outlined by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, you are also required to meet cumulative Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards in order to maintain your eligibility for aid.
Understanding the calculation of the "Return of Unearned Federal (Title IV) Aid"
When a recipient of financial aid goes on a leave of absence or withdraws, the Financial Aid Office calculates the amount of financial aid that has been "earned" prior to the effective leave/withdrawal date. Any federal Title IV aid received in excess of the amount earned is considered to be "unearned," and must be returned to the federal program from which it was awarded. This return of unearned aid is jointly shared by UCLA, as a part of the tuition and fee refund policy, and by the student.
The amount of financial aid that has been earned is determined by calculating the number of days attended before the leave/withdrawal date divided by the total number of days in the term (first day of classes until the last day of finals, excluding breaks of greater than five days). If 61% of the term has been reached, a return of unearned aid is no longer calculated. Once the earned and unearned percentages are calculated, the dollar amount of "unearned" federal Title IV aid is determined. Federal aid includes Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loans.
In almost all instances, the amount of the tuition and fee refund will be less than the amount that must be returned as "unearned" aid. A portion of this "unearned" aid is paid back by UCLA during the tuition and fee refund procedure since the repayment by UCLA of the refund amount is first credited toward the total federal aid awarded for the same time period. If the refund amount is less than the calculation of the "unearned" aid, the student is responsible for paying the difference between the amount of the refund and the total "unearned" aid calculation.
Requirement for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulations require that all students receiving financial aid from Title IV funds maintain satisfactory academic progress. To comply with this requirement the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM) has adopted a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy that applies to all medical students receiving financial aid. Students who fail to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements become ineligible to receive Title IV (Federal loans) and institutional aid (DGSOM medical school scholarships and loans) until they are in compliance with these requirements. If you need to appeal, please email our office at dgsomfas@mednet.ucla.edu.
Note: Satisfactory Academic Progress is not equivalent to the category of "Good Academic/Professional Standing." The designation of Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined in the SAP Policy (linked above), and may apply to students who are placed in the category of "Academic/Professional Probation."
Please note: that policies are subject to change.
