DNP, MS-HPL, MS-HAIL, MEPN, and Nursing FAQs

Financial aid consists of loans and federal work-study for eligible students. It is unlikely that work-study would be feasible for the MS-HPL program participants.

Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.

You can begin the financial aid process early by completing the FAFSA, and then the Finaid/COLS Application after you receive your student ID (SAA ID) and password in the mail.

Your SAA ID is issued by the Office of Admissions and Registrar (OAR). Please call them at (415) 476-8280 if you do not receive your SAA ID and password after three weeks of your admission to UCSF.

  1. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can complete this form right away (before you are admitted). Our FAFSA Federal School Code is “001319”.
  2. If you want to borrow a Federal Direct Loan and/or Direct Graduate PLUS loan, you need to complete the Master Promissory Note for the appropriate loan. A credit check is also required for the Direct Graduate PLUS. You can complete the loan forms and credit check even before you are admitted–this speeds up the process! Please review information about loans and complete the loan application process through Visit Website .
  3. The final step is completing a short UCSF Finaid/COLS Application on our Student Portal. You cannot complete this final step until you are admitted and receive your SAA ID, which you will need to access the student portal. For funding options, please refer to Apply for Aid page.

Disbursement FAQs

Financial aid funds are released immediately prior to the first day of school every quarter (assuming, of course, you applied promptly so your funds have arrived, you registered and filed a study list, and there is no registration hold placed on your account). See our quarterly financial aid disbursement schedule.

It is faster and safer than waiting to receive a paper check in the US mail

Please sign up for direct deposit so your financial aid can be electronically deposited into your bank account through electronic fund transfer (EFT). Information regarding direct deposit will be given to you along with your Financial Aid Offer Letter, as you cannot sign up until after financial aid is awarded.

Financial assistance consists of Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan and Direct Graduate PLUS. Visit our website for detailed loan terms. Please note that graduate students are no longer eligible for a Subsidized Direct Loan due to legislative changes effective . Work-Study is also available, based on availability of funds and your ability to secure a work-study job. However, it is not likely that work-study will be feasible for DNP students. Private loans are another option. However, interest rates on private loans, while lower in some cases, are not stable. Repayment options in the federal loan programs are generally more beneficial than those offered by private loan companies.

Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.

To be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled for at least half-time as prescribed by your curriculum. If you drop below half-time, you are not eligible for any federal financial aid for that quarter.

AS SOON AS YOU’VE BEEN ADMITTED! You should apply as soon as you receive your acceptance and student ID (SAA ID) and password in the mail. Apply and get all your application materials in as soon as possible in order to allow time for us to disburse your funding in time for the beginning of school.