2025-26 Financial Aid Calculator
Our UC systemwide financial aid calculator can help you assess how much it will cost you to attend UC for one year. Use the calculator to estimate the amount of gift aid (free money) you could receive as part of your financial aid award. The calculator can also help you figure out your estimated net costs, which is the total cost of attendance minus the estimated gift aid. Keep in mind that there may be other financial aid options like work-study and student loans to help you cover your net cost.
It will be helpful to refer to these documents before you use the calculator:
- Federal income tax returns from two years ago, filed by you or your parents/spouse as applicable. For the 2025-26 estimator use the 2023 tax return information.
- 2023 W-2 forms and/or pay stubs with year-to-date information for you and/or your parents/spouse as applicable.
Remember, the calculator provides an estimate, not exact results.
Important note: Even if you paid zero federal tax, you will need to input $1 in the “taxes paid” field to receive an accurate aid estimation.