Financial Aid

UC Santa Cruz Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

UC Santa Cruz gave merit aid averaging $15,267 to 359 first-year students who had no financial need, about 16% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships UC Santa Cruz gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$15,267

Freshmen who got one

359

of 4,588 in the class

Share of those without need

16%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$31,152

Average percent of need met

87.8%

Freshmen with need

52%

2,379 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $35,200.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me UC Santa Cruz's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

I consent to receive transactional text messages (Conversational/Alerts, Appointments, and Booking Confirmations) from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

I agree to receive recurring automated marketing & promotional text messages from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked questions

Does UC Santa Cruz give merit scholarships?

UC Santa Cruz gave merit aid averaging $15,267 to 359 first-year students who had no financial need, about 16% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at UC Santa Cruz?

$15,267 for first-year students without financial need, according to UC Santa Cruz's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does UC Santa Cruz meet full financial need?

UC Santa Cruz reports meeting 87.8% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.

What share of UC Santa Cruz freshmen have financial need?

2,379 of 4,588 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 52%, were found to have financial need.

Source: UC Santa Cruz’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.