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UC Berkeley · California

UC Berkeley Merit Aid

UC Berkeley awards non-need institutional merit to only about 2% of freshmen, averaging $13,175. The Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship is the flagship — minimum $2,500/year (no need), scaling up to full COA (with need). Berkeley has the largest Regents' program in the UC system with 600+ scholars enrolled.

Verified Apr 2026Analyst cc-web
Merit tiers1See requirements
Get merit aid2%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025
Last verifiedApr 2026Analyst cc-web

Who this school is for

California families who should understand that Berkeley is overwhelmingly a need-based aid school. The Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship is prestigious (~150+ new freshmen/year), but for high-income families the cash is just $2,500/year — the real value is priority enrollment, guaranteed housing, and faculty mentorship. Out-of-state families will find essentially no institutional merit to offset the ~$32,000 NRST.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $47,289 for 2025-2026. Estimated in-state on-campus COA: tuition and fees ~$15,377, room and board, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Out-of-state COA approximately $79,177 (adds ~$31,900 NRST). Berkeley's financial aid site rolled over to 2026-2027 budgets at time of research; 2025-2026 figures from registrar and admissions archives. Source

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

Minimum $2,500/year for students without financial need. For students with demonstrated need, awards scale up to full cost of attendance.

Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 semesters (freshmen) or 4 semesters (transfers). Scholars may take up to 2 semesters of leave while maintaining eligibility.

RequirementsAll UC Berkeley applicants automatically considered. Holistic review by the Academic Senate Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships. Faculty interviews in early March. Notifications by end of March.

Berkeley has the largest Regents' program in the UC system with 600+ scholars enrolled (~150+ new awards/year). Benefits: priority enrollment, guaranteed housing, faculty and peer mentorship, Research and Professional Development Fellowship (up to $1,000).

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

Outside scholarships first reduce need-based loans and work-study. Only as a last resort do they reduce UC grants and institutional scholarships.

UC system policy: outside awards first reduce need-based loans and work-study. Only as a last resort are grants and institutional scholarships reduced. Federal regulations require total aid not to exceed the cost of attendance.

Source

Common Data Set snapshot

From the UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2024-2025:

SAT mid-50%1300–153025th / 75th percentile
ACT mid-50%28–3425th / 75th percentile
Receive institutional merit2%First-year students
Average merit award$13,175Across recipients

Source: Common Data Set

Common mistakes at UC Berkeley

  1. For students with no financial need, the Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship is just $2,500/year. The 'up to full COA' language applies only when combined with demonstrated need. High-income families receive the honorific, priority enrollment, and mentorship — but minimal cash.

  2. The Regents' Scholarship amount scales with need. Families who skip FAFSA lock themselves into the $2,500/year floor and forfeit Middle Class Scholarship eligibility (families up to $234,000). Always file FAFSA, even at public universities.

UC Berkeley merit aid FAQ

  • Does UC Berkeley offer merit scholarships?

    Very limited. Only about 2% of freshmen receive non-need institutional merit, averaging $13,175. The Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship ($2,500/year minimum, up to full COA with need) goes to ~150+ freshmen. All applicants are automatically considered. No automatic merit awards based on GPA or test scores.

  • How much is the Regents' Scholarship without financial need?

    $2,500 per year ($10,000 over four years). The non-cash benefits — priority enrollment, guaranteed housing, faculty mentorship, and the Research Fellowship — are often more valuable than the cash for high-income families. For families with need, the award can scale to full COA.

  • What state programs help California families at Berkeley?

    Cal Grant A covers up to $15,400/year in UC tuition (3.0+ GPA, income-qualified). Blue and Gold covers tuition for families under $100,000. Middle Class Scholarship helps families up to $234,000. All require FAFSA. None are merit programs.