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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

UCSB
Decision sheet

California · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

UC campus with no general merit ladder but two named pathways: the $5,000-per-year Regents Scholarship (top 2% of admits, auto-considered) and the $10,000–$15,000-per-year Domestic Nonresident Scholarship (top 8% of OOS admits, FAFSA required by March 2).

Selection beyond grades and scores. These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

Awards to discuss

The 2 awards in this school's research. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Regents Scholarship

$5,000 per year for four years · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Top 2% of admitted freshmen. U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or non-citizen qualifying under California Assembly Bills 130 or 131. Considered automatically from UC Application — no separate scholarship application. UCSB is test-free for admissions and merit selection. Notification in March.

Renewal: Renewable contingent on maintaining both quarterly and cumulative GPA of 3.20. If cumulative falls below, students get two quarters to recover for first occurrence; quarterly is one quarter for first or second occurrence. Faculty review committee handles exceptional cases. Full-time enrollment required (12+ units/quarter, 36/year).

Other terms: Includes non-monetary benefits: guaranteed campus housing for year one, priority for subsequent years, extended library privileges, and Regents Scholars Association membership.

http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/scholarships/regents-scholarship

Domestic Nonresident Scholarship

$10,000 or $15,000 per year tuition reduction (up to 12 quarters) · Variable or qualified amount

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Top 8% of admitted nonresident first-year freshmen. Must be a domestic nonresident student. FAFSA required to UCSB by March 2 priority deadline. Auto-considered from UC application — no separate form. Awarded only to incoming nonresident freshmen; cannot be added later.

Renewal: Renewable up to 4 years (12 total quarters) contingent on Satisfactory Academic Progress (2.0 cumulative GPA minimum) and continued eligibility.

Other terms: Applied as a tuition reduction (not refundable cash). The $10,000 vs $15,000 amount is determined by criteria from the FAFSA — so OOS families with stronger demonstrated need typically get the higher tier.

https://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/types-aid/scholarship-awards/domestic-nonresident-scholarship

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: UCSB's UC system rule is explicit: nonresident undergraduates are ineligible for UC need-based aid and not typically awarded institutional scholarships beyond the Regents and Domestic Nonresident programs. The Domestic Nonresident Scholarship is applied as a tuition reduction, not refundable cash. For California residents, UCSB scholarships and need-based aid follow the UC Education Finance Model with self-help (work/loan) plus parent contributions plus grants/scholarships.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/uc-santa-barbara/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.