Many UCI students reported delays in receiving their Middle Class Scholarships (MCS), a California-based scholarship awarded to undergraduate students with family income and assets up to $217,000.
Recipients of the MCS for the 2024-25 academic year have yet to receive awards, with disbursements scheduled for this winter quarter, as per the UCI Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) website. Approximately 10,000 MCS awards are given each year at UCI, according to Crystal Madaule, senior associate director of student services at OFAS.
Recent concerns over MCS delays come amid broader financial aid disbursement issues earlier this year. Students faced difficulties viewing aid letters, receiving disbursements and accessing their University of California Student Health Insurance Plan. In response, the OFAS offered virtual appointments to address concerns, and the UCI Registrar protected students from being dropped from fall quarter courses past the fee deadline.
Several students shared their concerns and questions about the delays on the r/UCI Reddit page.
Reddit user MajorCow6392 posted asking if anyone had received the scholarship and wrote, “I been having to pay for my tuition out of pocket and just been waiting and waiting for this scholarship to come.”
Another user, Away-Caterpillar-672, wrote in a post, “I very much need the money, and as we all know, it’s kind of impossible to get through to the office.”
Caroline Valdovinos, a fourth-year history student, told New University that she visited the OFAS every month for updates. According to Valdovinos, she has yet to see her aid reflected on her ZotAid portal or hear of any further information regarding disbursement.
Valdovinos told New University in an email that “the lack of communication” from the OFAS has been “really stressful.”
“It’s very anxiety-inducing because this is my senior year,” she said. “After June, I’ll be gone, and I’m a little paranoid that I still won’t have my award by then.”
Tiera May, a fourth-year public health policy student, also expressed concerns about the delay in receiving her MCS.
“Although [the MCS] is not as large as my other awards, it’s still money that’s allocated to me, and I can only imagine what it would be like for someone who was counting on the money to come for food or other necessities and to not receive it yet or to have a date in which it should be distributed is saddening,” May wrote in an email to New University.
May said that after contacting the OFAS over phone, she waited three to four days for a callback. She described this wait for a follow-up call as frustrating.
Madaule addressed the delays in a Feb. 5 email to New University.
“We have dedicated all available resources to expedite this process,” Madaule said. “We understand the frustration these delays have caused and are working to disburse MCS awards for both fall and winter terms as soon as possible.”
Delays were attributed to changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which was overhauled in December 2023. Financial offices across the country experienced delays, while students faced technical difficulties when filling out the form.
According to Madaule, the UCI OFAS “transitioned to a new financial aid management system” and similarly “faced challenges related to the FAFSA Simplification process” this past fall.
“Technical issues with FAFSA data from Federal Student Aid delayed the integration of the Middle Class Scholarship program into our new system,” Madaule wrote. “Given the complexity of the MCS awarding formula, we are committed to ensuring that each eligible student receives the full amount they qualify for.”
Across the University of California (UC) system, 85,795 students were awarded the MCS in the 2023-2024 school year, according to data from the California Student Aid Commission.
During a UC Regents meeting on Jan. 23, UC Student Association President Aditi Hariharan told the regents that financial aid challenges stem from “insufficient staffing, the lack of equitable resources and the need for modernized technology.”
Madaule told New University that the OFAS plans to hire 25 new peer advisors to “strengthen frontline customer service” and is considering adding more career staff.
“As UCI’s student population continues to grow, we are proactively enhancing our financial aid support services,” Madaule wrote. “In the meantime, we remain committed to maximizing our current resources to support the needs of our students.”
Camelia Heins is a News Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. She can be reached at cheins@uci.edu.
Edited by Jaheem Conley
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