The following types of scholarships are available to new undergraduate students at UC Merced:

INSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS If you completed a FAFSA or CADAA, you don’t need to do anything further! You were automatically considered for all institutional scholarships upon your admission to UC Merced.

OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS There are many privately funded scholarships that do not need to be repaid. They can be based on merit or financial need, or can be geared toward specific types of students. For a list of databases, visit

MIDDLE CLASS SCHOLARSHIP The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) which is awarded by the California Student Aid Commission provides undergraduate students, including students pursuing a teaching credential, (who meet the family income and asset thresholds) a scholarship to attend University of California. Eligible students can receive a scholarship of no less than 10% and no more than 40% of the mandatory system-wide tuition and fees. If awarded it will be added to your financial aid awards and may cause some adjustments to loans and/or work-study.

WESTERN UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE (WUE) WUE students pay substantially less tuition than a traditional nonresident student and can save thousands of dollars per year. If you qualified for WUE status, you should see a notification on UC Merced Connect here.