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MORTGAGE ORIGINATION PROGRAM (MOP)

Last Updated: March 4, 2025

What is the MOP?

The Mortgage Origination Program (MOP) is a recruitment tool to assist qualifying new faculty in purchasing their first home in San Diego County using a below-market rate mortgage. Eligibility for MOP participation is restricted to faculty with appointments in the Academic Senate series (Professor/ Ladder Rank, Professor In Residence, or Professor of Clinical X) or members of the Senior Management Group (SMG) within the first two years of their eligible appointment. This is not an entitlement program, but a recruitment and relocation assistance program and, as such, is not available to all faculty.

The MOP Program is dependent upon the availability of funds and that borrowers meet all program criteria. Program and eligibility requirements are subject to change without notice at the university's sole discretion. 

The Mortgage Origination Program is a pre-approval program and candidates must have a pre-approval certificate before placing offers if they would like to utilize university financing.

MOP Office Hours for 2025

To hear about the latest updates and timeline reminders, visit one of the monthly MOP office hours. There is no list serve to join or registration required. If additional sessions are scheduled, they will be listed here.

MOP Office Hours will be held on the first Thursday of every month, 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Zoom: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/91931602881

MOP Office Hours PDF Slides

2025 Dates
March 6
*March 6, 2 - 2:45 p.m.
*March 13, 10 - 10:45 a.m.
*March 13, 2 - 2:45 p.m.
April 3
May 1
June 5
July 3
August 7
September 4
October 2
November 6
December 4
* Extra Sessions 

Contact Us:

If you have a UCSD email, contact us here. If you do not have a UCSD email, contact us here.

MOP Reactivation

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the MOP reactivation (started January 22, 2025) serves ‘In-Pipeline’ faculty (those faculty who already submitted a MOP application as of August 16, 2024), allowing them to resume their MOP application or pre-approval process.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the MOP reactivation (starting March 5, 2025) serves faculty who have received MOP Language in their Offer/Pre-Offer Letter, specifically:

  • Those who received MOP language in letter dated on or prior to November 18, 2024. Letters include Proposal Letter, Letter of Intent, and Offer Letter
  • Those eligible for MOP as of August 16, 2024, or thereafter
  • Those intending to purchase their first home, as their primary residence, in San Diego County
  • Those who received tenure/SOE effective between August 16, 2024 and July 30, 2026
  • No MOP exception requests are being considered during Phase 2

Beginning March 6, 2025, MOP Office Hours will be held on the first Thursday of each month for questions and clarification regarding the MOP and related topics. 

Phase 2 faculty may request to apply for a MOP loan for any quarter between Spring 2025 through Spring 2028, using the Readiness Request (RR) form discussed below. 

The RR form may only be used for requests to apply for a MOP loan in the next available quarter. Faculty selected to apply for the MOP loan will receive an email from the Office of Loan Programs (OLP) at the Office of the President (UCOP), with a link to the OLP confidential loan application portal, where the faculty will submit their financial information and documents. Please see the MOP Application - Timelines & Deadlines table below for the RR submission windows & key deadlines for each cycle.

The RR submission window will close early in the month prior to the start of the target quarter. The RR may be unavailable for several days following the close of a submission window, but will reopen for the following quarter around the beginning of the next month. Only one submission window will be open at a time. 

Readiness Request Form - Instructions                         

There are two versions of the Readiness Request (RR) form. The version for faculty with a UCSD email will auto-populate some fields and the version for incoming appointees without a UCSD email has more fields that require user entry.

The answer to the first two questions must be YES in order to submit the Readiness Request form. If either answer is NO, a RR form may be submitted at a later time when faculty readiness aligns with a subsequent application quarter within the eligibility period. Note that selection for application in each quarter is randomized.

Questions / Fields

  • Down Payment? - Do you have access to sufficient funding for the down payment on your target home, which must be equal to at least 5% of the value of that home? (savings, FRAP, other)
    • Must be Yes.
  • Dedicated Time? - Are you able to dedicate the time necessary to find and purchase a home within the next 15 months? 
    • Must be Yes.
  • MOP Readiness Request # - used to identify the unique submission.
  • Submitter Name, Submitter Email,  UCPath Employee ID (EMPLID) 
    • Auto-populates for UCSD email users.
    • Text entry for non-UCSD email users; EMPLID if it is available.
  • Department - select from the list.
  • School, Vice Chancellor
    • Auto-populates for UCSD email users.
    • Selection entry for non-UCSD email users.
  • Next Designated MOP Selection Quarter - tick the box for this application quarter.
  • Has your appointment/start date occurred? - select appropriate response as of the date of completing this Readiness Request.
  • Do you have a Signed Offer Letter? - (asked if the appt/start date is over 30 days away) determines the required documents for upload.
  • Actual or Expected Appointment/Start Date - provide the date.
  • Name of Department Administrative Contact (HR/AP) - type ahead to locate/select your Contact
  • Comments (optional) - none are required.
  • Offer Letter (with MOP language) - Required if start date is 30 days or less, or passed.
  • Offer or Pre-Offer Letter (with MOP language) - Required if start date is more than 30 days away.
  • Every Expectation Letter (EEL) - Required if appt/start date is more than 30 days away and do not yet have a final/signed Offer Letter. EEL is prepared by your department. A final/signed Offer Letter may be accepted in lieu of an EEL.
  • Startup/Resource Letter -  Optional if MOP only. Required if using FRAP and/or ZIP in conjunction with MOP.  See note*
  • Other (optional) - use only if needed.

*Note - Any requests to your Chair/Dean to increase your FRAP/ZIP amount should be completed prior to submitting the Readiness Request form. The Dean’s endorsed approval memo must be attached or you will be limited to the FRAP/ZIP amount shown in your startup/resource letter.

 

RR Form for UCSD Email                RR Form for Non-UCSD Email

 

Readiness Request Form and MOP Loan - Stages

See Timeline & Deadlines for Readiness Request (RR) form acceptance windows, MOP application windows, specific dates and deadlines outlined for each MOP application quarter through June 30, 2028 that are listed below.

Submission

The RR form must be submitted between the Open and Close dates for the target quarter.

Verification

Once the RR form has been submitted, it will be reviewed for completed information and necessary attachments. If additional information or attachments are needed, the form will be returned to the applicant with an explanation of what is needed. (For non UCSD email users, instructions will be sent via email.) Once a submitted RR form has been verified, the applicant will receive a verification email. 

At this point, faculty with verified RR forms await the randomized selection process that takes place after the RR form submission window closes. 

Selection & Acceptance

Applicants selected to apply for the MOP loan in the target quarter will be notified by email and must reply within five calendar days to ACCEPT or DECLINE the invitation to begin the MOP application process. If a reply is not received after five days, the invitation will be forfeited. 

Invitations that have been forfeited or declined prior to the start of the application quarter will be offered to the next faculty on the randomized selection list for this quarter. The same five-day acceptance deadline applies.

Applicants not selected or those who were selected and declined may continue to submit RR forms for subsequent quarters, through June 30, 2028. The selection status notifications include instructions to easily duplicate, edit and resubmit the RR form during open submission periods.

Initial Appointment

Upon acceptance, the applicant will be invited to schedule an appointment as soon as possible with the Home Loan Coordinator (HLC). A link to a scheduling portal with available times will be provided. 

The meeting is to discuss and complete necessary paperwork to request a link to the confidential loan application portal used to submit the MOP application. 

MOP Application Quarter

Faculty must submit their MOP application through the OLP confidential loan application portal by the end of the designated application quarter. If the applicant is unable to do so, the process ends and they may submit future Readiness Requests forms for subsequent quarters through June 30, 2028.

Pre-Approval Certificate

Faculty have 12 months from the end of their MOP application quarter to receive a Pre-Approval for a MOP loan from OLP. 

Close the Loan

Upon receipt of the pre-approval, there is an additional three months to complete the purchase of a home. This completes the overall 15-month period in which to obtain pre-approval and close the loan.

In cases where a pre-approval is obtained early in the 12-month window, extensions may be approved as long as the loan still closes within the 15-month total time and by the final deadline. Extensions beyond the final deadline are not permitted.

 

MOP Application - Timelines & Deadlines

Timetables and deadlines for each application quarter include the Readiness Request (RR) form open/close and selection process, initial paperwork appointment, the quarterly MOP application window, timeline to receive the pre-approval certificate and the deadline to close the loan. See specific header descriptions below the chart. 

* SP25 and SU25 timelines are non-standard due to off-quarter Phase 2 launch.
MOP Appl. Qtr. RR Form OPEN RR Form CLOSE Selection Notification Initial Paperwork Appt. MOP Appl. Qtr. Pre-Apvl  Receipt (12 mo.)

Deadline to Close (3 mo.)
SP25* 3/5/25 4/10/25 4/15/25 - 4/25/25 4/15/25 - 4/30/25 5/1/25 - 6/30/25 7/1/25 - 6/30/26 9/30/26
SU25* 5/1/25 6/10/25 6/15/25 - 6/25/25 6/15/25 - 6/30/25 7/1/25 - 9/30/25 10/1/25 - 9/30/26 12/31/26
FA25 7/1/25 9/10/25 9/15/25 - 9/25/25 9/15/25 - 9/30/25 10/1/25 - 12/31/25 1/1/26 - 12/31/26 3/31/27

WI26

 10/1/25 12/10/25 12/15/25 - 12/25/25 12/15/25 - 12/31/25 1/1/26 - 3/31/26 4/1/26 - 3/31/27 6/30/27
SP26 1/1/26 3/10/26 3/15/26 - 3/25/26 3/15/26 - 3/31/26 4/1/26 - 6/30/26 7/1/26 - 6/30/27 9/30/27
SU26 4/1/26 6/10/26 6/15/26 - 6/25/26 6/15/26 - 6/30/26 7/1/26 - 9/30/26 10/1/26 - 9/30/27 12/31/27
FA26 7/1/26 9/10/26 9/15/26 - 9/25/26 9/15/26 - 9/30/26 10/1/26 - 12/31/26 1/1/27 - 12/31/27 3/31/28
WI27 10/1/26 12/10/26 12/15/26 - 12/25/26 12/15/26 - 12/31/26 1/1/27 - 3/31/27 4/1/27 - 3/31/28 6/30/28
SP27 1/1/27 3/10/27 3/15/27 - 3/25/27 3/15/27 - 3/31/27 4/1/27 - 6/30/27 7/1/27 - 6/30/28 9/30/28
SU27 4/1/27 6/10/27 6/15/27 - 6/25/27 6/15/27 - 6/30/27 7/1/27 - 9/30/27 10/1/27 - 9/30/28 12/31/28
FA27 7/1/27 9/10/27 9/15/27 - 9/25/27 9/15/27 - 9/30/27 10/1/27 - 12/31/27 1/1/28 - 12/31/28 3/31/29
WI28 10/1/27 12/10/27 12/15/27 - 12/25/27 12/15/27 - 12/31/27 1/1/28 - 3/31/28 4/1/28 - 3/31/29 6/30/29
SP28 1/1/28 3/10/28 3/15/28 - 3/25/28 3/15/28 - 3/31/28 4/1/28 - 6/30/28 7/1/28 - 6/30/29 9/30/29

 Chart Legend

  • MOP Application Quarter - An academic reference for the three-month MOP Application Quarter.
  • RR Submission Dates - OPEN (12:01 a.m.) and CLOSE (11:59 p.m.). Actual date regardless of weekends.
  • Selection Notification emails are delivered during these approximate dates.
  • Ppwk Appt Window - specific dates to meet with the MOP Team to submit MOP package to OLP.
  • MOP Application Quarter - Faculty must submit via secure portal within the deadline window.
  • Pre-Approval - Must receive initial pre-approval within the 12-month window. No extensions.
  • Deadline to Close Loan - No extensions.

MOP Office Hours - Resources

Resources from the monthly MOP Office Hours will be posted here.

PDF slides

flowchart of the Readiness Request Timeline