UC Santa Cruz is committed to helping graduate students find the support they need to make their studies successful.

 

The following kinds of financial support are available through the Division of Graduate Studies. Individual departments may offer other forms of support.

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5/2 yr Graduate Student Funding Packages

UC Santa Cruz offers all eligible new and continuing doctoral and MFA* students 5 year (*2 year for MFA) funding packages for the 3 quarter/9-month academic year, with a minimum level of quarterly support that is equivalent to no less than the quarterly (3-month) rate associated with the applicable current Salary Point 1 of a 50% Teaching Assistant or applicable current Salary Point 1 of a 50% GSR appointment, whichever is less. Many students may receive higher levels of support arising from appointments above TA/GSR Salary Point 1 and/or from non-employment sources. The funding sources for an eligible student’s support package may come from one or a combination of sources, depending on the available financial resources. These sources include any and all university funding, including all employment and non-employment sources, as well as any forms of external funding. UC Santa Cruz reserves the right to update these student funding packages as needed.

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Who is eligible?

New and continuing doctoral and MFA* students. Students must be in residence, enrolled full-time, in good academic and disciplinary standing, and with less than 15 quarters of enrollment (*6 quarters for MFA students). Continued eligibility for funding is contingent upon students making satisfactory academic progress and remaining in good academic and disciplinary standing. Funding eligibility is also contingent upon maintaining appropriate work standards if employed as an ASE or GSR.

 

Housing Supplement

The campus offers an annual housing supplement of $2,500 for Ph.D. and MFA students in good standing through the Office of Financial Aid until additional campus graduate student housing is available. 

The housing supplement is allocated to Ph.D./MFA students in good standing, pro-rated for the number of quarters students are registered full-time (or $833/quarter). Information about the payment of the Housing Supplement can be found here.

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Additional Types Of Financial Support

 

In addition to multi-year funding packages and housing supplements, the campus offers support through fellowships, graduate student researchships or teaching assistantships (depending on the availability of funds and the recommendation of the student's department).

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Certain kinds of support are awarded on the basis of academic merit, and others are granted on the basis of need. Graduate students are encouraged to apply for both kinds.

 

Regents Fellowships

A limited number of these fellowships are awarded to first-year graduate students in master's and doctoral programs. These awards provide a stipend and/or payment of university fees except non-resident tuition.

 

Chancellor’s Fellowships

A limited number of these fellowships are awarded to first-year graduate students in doctoral programs. These nine-month awards provided a stipend of $24,000 plus payment of all university fees.

 

Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowships

These state-funded, merit-based fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to first-year graduate students who have overcome significant social or educational obstacles to achieve a college education, and whose backgrounds equip them to contribute to intellectual diversity among the graduate student population. The Cota-Robles fellowship provides a stipend during the regular academic year of $24,000 plus payment of all university fees (except non-resident tuition); for the summer quarter, a $4,000 stipend is awarded. The Cota-Robles Fellowship is part of a five-year total support package.

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The department provides support (usually in the form of TA or GSR appointments) for two years; the Graduate Division provides two years of fellowship plus an additional year for those fellows who advance to candidacy within normative time.

 

Fellowship recipients must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented students who qualify for nonresident supplemental tuition exemptions under AB 540.

 

Dissertation-Year Fellowships

These state-funded, merit-based fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to doctoral graduates who have overcome significant social or educational obstacles to achieve a college education, and whose backgrounds equip them to contribute to intellectual diversity among the graduate student population. Fellows receive a $24,000 stipend plus payment of fees.

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Tuition Fellowships

A number of non-resident tuition fellowships are awarded to non-resident students who are recommended by their departments.

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Reduced Non-Resident Tuition for Doctoral Candidates

Effective Fall 2006, the quarterly nonresident tuition fee is reduced by 100% for graduate doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy. Eligibility for the reduced nonresident tuition is measured in calendar years, and begins with the first academic quarter following advancement to candidacy. Leave of absence and unregistered quarters will not extend a student’s eligibility. A student who continues to be enrolled or who re-enrolls three calendar years after advancing to candidacy will be charged the full nonresident rate in effect at the time.

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Guru Gobind Singh Fellowship

Faculty from across the University of California system nominate candidates for this competitive fellowship. To be eligible, a student must (1) be a graduate of an Indian or Pakistani university in the designated area, (2) be committed to returning to her or his country of origin after receiving the degree, and (3) not have engaged previously in graduate study at any other institution of higher learning in the United States. Individuals already holding a master’s degree will have preference. Students at any stage of graduate study may be nominated, provided that the nominating campus will commit to providing a Nonresident Tuition Fellowship, if applicable, for the Singh Fellow, as needed, for the duration of the Fellow’s program (assuming continued satisfactory academic progress) commencing with the year following the Singh award year. Read the complete fellowship call. 

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Some or all instruction for all or part of the Academic Year may be delivered remotely. Tuition and fees have been set regardless of the method of instruction and will not be refunded in the event instruction occurs remotely for any part of the Academic Year. Figures for tuition and fees represent currently approved or proposed amounts and may not be final.  Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California as determined to be necessary or appropriate. Final approved tuition and fee levels may differ from the amounts presented.

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