Tuition & Fees

Required Tuition and Fees

Visit the Office of the Registrar’s website for current fee information. All tuition and fees are subject to change.

Note: In November 2010, the Regents approved changing the name of the Educational Fee to “Tuition;” the name of Fee for Selected Professional School Students to “Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition;" and the name of Nonresident Tuition to “Nonresident Supplemental Tuition,” effective July 1, 2011.

Student Services Fee

This fee (formerly referred to as the University Registration Fee) is paid by all students and shall be used to support services and programs that directly benefit students and that are complementary to, but not a part of, the core instructional program. These services and programs include, but are not limited to, operating and capital expenses for services related to the physical and psychological health and well-being of students; social, recreational, and cultural activities and programs; services related to campus life and campus community; technology expenses directly related to the services; and career support. These services and programs create a supportive and enriched learning environment for University of California students.

Tuition (formerly Educational Fee)

Tuition is used to support a portion of the student services costs of the educational program, such as financial aid, social and cultural activities, Admissions and Registrar operations, counseling and career guidance, student affirmative action, and academic tutoring. In exceptional circumstances, tuition may be reduced by one-half for part-time undergraduate students. Approval of part-time undergraduate study is made only in exceptional cases and is based on considerations of occupation, family responsibility, and health. Applications must be approved by the appropriate dean before the start of each term. A tuition reduction will be made only if you enroll in no more than two courses.

Berkeley Campus Fee

This fee provides support for a wide range of activities sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), including work with academic and administrative units of the campus. It covers use of the Student Union, helps pay construction costs of the Union building and the Lower Sproul Project, and assists with the provision of ethnic studies on the Berkeley campus.

Class Pass Transit Fee

This fee, required of all students, gives students unlimited transportation on the local bus system (AC Transit).

UC Berkeley Extension Fee

Students enrolled in the UC Berkeley Extension Fall Program for Freshmen are assessed fees through UC Berkeley Extension. For information, call (510) 643-0379.

Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (formerly Professional Degree Fee)

Graduate students in the professional schools (Optometry, Business, Law, Public Health, Public Policy, Social Welfare, Information Management, Developmental Practice, Product Development, Translational Medicine and various programs in the Colleges of Environmental Design and Engineering) and the Health and Medical Sciences Joint Medical Program pay additional professional degree supplemental tuition. These amounts are available on the Office of the Registrar's website and from the individual schools and programs.

University Health Insurance Fee

All students attending Berkeley must be covered by major medical health insurance. All students are therefore automatically enrolled in the University’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), which provides for specialized care and hospitalization and supplements campus care services provided by University Health Services (UHS) at the Tang Center. The cost for the plan is billed with tuition and registration fees each semester. Payment for both the fall and spring semesters provides major medical coverage for the entire calendar year, including summer. You may waive out of the University’s plan and not pay the fee if you can show proof of coverage comparable to the University’s plan. For more information, call (510) 642-2000 or visit the UHS website .

Nonresident Supplemental Tuition

At the time of registration, students are classified as a resident or nonresident for tuition and fee purposes. Only US citizens and holders of immigrant visas can qualify for resident classification. Under California law you may be classified as a resident for tuition and fee purposes if you have lived in California for more than one year immediately before the day instruction begins at the last of the campuses to open for a semester. Residency is the combination of physical presence within California, intent to live in California permanently, plus demonstrated financial independence for the two years immediately preceding the request for residence classification. Nonresidents must pay nonresident supplemental tuition each semester. For detailed information regarding the establishment of California residence, please see the California Residency section of this bulletin ; or write to the Legal Analyst, Residence Matters, 1111 Franklin St., 8th Floor, Oakland, CA 94607-5200.

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Additional Fees and Expenses

Document Management Fee

New students are assessed a Document Management Fee which covers various transactions fees for documents and services, including official transcripts, verification of enrollments and degrees, certificates of completion, and one-time mailing of diplomas, for the lifetime of the degree.

Late Registration Fee

A $150 late registration fee will be charged to all students who fail to become officially registered by the end of the third week of instruction each semester. To be officially “registered,” a student must be enrolled in at least one course; pay at least 20% of assessed tuition and registration fees; and have no active registration blocks.

Late Fee Payment

Payments must be received, not postmarked, by the deadline indicated on the Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) statement. All other delinquent accounts more than $50 will be assessed penalties as follows:

• $20 on accounts one month past due
• $25 on accounts two months past due and monthly thereafter until the account is brought current.

Returned Check Charges

A processing charge of $50 is assessed when the bank returns a check for payment of tuition and registration fees. A processing charge of $20 is assessed for all other returned checks.

Reinstatement after Having Been Dropped from University Rolls

$10

Collection Costs

Additional costs may be assessed on any defaulted debts requiring remedial collection activity. These costs may include applicable attorney’s fees.

Cal Intercollegiate Athletics

Student season tickets are available for purchase for football and men’s basketball, while supplies last. Admission to other regular season home events is free to all currently registered full-time Berkeley students with student ID.

Note: There are no student discounts for post-season events. For additional information, visit http://www.calbears.com/ or call 800-GO-BEARS or call (510) 642-3277.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office works closely with students to make a UC Berkeley education an affordable reality. Our staff is here to guide you and your family through the financial aid process from start to finish. 

Through strategic partnerships and rigorous planning, our dedicated staff:

• Offers innovative aid programs to make higher education affordable
• Helps students and parents navigate financial aid processes
• Counsels students so they understand their options and feel empowered to make the best choices to manage their financial lives
• Advocates on behalf of students
• Teaches students about financial literacy
• Creates a comprehensive, holistic culture of care that transforms the student experience and helps us recruit, retain, and graduate students and prepare them for success in life
• Fosters a sense of community by encouraging alumni and donors to connect with the university and give the gift of access to the next generation of students

For detailed information about the various types of financial aid available to Berkeley students, please see the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office website . 

Students apply for financial aid by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) , or if a Dream Act student, by submitting a California Dream Act Application .  The priority deadline for applying is March 2. 

All financial aid is granted on the basis of financial need. (The exceptions are: fellowships, honorary scholarships, teaching and research appointments, and prizes.) Financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance for the academic year and the amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward those costs. Prizes are awarded on the basis of competition or outstanding ability in some area of creative or scholarly endeavor. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic performance and financial need.

Much of the funding for graduate students comes from sources other than the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. Fellowships are awarded through the Graduate Division , 318 Sproul Hall.

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Reserve Officers Training Corps

The University of California, as a land-grant institution established by the Morrill Act of 1862, offers courses and programs in military training. This training is voluntary and affords you the opportunity to qualify for a commission as an officer in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps while completing your college education. Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) courses are offered by three departments: Aerospace Studies (Air Force), Military Science (Army), and Naval Science (Navy and Marine Corps). Scholarship programs are available; they carry a monthly stipend and pay for tuition, books, and most fees for qualified students. Individual programs are described under Military Officers Education Program in the Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.

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Veterans’ Educational Benefits

UC Berkeley’s Veteran Services unit in the Office of the Registrar provides veterans and their dependents the information and assistance required to seamlessly receive veterans’ educational benefits while pursuing their academic careers at Berkeley.

The Veteran Services unit serves as a liaison between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and UC Berkeley students eligible for federal veterans’ educational benefits, and assists students eligible for the California Department of Veterans Affairs College Fee Waiver (Cal Vet) program.

If you have questions please visit or contact Veteran Services at:
Office of the Registrar
120 Sproul Hall #5404
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
Fax: 510-643-4222
Phone: 510-642-1592
Email: veteranservices@berkeley.edu

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Fellowships, Graduate Scholarships, and Academic Appointments for Graduate Students

Numerous programs—from fellowships, grants-in-aid, and loans to assistantships, subsidized housing, and child care programs—provide ways in which you can reduce the costs of graduate school. Some of the programs are need-based and are administered through the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. Others are merit-based and are administered through the Graduate Services: Fellowships Office and the academic departments. For detailed information about all the sources available to you, consult the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships .

Fellowships and Graduate Scholarships

Applications for University fellowships and graduate scholarships are considered only once a year. Awards are made for the academic year beginning with the fall semester. U.S. citizens and permanent residents should complete the “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” (FAFSA) for determination of financial need.

Fellowship Application Procedure

If you are applying for admission/fellowship, you must file the combined Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships , according to instructions included in the application. 

If you are applying for admission for the spring semester, you should contact your academic department.

If you are a continuing or returning graduate student at Berkeley, you may obtain the necessary fellowship application materials from your department or graduate group. For a list of funding opportunities throughout the year, visit the Graduate Fellowships website .

The fellowship application deadlines for new students range from early December to late January, depending on the department; see the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships  for deadlines. Continuing students should see their departments before January 5.

Announcement of Awards

Awards are announced by March 1 and must be accepted or declined, in writing, by April 15.

Fellowship Supplementation

Fellows receiving stipends of $16,000 plus fees (the latter from either fellowship or academic appointments) may be subject to an employment restriction: students may work up to 25 percent during the academic year (that is, 25 percent each term or 50 percent for one term only). There is no work restriction for the Summer term.

Additional fellowship opportunities are announced monthly in eGrad, our online newsletter. To sign up for eGrad, email gradpub@berkeley.edu and write "eGrad mailing list" in the subject line.

Graduate Diversity Program (GDP)

GDP provides a foundation of active support for underrepresented students through a number of important services:

• Outreach visits throughout the country
• Academic advising/mentoring throughout the student’s academic career
• Undergraduate research opportunities
• Advice on applying to graduate school
• Monthly seminars on professional development
• Career advice/planning
• Networking opportunities on campus

Underrepresented students will find social and academic support in the numerous student organizations on campus, such as those listed on the Graduate Minority Students’ Project website . In addition, the University maintains discipline-based student diversity programs in engineering, the humanities, public health, and the biological, physical, and social sciences. For information regarding opportunities and support on behalf of diversity, contact the Graduate Diversity Program, 104 California Hall #1500; 510-642-7294; grad.diversity@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Academic Appointments

Academic appointments are an important source of financial support for Berkeley graduate students, although their availability varies from department to department. As part of an offer of admission, some departments may propose a combination of teaching and research appointments as part of a financial support package. Other departments may expect graduate students to arrange for appointments once they have been admitted.

Graduate students appointed by the University to most academic titles must meet minimum academic requirements, such as GPA and a limit on incomplete grades, and be registered and enrolled in at least 12 units of 100- to 200-level courses per semester until they are advanced to doctoral candidacy. Units in the 600 series may be substituted for 200-level units when appropriate. Lower division units taken to prepare for departmental requirements (languages, mathematics, statistics) may be substituted for 100-level units. Most graduate student academic appointments are eligible for tuition and fee remissions in addition to salary. For more information on eligibility requirements and the availability of appointments, contact the department for which you wish to work. Departments occasionally may list openings with the Career Center.

Graduate students are restricted to working no more than half time regardless of the positions they hold. To ensure proper academic progress, the University may not appoint candidates for higher degrees in any capacity at more than half time during the academic year without the express consent of the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. Summer appointments may be full time.

Graduate student instructors (GSIs), acting instructors (AI-GS), readers, tutors, nursery school assistants, and community teaching fellows are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the United Automobile Workers (UAW). Under the language of the contract, students hired in these titles are referred to as ASEs (academic student employees). You will find this acronym used in the contract and in campus communications. ASEs should familiarize themselves with the contract; see the Labor Relations website . Information on anticipated appointments for the next academic year can be found on the Labor Relations website .

Teaching Appointments

Many departments make GSI positions available to qualified graduate students. GSIs must be registered full-time students and are limited to working half-time or less. They are chosen for scholarly achievement and promise as teachers, and they serve under active supervision of the regular faculty. Some departments require their students to complete a specified minimum period of teaching as part of their PhD programs.

Graduate students who do not speak English as a native language and do not hold a bachelor’s degree from an institution in the United States must pass a test of spoken English before they can be appointed as graduate student instructors. If you have taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)  Internet-Based Test (iBT), your speaking section score will be used to determine your proficiency. If you have not taken the TOEFL iBT and need to demonstrate oral English proficiency, the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) will be administered at Berkeley.

For further information on the Language Proficiency Program (testing and courses), visit the GSI Teaching and Resource Center website. 

Research Appointments

If you are a qualified registered full-time graduate student, you may seek a research appointment in the departments, centers, and institutes of the University. Graduate student researchers (GSRs) perform research broadly related to their degree programs in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized principal investigator. The duration and extent of such an appointment may vary. If interested, you should apply directly to the department, center, or institute in which you wish to work.

Stipends and Tuition and Fee Remissions

Stipend figures for all positions mentioned above are subject to U.S. income tax deductions. If you are offered an appointment, you should obtain information about payment schedules, since payment for work performed is later than the deadline for payment of tuition and registration fees. For teaching appointments, payment is usually in five equal installments per semester.

Some appointments carry a benefit called a fee remission, which offsets either a portion or all of your assessed tuition and fees. Check with your department to determine your specific eligibility, but you’ll find all the basic requirements in the Fee Remission Bulletin.

More information about being a graduate student instructor, graduate student researcher, reader, or tutor is available from the Graduate Services: Appointments Guide .

Student Budgets

Undergraduate Student Budgets 2015-16

Your budget is the estimated average and reasonable cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley. Your budget serves as the foundation for determining your financial need as well as the amount of qualified aid that can be offered to you. Cost-of-attendance figures are established through student surveys and other research and may include the following components:

• Tuition and fees (assuming full-time attendance)
• Books and supplies
• Room and board
• Personal costs
• Transportation
• Health insurance (this amount may be waived  if you can demonstrate equivalent coverage)

Certain programs do not include all of the items listed. If you are attending an online program at UC Berkeley, your budget may not include certain items such as health insurance, living expenses, transportation, and personal costs.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may adjust the cost of attendance for students on a case-by-case basis to address individual circumstances.

The Student Budget is subject to change. These amounts are the most recent estimates available as of March 18, 2015.

Please note: UC Berkeley reserves the right to adjust awards to correct any awarding errors. Changes to qualifying information or revisions of federal, state, or institutional policy may result in updates to aid eligibility and adjustments of financial aid awards. Information is subject to change.

Undergraduate Residence Halls
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$13,878
Room and Board	$14,388
Total Direct Costs	$28,266
Other Estimated Costs
Food	$1,034
Books & Supplies	$1,240
Personal	$2,018
Transportation	$534
Total Cost of Attendance	$33,092
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,580
Nonresidents of California: Add $24,024 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Undergraduate Off-Campus
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$13,878
Total Direct Costs	$13,878
Other Estimated Costs
Housing & Utilities	$7,184
Food	$2,580
Books & Supplies	$1,240
Personal	$2,138
Transportation	$732
Total Cost of Attendance	$27,752
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,580
Nonresidents of California: Add $24,024 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Undergraduate Commuter (living with relatives)
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$13,878
Total Direct Costs	$13,878
Other Estimated Costs
Housing & Utilities	$2,616
Food	$1,752
Books & Supplies	$1,240
Personal	$2,362
Transportation	$1,658
Total Cost of Attendance	$23,506
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,190
Nonresidents of California: Add $24,024 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Graduate Student Budgets 2015-16

Graduate Students
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$13,878
Total Direct Costs	$13,878
Other Estimated Costs
Housing and Utilities	$12,618
Food	$7,138
Books and Supplies	$796
Personal	$1,548
Transportation	$3,020
Total Cost of Attendance	$38,998
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $3,754
Nonresidents of California: Add $15,102 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Students in a number of professional degree programs will pay additional tuition and fees based on their school or department, or degree program. Check with your school or department for more information about their professional degree supplemental tuition policy. Students in the Schools of Law, Optometry, Public Policy, Public Health, Social Welfare, Information Management, and various programs in the College of Environmental Design, the Engineering Master's Program, the MBA programs in the Haas School of Business, and the Joint Medical Program are subject to different tuition and fee schedules. Nonresidents of California in the professional degree programs will pay nonresident supplemental tuition and fees of $12,246 or $13,674 (depending on your program), not the amount shown in the chart above. Double majors will have a pro-rated professional degree supplemental tuition amount, based on their two programs.