Tuition & Fees

Required Tuition and Fees, 2018-19

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

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

To access detailed information about the various types of financial aid available to Berkeley students and to stay up to date on what's new in financial aid, please visit 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 Guide.

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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 US 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.

The Veteran Benefits unit in the Office of the Registrar also serves as the liaison between the University and the California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE), which is responsible for oversight and approval of California institutions offering education programs that elect to participate in GI Bill education and training. The VA publishes approved institutions and programs on their Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS). Applications for approval/renewal of programs are submitted to CSAAVE annually in June for the next academic year beginning in August.  Complete program and course information must be published in the Berkeley Academic Guide when it’s first released in June to be considered for approval by CSAAVE.

If you have questions regarding Veterans Educational benefits, 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

Cal Veteran Services Center

The Cal Veteran Services Center, located at 102 Hearst Gym, is a great resource for veterans seeking academic counseling, admissions help, assistance regarding financial aid, or a place to socialize or study with other veteran and dependent students. The Cal Veteran Services Center can be reached by phone at 510-642-0083, or by email at cvsc@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 — can help students reduce the costs of graduate school. Some programs are need-based and are administered through the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. Others are merit-based and are administered through the Graduate Fellowships Office and the academic departments. For detailed information, consult the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships or the Graduate Fellowships Office.

Fellowships and Graduate Scholarships

Applications for University fellowships and graduate scholarships are considered only once a year as part of the admission process. 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

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

Students applying for admission for the spring semester must contact the academic department.

Continuing or returning graduate students at Berkeley may obtain the necessary fellowship application materials from the 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 consult their departments about departmental funding application processes and deadlines.

Announcement of Awards

University 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 payment of 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 (25 percent each term or 50 percent for one term only). There is no work restriction for the Summer term. Fellowship opportunities are announced monthly in GradNews, the online newsletter of the Graduate Division. All continuing graduate students receive GradNews each month; others may sign up for GradNews by sending an email to gradpub@berkeley.edu with  "GradNews mailing list" in the subject line.

Office for Graduate Diversity

The Office for Graduate Diversity provides active support to students historically underrepresented in graduate education, through a number of 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 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 Office for Graduate Diversity, 327 Sproul, #5900; 510-642-7294 or see grad.diversity@berkeley.edu.

Graduate Student Academic Appointments

Academic appointments are an important source of financial support and pedagogical development for Berkeley graduate students. Their availability varies from department to department. As part of an offer of admission, 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. Some departments have a teaching requirement as part of their academic program. Admitted students should clarify with their departments opportunities and obligations regarding academic appointments.

Graduate students appointed by the University to most academic titles must meet minimum academic requirements, such as a minimum 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. 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 a salary. For more information on eligibility requirements and the availability of appointments, students should contact the department for which they wish to work.

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 Dean of the Graduate Division. 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 those titles are referred to as ASEs (academic student employees), an acronym used in the contract and in some 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. For students who have taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-Based Test (iBT), the speaking section score will be used to determine proficiency. Students who have not taken the TOEFL iBT, and who need to demonstrate oral English proficiency, should take the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) at Berkeley.

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

Research Appointments

Qualified registered full-time graduate students 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. Students should apply directly to the department, center, or institute in which they wish to work.

Stipends and Tuition and Fee Remissions

Stipends are subject to U.S. income tax deductions. For teaching appointments, salary is typically paid in five equal installments per semester. Since payment for work performed is later than the deadline for payment of tuition and registration fees, students should obtain information about payment schedules and deadlines.

Some appointments carry a benefit called a tuition and fee remission, which offsets either a portion or all of your assessed tuition and fees. Students should check with their department to determine specific eligibility, and review 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 Appointment Guide.

Student Budgets

Undergraduate Student Budgets 2018–19

Our 2018–19 Cost of Attendance, or budgets, are available online for all students. Your budget is the estimated average and reasonable cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley based on your living arrangement. 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, including the amounts of grants and scholarships. Cost-of-attendance figures are established through student surveys and other research and may include the following components: 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)

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 29, 2018. For the most up-to-date budgets, please visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office website.

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	$14,194
Room and Board	$16,160*
Total Direct Costs	$30,354
Other Estimated Costs
Food	$1,604
Books & Supplies	$850
Personal	$1,832
Transportation	$390
Total Cost of Attendance	$35,030*
*Students living in Bowles Hall add $4,092 New undergraduate students entering in fall 2018 or spring 2019 add $475 for the New Student Programming and Orientation Fee and $375 for housing during orientation if living in a residence hall or university apartment in the fall term.
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,994
Nonresidents of California: Add $28,992 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Undergraduate On-Campus Apartment
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$14,194
Room and Board*	$12,854
Total Direct Costs	$27,048
Other Estimated Costs
Food	$3,580
Books & Supplies	$850
Personal	$1,832
Transportation	$390
Total Cost of Attendance	$33,700
New undergraduate students entering in fall 2018 or spring 2019 add $475 for the New Student Programming and Orientation Fee and $375 for housing during orientation if living in a residence hall or university apartment in the fall term.
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,994
Nonresidents of California: Add $28,992 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	$14,194
Total Direct Costs	$14,194
Other Estimated Costs
Housing & Utilities	$9,508
Food	$4,380
Books & Supplies	$850
Personal	$1,828
Transportation	$556
Total Cost of Attendance	$31,316
New undergraduate students entering in fall 2018 or spring 2019 add $475 for the New Student Programming and Orientation Fee and $375 for housing during orientation if living in a residence hall or university apartment in the fall term.
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,994
Nonresidents of California: Add $28,992 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	$14,194
Total Direct Costs	$14,194
Other Estimated Costs
Housing & Utilities	$2,772
Food	$3,260
Books & Supplies	$850
Personal	$1,944
Transportation	$1,472
Total Cost of Attendance	$24,492
New undergraduate students entering in fall 2018 or spring 2019 add $475 for the New Student Programming and Orientation Fee and $375 for housing during orientation if living in a residence hall or university apartment in the fall term.
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $2,994
Nonresidents of California: Add $28,992 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Graduate Student Budgets 2018–19

Our 2018–19 Cost of Attendance, or budgets, are available online for all students. 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, including fellowships, block grants, fee remissions, outside scholarships, etc. 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

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office only awards federal loan and work-study to graduate students. We 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 17, 2017. For the most up-to-date budgets, please visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office website.

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.

Graduate Students — Academic Programs
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$14,194
Total Direct Costs	$14,194
Other Estimated Costs
Housing and Utilities	$14,726
Food	$6,872
Books and Supplies	$834
Personal	$2,138
Transportation	$2,552
Total Cost of Attendance	$41,316
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $4,746
Nonresidents of California: Add $15,102 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Fees
Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Graduate Students — Professional Programs
Direct Costs Charged by UC Berkeley
Tuition & Fees	$14,194
Total Direct Costs	$14,194
Other Estimated Costs
Housing and Utilities	$16,530
Food	$7,630
Books and Supplies	$598
Personal	$2,586
Transportation	$3,002
Total Cost of Attendance	$44,540
Optional Student Health Insurance Plan: Add $4,746
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 (PDST). 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. All fee schedules are available here. Concurrent degree students, or academic degree students with a second degree goal from a professional degree program will have a pro-rated professional degree supplemental tuition amount, based on their two programs.