COST OF ATTENDANCE
Please see the UC Berkeley Registrar’ Fee Schedule for the current cost of attendance in UC Berkeley graduate academic programs. ERG is an academic program and does not charge any additional professional fees. Tuition and fees include health insurance, student services fees, and other mandatory fees. Concurrent ERG/Public Policy students will be charged Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST) by the School of Public Policy during their first two years.
California Residency for Purposes of Tuition
Non-California residents must pay a Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) in addition to regular tuition and fees. With proper documentation, most non-California domestic students can qualify for California residency for purposes of tuition after their first year. International students cannot qualify for residency but international Ph.D. students receive a three-year waiver of the NRST after Advancing to Candidacy. For full information about whether you qualify for California residency for tuition purposes please go here.
Student loan forgiveness is a process in which a lender decides to relieve a debtor of responsibility for repaying a current outstanding student loan balance. Although this type of financial forgiveness is difficult to obtain, it is sometimes granted in very specific circumstances. Depending on the structure of the student loan forgiveness, it may be possible to obtain forgiveness based on financial hardship, health problems, or the closing of the institution where the student was seeking a degree.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Students may defray the cost of graduate school through a number of possible means:
Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions: Many Master’s and PhD students locate a researcher position with a faculty member or other campus Principal Investigator who shares their interests. Likely faculty matches will be determined collaboratively with the student during the admissions process. GSR positions provide remission of in-state fees and tuition (non-resident supplemental tuition depends on the grant and the PI) plus a monthly salary. Students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week, depending on funding availability and other eligibility rules.
Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) positions: GSIs, also known as Teaching Assistantships, provide partial fee remission and a salary. GSI positions may be either in an ERG course or in another academic department. Students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week, depending on funding availability and other eligibility rules.
Departmental Block Grants: Funds allocated to departments by Graduate Division, called Block Grants, are available to ERG students. ERG Block Grants are based on academic merit and need, and are typically offered for a student’s first semester only. After the first semester, Block Grant recipients are expected to locate other sources of funding.
Campus-Wide Fellowships: Top-ranked Ph.D. students will be nominated for campus-wide competitive multi-year fellowships. Eligible Master’s Degree students with top rankings will be nominated for any campus-wide fellowships that are open to Master’s level students. Students may not apply directly for these campus fellowships; they must be nominated by the department after admissions decisions are made.
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships: FLAS Fellowships provide funding to both Master’s and Ph.D. students to encourage the study of critical and less commonly taught foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies or international aspects of professional studies. Students who wish to be considered for FLAS should indicate this on their application and also contact the Graduate Student Advisor at erggrad@berkeley.edu so we can work with you on your additionally required application essay.
Extramural Fellowships: Many ERG students are successful in acquiring funding through foundation, governmental, or other competitive fellowship programs such as the National Science Foundation. For more information about extramural fellowships, click here.
International Applicants: International students on F1 or J1 Student Visas may work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year (and up to full time in summer). Most international students fund their education through either GSR or GSI appointments (see above). Some fellowships may be available through your home country. For more information for international applicants please visit the Berkeley International Office website and the Financial Aid for International Students web page.
Financial Aid
The University of California at Berkeley offers a wide variety of financial aid programs to help students meet their educational expenses. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need and is available to all U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and those who are eligible under the California Dream Act of 2011 (AB540).
Among the types of aid offered to students are grants, loans, work-study. To be eligible for University funding, all US citizens or Permanent Residents and those eligible under AB 540 must complete the federal financial aid form, called FAFSA. See Financial Aid for further details.
UC Resources for Graduate Students Resources
External Funding Resources