Financial aid
Berkeley’s financial aid program can help you and your family meet your college expenses (financialaid.berkeley.edu).
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important application for financial aid, including most loans. The application deadline is March 2 every year. Meeting the application deadline is important, because financial aid funding is generally insufficient for late applicants. Information, applications, and counseling are available from the Financial Aid Office. Programs are open only to US citizens and eligible noncitizens (fafsa.ed.gov).
There are two units of the Financial Aid Office, each serving a different part of the student population. Contact your unit when you have questions or problems:
1) Undergraduate: 211 Sproul Hall; fao_ugr@berkeley.edu; 510/642-6442
2) Graduate, law, and optometry students: 201 Sproul Hall; fao_grad@berkeley.edu; 510/642-0485.
There are also two satellite offices:
Business students: Haas School of Business, room F449; 510/643-1680
Law students: 5 Boalt Hall; 510/642-1563
The Berkeley International Office offers a limited number of grants, scholarships, and loans to undergraduate and graduate international students who have completed at least two semesters at UC Berkeley. For more information on these funding opportunities and emergency funds, please visit the Berkeley International Office’s website (internationaloffice.berkeley.edu/multiple_use/financial_aid.php).
Undergraduates
The Financial Aid Office does its best to meet your financial needs, usually offering you a combination of the following types of aid.
Grants are based on financial need, and do not require repayment. Grant monies include federal programs such as the Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) Smart Grants, state grants (Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B), and University grants (211 Sproul Hall; 510/642-6442).
Scholarships
See Undergraduate Scholarships, Prizes, and Honors Office on page 27.
The Federal Work-Study Program enables students to work part-time during school and vacation periods. If you are awarded Work-Study, you must contact the Work-Study Office to find applicable job listings (212 Sproul Hall; 510/642-5625).
Loans are available to nearly all students; they are awarded on the basis of financial need. The four major loan programs are the Perkins Loan, the Health Professions Student Loan, the Stafford Loan, and the PLUS loan for parents (211 Sproul Hall; 510/642-6442).
Note: students needing to certify their enrollment for financial aid reasons (like loan deferments) should visit the Verifications Unit (128 Sproul Hall; 510/642-1883).
Emergency Loans are available to help students with cash flow problems during the academic year. All registered students can apply for a short-term, interest-free loan of up to $725, which takes about one hour to process and is repayable within 60 days. There is a $20 administrative fee for all emergency loans (220 Sproul Hall; 510/642-6442).
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 may provide students (or their taxpayers) with certain tax credits for amounts paid against some educational expenses. Check the Billing and Payment Services webpage for more information (billing.berkeley.edu).
Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students may be eligible to receive fee deferments; they may also apply for significant reductions in other areas, such as housing and readmission. See page 45 for information about EOP, or check the website for details about the specific options available (slas.berkeley.edu/programs.html; 119 Cesar Chavez; advising@berkeley.edu; 510/642-7224).
Graduates
The key to finding financial support for graduate study is to plan ahead. Applications for funding often require a year’s lead time.
Graduate students are eligible for two types of University-sponsored financial assistance:
1) Need-based support
Loans, grants, and work-study programs are administered by the Graduate and Professional Unit of the Financial Aid Office (201 Sproul Hall; 510/642-0485).
2) Merit-based support
Most merit-based fellowships are administered by the Graduate Division’s Fellowships Office. If you’re interested in financial assistance provided by the government, foundations, or private agencies, the Graduate Fellowships Office is the place to begin your search. You will find major graduate fellowship competitions, deadlines, and follow-up information. Applications for major national fellowship programs, such as the National Science Foundation and Fulbright awards, may be obtained at the Fellowships Office (www.grad.berkeley.edu/fellowships/; 316 Sproul Hall; 510/642-0672).
Some departments also have fellowships to offer; please ask your graduate assistant.
Graduate Student Researcher and Graduate Student Instructor, Reader, and Tutor positions are an important source of income to Berkeley graduate students, although their availability varies from department to department. To be eligible, you must have a 3.1 GPA (GSI and GSR appointments) or 3.0 GPA (Reader and Tutor appointments), be a full-time registered student, and have no more than two incompletes. Apply directly to the department in which you are interested. You may be appointed to these titles no more than half time (20 hours per week) during the academic year. If you have a fellowship or traineeship, your work may be limited; questions about potential restrictions should be directed to the Graduate Services Fellowships staff in the Graduate Division.
How you get your financial aid
Most grant, scholarship, or loan funds will be credited to your Campus Accounts Receivables System (CARS) account. Depending on the restrictions, the funds will be used to offset debts owed to the campus (e.g., semester fees, campus housing, and miscellaneous charges).
Any money left over on your account after your aid has been applied will be refunded to you. The earliest you can get a refund is the week before classes start.
In order to receive your refund as securely, conveniently, and quickly as possible, you are strongly encouraged to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). EFT deposits your refund check directly into your designated checking or savings account, eliminating the risk of a lost or stolen check. EFT activation can take up to 7 days, so you should sign up as soon as you open a bank account (eftstudent.berkeley.edu).
Scholarship information
Undergraduate Scholarships, Prizes, and Honors Office (USPHO)
UC Berkeley offers need-based (and limited honorary) scholarships, prizes for creative achievement, and other honors. Criteria for these awards vary. Academic Senate committees oversee the selection of award recipients for the programs USPHO administers on their behalf. Visit the Undergraduate Scholarships, Prizes and Honors Office for more information (berkeley.edu/scholarships; 210 Sproul Hall; 510/642-6363).
Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarships are awarded to students entering from high school or from a California community college. Every student who applies to Cal for admission is automatically considered (berkeley.edu/scholarships; 510/642-6363).
Prizes are awarded to students for creative achievement in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, music composition, film/video, photography, and other areas. Winners of creative writing prizes read their works at the Berkeley Campus Writers’ Event in the spring (berkeley.edu/scholarships).
The University Medal, an honor established in 1871 by the UC Regents, is awarded to the most distinguished graduating senior. The medal usually is granted to a student who has at least a 3.96 GPA and who is also involved in extracurricular activities (such as community service or research). Adrian Down, a math and physics double major with a 3.9 GPA, was selected for the 2007 award.
Scholarship Connection
The Scholarship Connection office is the campus’ clearinghouse for information on merit-based, externally-funded scholarships for undergraduates. This office also processes applications for Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman scholarships, and many others.
The Scholarship Connection website offers a continuously updated database, which students may search through a variety of criteria, including class, major, minimum GPA, and underrepresented group.
To keep up-to-date on scholarships and other opportunities available, subscribe to the Scholarship Connection email list (click “recieve email updates” from their website). You’ll receive information about new scholarships as they become available. (301B Campbell Hall; scholarships@learning.berkeley.edu; 510/643-6929).
California Alumni Association
Many undergraduate scholarships and awards are available through the Cal Alumni Association (alumni.berkeley.edu/scholarships; Alumni House; 510/642-1720).
Graduate Services: Fellowships
The Fellowships staff has information on national and University scholarships of interest to both graduates and undergraduates (grad.berkeley.edu/financial/fellowships_office; 318 Sproul Hall; 510/642-0672).
Fulbright Grants
Graduating seniors or graduate students who wish to study abroad may study for a Fulbright Grant. Applications are available in May and are due in early September (grad.berkeley.edu/financial/fellowships_office; 318 Sproul Hall; 510/642-0672).
Institute of Governmental Studies
This office has information on a number of public service opportunities, including the Cal in Sacramento Program and the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship (igs.berkeley.edu; 109 Moses Hall; 510/642-1474).
Internet resources
Other scholarship resources and search services are available via the Internet including:
fastweb.com
finaid.org
scholarships.com
brokescholar.com
collegetoolkit.com
This is only a partial list of public scholarship databases; a more complete list is available at scholarships.berkeley.edu/other. Students should try to use as many resources as possible, as some awards will be included in one database, but not in others.
Note: When using public scholarship databases, beware of scholarship scams and of search programs that charge fees.
ROTC
Berkeley offers three officer-commissioning scholarship programs to qualified students. The scholarships vary, but usually cover tuition, books, supplies, and include a monthly or yearly stipend. In return, students have the option to serve a period of time on active or reserve duty, depending on the program. For more information, contact one of the following:
Air Force ROTC (airforcerotc.berkeley.edu; 164D Hearst Gym; airforce@berkeley.edu; 510/642-3572)
Army ROTC (army.berkeley.edu; 159 Hearst Gym; armyrotc@berkeley.edu; 510/643-7682)
Navy ROTC (nrotc.berkeley.edu; 152 Hearst Gym; jvaladao@military.berkeley.edu; 510/642-7602)
Veterans
As a veteran, a dependent of a veteran, or a reservist, you may be eligible for benefits and services from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and its partnering community organizations. Designated staff throughout campus are available to assist and connect you to the array of programs and services that will help you make the most of your time at Cal (trsp.berkeley.edu/veterans).