Financial Assistance

For the UCSB Office of Financial Aid FAQs click here(link is external).

Domestic and Permanent Resident Students:

Support from the UCSB Financial Aid Office is available in the form of federal Work-Study, federal subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loans. These types of aid are awarded by the UCSB Financial Aid Office on the basis of a student's financial need.

Graduate students who demonstrate financial need may qualify for a subsidized Direct Loan that has an annual limit of $8,500.  Graduate students who do not demonstrate financial need may qualify for an unsubsidized Direct Loan that has an annual limit of $10,000. The actual amount will be determined by financial need, based on the need-analysis compiled by the Financial Aid Office.

Eligibility for need-based financial support is affected by awards students receive from the Graduate Division, academic departments, or outside agencies. A reduction in the student's original need-based aid eligibility will occur if the student receives additional awards during the year.

International Students: http://www.oiss.ucsb.edu/students/FinancialRequirements.aspx(link is external)

A summary of the UCSB Graduate Student Fees and Expenses is available on-line: http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/cost-of-attendance

Centrally Administered Fellowships for incoming students are by Departmental nomination only. Nominations are sent to Graduate Division and awards are made by multi-disciplinary faculty fellowship committee and the Dean of Graduate Division.  All nominees must be admitted Fall quarter and maintain continuous full time enrollment as well as remain in good academic standing for the duration of their award.

In support of the campus goals of excellence and diversity, all nominations for central fellowships require strong evidence of the student's ability to contribute to the UC Santa Barbara academic community and research environment. All applicants for fellowships should provide evidence of present and future ability and accomplishments in their grade point average, research experience, and GRE scores as applicable, as well as in letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and personal statement.

For details about these awards, please visit the graduate Division’s fellowship webpage http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/financial/awards.htm

There is currently no application process for Block Grant awards for newly admitted students. Department and/or emphasis faculty make award decisions based on a number of criteria - recruitment, financial need, academic promise, etc. Notification of awards is communicated to newly admitted students by the student’s assigned faculty advisor and in writing by the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education's Student Affairs Office.

Extramural fellowships are competitive sources of funding that are not administered by UCSB Graduate Division. In addition to obtaining funding for graduate school, graduate students should be encouraged to conduct a search for extramural funding as part of their professional training for life in academia. Please note that any grants that are awarded to the institution and not to students individually must be processed and reviewed through the GGSE Contracts & Grants Office. If signature on the proposal is required by a Authorized Institutional Official it must also be processed through the Contracts & Grants Office. Click here for more information.

UCSB subscribes to several extramural funding source searchable databases (including Pivot) to help you locate funding opportunities. Links to funding resources may be found through the Financial Support Section at http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/financial/extramural-funding(link is external)

UCSB subscribes to the Illinois Researcher and Information Service (IRIS) and Community of Science Funding Opportunities (COS), extramural funding source databases with search capabilities along with instructions on how to conduct a search. Links to IRIS, COS and additional funding resources may be found through the Financial Support Section at http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/financial/extramural-funding(link is external)

 UC Funding Opportunities http://www.ucop.edu/research/(link is external) are UC systemwide research funding opportunities available to UC faculty, researchers and graduate students.

The reference section on the first floor of the Davidson Library provides a variety of directories describing sources of funding and research opportunities, including fellowships, grants, internships and jobs.

 Money Matters(link is external), this guide is a tool to help you navigate your finances day to day and access emergency help when you need it. It includes sections on sound money management and ways to ensure that your income is adequate to meet your needs. Because unforeseen events and emergencies do happen, the Money Matters guide also offers information on staff contacts, emergency funding, and low-cost services in the local community.

If you would like assistance searching or applying for extramural funding, please contact one of the Graduate Division Peer Advisors.