FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Graduate Student Support
1228 Murphy Hall

(310) 825-1025
http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/infoserv/gdservcs.htm

As a major center for graduate study, UCLA offers its qualified graduate students substantial support through several types of financial assistance.

Information on available funding for entering students is included in the Application for Graduate Admission . Readmitted students should also request the Application for Graduate Admission , and continuing graduate students should complete the Fellowship and Assistantship Application for Continuing Students . Completed applications must be returned by the published deadline during the first week in January. Some departments have earlier deadlines; consult the application brochure for details.

UCLA Graduate Student Support describes the full range of financial assistance available. It is published annually and distributed by the Graduate Division. Students should contact their department for more detailed information.

Fellowships

The University administers several awards on the basis of scholarly achievement. Most awards are available in open competition, though some are restricted to new students or to specific departments. Some fellowship and scholarship awards are made from University funds; others are made from endowment funds held in trust by the University and given by interested friends and alumni. Still others come from annual donations by educational foundations, industry, government, and individual benefactors.

Most fellowship, traineeship, and grant awards are for one academic year (three terms). Fellowships and grants provide stipends in varying amounts for qualified students. Nonresident tuition fellowships cover the tuition, for periods of one to three terms, of selected graduate students who are not California residents.

Assistantships

Academic apprenticeships train qualified students for careers in teaching and research, and compensate them for their services. Teaching assistantships provide experience in teaching undergraduates, with faculty supervision. (Teaching assistants, associates, and fellows are eligible to receive partial payment at the beginning of the term in the form of an interest-free advance loan check. Interested students should apply to their departments.) Graduate student researcher appointments give students experience working on faculty-supervised research projects.

Awards Based on Financial Need

Because the cost of a graduate education may present a financial hardship, students who require assistance in meeting educational costs are encouraged to apply for aid based on their financial need. Need is defined as the difference between allowable school-related expenses and financial resources. Financial aid applicants must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The priority filing deadline is March 2.

Students who need financial aid for Summer Sessions must submit a Summer Aid Application in addition to FAFSA. Summer applications are available from the Financial Aid Office beginning in February and should be filed before May 1.

Financial aid awards include work-study and low-interest loans. Students are usually awarded a financial aid package which is a combination of these forms of assistance. Further information is available from the Financial Aid Office, A129J Murphy Hall.