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Admissions

Tuition & Financial Aid


Tuition and costs – calculator

  • Please use this tuition calculator to determine your estimated cost for tuition and fees. The calculator estimates your fees based on residency. All eligible students are encouraged to obtain California residency to reduce their cost of attendance. This calculator contains the most accurate tuition estimates available for future tuition levels.

Cost of living comparisons

  • A search for "cost of living comparison" online will yield many sites you can use for reference. While we do not endorse any particular site, they provide additional details you may find helpful.

IR/PS recognizes that funding for graduate studies may be a concern. Various types of aid are available to UC San Diego graduate students including:

Need-based aid

  • U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for need-based financial aid. The review process is lengthy, and all students who anticipate a need for aid should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Visit the official FAFSA website to obtain a form and instructions on how to apply.

  • Students should file the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible. UC San Diego's Title IV code is 001317. To receive full consideration for UC San Diego awards, applicants must submit the FAFSA by March 2nd. Questions regarding loans and grants should be directed to UCSD Financial Aid Office located at 201 University Center, (858) 534-3807.

Fellowships / Scholarships

  • IR/PS is committed to providing financial support to eligible students, subject to availability of funds. For the incoming class, we expect to provide $1.3 million in fellowships.

  • Admitted students can submit the short scholarship application immediately after they receive an offer of admission. Instructions about this process will be provided at the time your admission decision is released.

  • Fellowships or scholarships which provide a salary or stipend (paid directly to the student or administered by the university) may be supplemented up to 25 percent time (ten hours per week maximum) with work as a research or teaching assistant unless the terms of the award state otherwise.

Other Scholarships/Fellowships:

  • UC San Diego maintains a central repository for funding announcements that also contains information on local, regional and intramural programs that may not exist in national databases. Click to view the UCSD funding opportunity database and other resources.

On-campus employment

  • IR/PS advises students not to work during the first quarter of the program. The rigors of the coursework are quite demanding and balancing those needs with work commitments is not recommended. After this part of the curriculum, many students do subsidize their education via on or off campus employment.

  • There are a number of graduate job opportunities at UC San Diego. The types of jobs available include: teaching assistant, reader/grader, tutor, associate, researcher and student staff. The Office of Graduate Studies Job Opportunities for Graduate Students Handbook is updated for 2007 and is a great resource. You can also see what types of positions and work rules typically apply to positions across campus (visit the OGS web site for details).

  • Several IR/PS graduate student administrative or academic appointments are available to IR/PS students. These are in a variety of departments and centers at IR/PS (typically: IR/PS Learning Center, Career Services, External Relations, Admissions, Center on Pacific Economies, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation and other units).

Residency information for tuition purposes

  • All eligible students are encouraged to apply for California residency for tuition purposes as soon as possible. Admitted students are provided additional information about how to apply for residency and refered to the Registrar's Office for further details.

International Student Financial Statement:

  • Once an international applicant has received an offer of admission, he/she must indicate in a financial statement the amount and source of the funds he/she will use for graduate study in the United States. This form is forwarded to international applicants upon their admission. Written evidence of sufficient financial resources must be provided before visa forms will be issued.

  • Questions regarding the international applicant financial statement should be addressed to the Office of Graduate Studies.