Financial Resources
Financial resources are available to IR/PS students in a number of forms including: departmental financial support (merit awards, internship stipends, and Dean’s Fellows financial support); academic employment (teaching assistantships, graduate student researcher appointments, tutor and reader appointments); need-based aid and external fellowships. Guidance about the IR/PS departmental policy on the financial support of graduate students may be obtained from the director of degree programs.
Financial resources are made available to MPIA students for six quarters. Departmental support is limited to 18 quarters of funding for Ph.D. students in the joint IR/PS-economics program and 21 quarters for Ph.D. students in the joint IR/PS-political science program.
IR/PS Departmental Financial Support
Academic Appointments
Need-Based Aid
External Fellowships
Tax Information
IR/PS Departmental Financial Support
Merit Awards
As an admissions incentive, IR/PS provides merit scholarships to approximately 25% of the incoming class. Approximately $1.2 million dollars in fellowships was distributed among the incoming class. Generally, merit funding is awarded to incoming students based on undergraduate academic performance, chosen areas of studies, and personal and professional accomplishments. However, the amount of aid awarded, and the criteria for selection are dependent on the specific funding source. Merit awards are typically made for both years of the MPIA. Incoming students can submit the short scholarship application immediately after they receive an offer of admission to IR/PS. Offers of merit awards are made before incoming students are required to accept or decline an offer of admission (April and May of the year of enrollment).
To remain eligible for merit funding, a student must be enrolled for 12 units or more during the quarter they are to receive the funding. Merit awards are subject to departmental time limits for financial support, as outlined above.
Other Departmental Funding Sources
Career Services provides financial support to students who undertake unpaid internships during the summer after their first year of graduate study. Applicants are required to submit an application that describes the internship and how it aligns with the student’s career goals. The application should also demonstrate need and include a budget.
Each year, approximately 10% of continuing students are recognized as Dean’s Fellows. This recognition includes a small stipend.
Ongoing information regarding funding possibilities (including scholarship and academic appointments) is provided to IR/PS students on a continual basis through the internal, electronic communications network.
Academic Appointments
MPIA students are strongly discouraged from undertaking academic appointments during their first quarter of graduate studies. 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.
During the fall quarter, IR/PS Academic Affairs presents a short seminar regarding academic appointments. The seminar provides information to students about available opportunities, minimum requirements for positions, payroll and personnel policies, and the application process. Academic Affairs does not provide employment assistance prior to the seminar in an effort to comply with the department policy of discouraging students from undertaking academic appointments during their first quarter of graduate studies.
Teaching Assistants
IR/PS teaching assistants are typically offered a salaried equivalent of up to 25% full time employment (approximately 10 hours per week). Graduate students with academic appointments totaling 25% time or more are entitled to full graduate student health insurance (GSHIP) remission and a partial fee remission. Teaching assistants are also eligible for fee deferments and temporary loans.
IR/PS students have also served as teaching assistants and readers in other academic departments. These departments include, but are not limited to: the history department, the literature department and the undergraduate college writing program.
Graduate Student Researchers
Graduate student researchers (GSR) at IR/PS are appointed on the basis of the student’s experience and expertise relating to the project for which funds are available, as well as the appropriateness of the project to the student’s research interests. GSR appointments may be awarded at various percentage levels. Appointments greater than 25% time are entitled to a GSR tuition/fee remission (excludes professional fees).
Readers and Tutors
Readers and tutors who are appointed to a minimum of 25% time for the quarter also eligible for TAHI/TAFE; however, payment is issued as a refund after the end of the quarter. Refunds are coordinated between the hiring department and OGS.
Need-Based Aid
Need-based aid includes Federal Stafford loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), and California state student financial aid. All students applying for need-based financial aid must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Need-based aid is distributed on a "first come, first served" basis. While the deadline for California state student financial aid is March 2, IR/PS students are encouraged to submit their FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible. A complete financial aid timeline is provided by UC San Diego.
Continuing students who filed a FAFSA application for the previous year are mailed a personal identification number (PIN) in January. Please visit the FAFSA PIN web site if you do not receive your personal identification number. Students should note that it may take up to five business days to receive your PIN. Once you have your PIN, you should complete a new FAFSA form for the upcoming academic year.
The graduate division of Student Financial Services administers all need-based financial aid for graduate students. Please contact the UCSD Financial Aid Office for additional information.
External 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.
Tax Information
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 deems most graduate student support as taxable income. Students appointed as teaching assistants and graduate student researchers will complete the W-4, Tax Withholding Allowance Certificate to indicate the amount of federal and state taxes to be withheld from monthly salary payments.
For students with fellowships, any stipend funds used for registration fees, or for books, supplies, and equipment required for courses of instruction are non-taxable. All remaining fellowship stipend funds are taxable. For students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, taxes are not withheld from stipend payments and students should submit quarterly tax payments for federal (1040 ES) and state (540ES) taxes.
For international students receiving salary or stipend payments, federal tax withholding is mandatory unless the provisions of an income tax treaty cover the income. Tax treaties apply to federal but not California state taxes. All fee and tuition payments from scholarships, fellowships, traineeships, research assistant tuition and fee remission, teaching assistant health insurance/fee remission, and in-candidacy fee offset grants are non-taxable. Additional information about taxes for international students is available through the International Center.
General tax information for graduates is available from the Office of Graduate Studies.
