Graduate Student Finances

Table of Contents

Tuition and Fees

Campus Fee Grant

First Year Fellows

International Student Funding

Finding Funding

Employment

Employee Disclosure Process

Employment FAQ

Travel and Research Awards

Understanding Tuition and Fees

There are various fees you will encounter during your time at UC Davis. Some of these will be paid on your behalf (through fellowships or employment). Others you are required to pay. It's important to check your Aggie Bill (formerly MyBill) regularly to ensure your account is accurate. 

Current fee amounts are found on the Finance & Business site. 

The main fees students will see on their account include:

  • Systemwide Tuition & Fees
  • Set by the Regents; covers various costs of the university, including instruction, financial aid, and general university resources 
  • Campus Level Fees
  • Support campus services such as Graduate Student Association, Memorial Union, and others; many fees approved by previous student referendum votes
  • Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

  • Required health insurance plan; automatically charged.

    Students who plan on keeping their current insurance may apply for a SHIP waiver

  • Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST)
  • Fee for students designated as non-California residents

US citizens and permanent residents can apply for residency after 366 days residing in California. Learn how to establish residency. 

International doctoral student receive an automatic NRST waiver for nine academic quarters post-candidacy.

The fees below are additional fees commonly seen on graduate student accounts. The fees below must be paid directly by students: 

Tuition and fees are due the 8th week of the current quarter. If you still see unpaid fees in your Aggie Account by week 4 but have a GSR or TA position, please let your graduate program coordinator know. They can check to make sure your appointment is entered correctly. 

Campus Fee Grant

Many students who complete the FAFSA will be offered a Campus Fee Grant and loans through Financial Aid. The UC Davis Campus Fee Grant is the only grant administered by the Graduate Financial Aid Office. It is a need-based award for students who establish and maintain sufficient financial need. Because how need is calculated, many graduate students lose eligibility for the Camps Fee Grant and must repay the funds. If you anticipate you will receive full fee remission and a living stipend for the entire academic year, we recommend you decline the Campus Fee Grant since you will most likely need to repay it. Please contact the Graduate Financial Aid Office for more information about this grant. 

First Year Rotation Fellowships

Many groups in the College of Biological Sciences offer fellowships to first-year PhD students undergoing rotations. These fellowships may be for a single quarter or multiple quarters. Basic eligibility for these fellowships include:

  • registered for 12+ units
  • in good academic standing
  • enrolled in appropriate rotation coursework (ex: MCP 210L, BCB 220L)
  • not holding UC employment*
    • *GSR Paid Direct positions are allowable

GSR Paid Direct positions may be required for students holding rotation fellowships. We will update this page with more information as it becomes available. 

International Student Funding

Students studying under F-1 and J-1 visas have some employment restrictions set by the federal government. The information below is meant to be an introduction to on-campus employment and fellowships for international students but is NOT a definitive guide. Please contact SISS with any questions regarding F-1 and J-1 employment. International students must inform SISS before accepting any off-campus employment. 

International students are limited to a maximum of 20 hours of employment work per week during academic terms (generally October 1 - June 31). After receiving a formal employment letter, you may apply for a Social Security Number. 

International students interested in serving as Teaching Assistants (TA) must ensure they meet the TA/AI Language Proficiency Requirements. Students should check their eligibility early in their academic career to determine if any coursework is required to later serve as a TA. 

International students receiving fellowships must complete a GLACIER record for funds to be disbursed. Failure to complete your GLACIER record in a timely manner will result in late payment. 

Finding Funding

Finding your employment depends on the type of position you are seeking. 

GSR positions are typically obtained directly from your major professor. GSR appointments are handled by the home department of your major professor. Any questions about your current or future GSR appointments--including dates of employment, duties, leave, and compensation step--should be directed to the hiring department. 

TA positions typically require a student to apply to them. The College of Biological Sciences maintains a TA resource page with information about common departmental application processes and deadlines. TA appointments are handled by the department offering the course. Any questions about your current or future TA appointments--including dates of employment, duties, leave, and compensation step--should be directed to the hiring department. 

Fellowships are obtained in a multitude of ways. Note most fellowships offered by UC Davis are NOT considered employment. The College of Biological Sciences and Graduate Studies both offer internal fellowships which range from $1,000 travel awards to full fellowships. 

Major training grants and external fellowships are usually considered employment. UC Davis has various training grantsfor graduate students; these grants will email groups directly to solicit applications. Lastly, students may apply directly to many external funding opportunities; Pivot is a great resource for students searching for external funding. 

If you have a question about whether or not your fellowship is considered employment, please reach out to [email protected]. 

Employment 

Most graduate students in the College of Biological Sciences will be academic employees for the duration of their graduate program. Some of the primary employment types are below:

  • Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)
  • Appointed to assist in performing research under the direction of a ladder-rank faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator
  • Teaching Assistant (TA) 
  • Appointed to assist in course instruction, including leading laboratory courses, grading, and holding office hours; supervised by primary course instructor
  • GSR Trainee (uncommon appointment type)
  • A GSR appointment for students holding contract-covered fellowships (ex: T32s or USDA NIFA)
  • GSR Paid-Direct (uncommon appointment type)
  • A GSR appointment for first-year PhD students undergoing research rotations and receiving internal fellowships

Full information on employment definitions, qualifications, benefits, wages, and more can be found on the Graduate Studies website. Additionally, the UC Office of the President website has copies of current Collective Bargaining Agreements. 

Employee Disclosure Requirement

California legislation (SB 791 and AB 810) requires misconduct disclosures for Academic Student Employee (ASE; including Teaching Assistant and Reader) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions. This legislation and its implementation by the University of California aims to improve the climate and safety of all UC campuses, but requires that all hiring units on campus change hiring processes which had been relatively consistent for the last few years. 

What Do I Need to Know?

The big change: as a condition of employment, students who the College would like to appoint into ASE/GSR roles (which includes first year PhD students on rotations) will be required to disclose to UC Davis's Academic Affairs Office (and not to the College) whether they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

The UC's effort to comply with this law is not limited to student employees; the new process includes tenure-track faculty, and other employees in academic title codes.

How Does All This Work?

You should have received an email with a link where you can sign an Authorization to Release Information. Please email [email protected] if you believe you should have received this email but did not.

The College will provide the signed document to Academic Affairs, along with some basic information (your name, email address, and job title). Academic Affairs will contact you with a questionnaire in which you can disclose whether or not the criteria for "misconduct" as defined above apply to you.

Once this questionnaire is complete, Academic Affairs will be in touch with the College. They will not provide the content of your questionnaire to the College or program, but will let us know that we may or may not proceed with your hire. 

If you are not willing to authorize the release of your information to Academic Affairs, Graduate Studies has advised hiring units that we cannot proceed with your hire.

Where Can I Learn More About This?

The Academic Affairs website has the complete guide to the change. If you would like to learn more about Academic Affairs' process, they can be reached at [email protected]. 

Employment FAQ

The question below apply to most GSR and TA positions at an appointment percentage of 25% or higher. This guide is designed for basic overview of information. For specific information, please contact your hiring department or the Director of Graduate Academic Programs. The Collective Bargaining Agreements have full and additional information for graduate employees.

  • Do I have to pay tuition and fees?
  • Fee remission is a benefit of employment; if appointments do not cover the full quarter, the fee remission is pro-rated to the length of the appointment. Fee remission for GSRs covers full tuition & fees and NRST (if applicable). Fee remission for TAs covers full tuition & fees (no NRST remission). Specific fees--like the Document Fee, International Student Administrative Fee, UCGPC Systemwide Fee, Health Center charges, and printing charges--are not covered by fee remission. Students must pay these fees through your Aggie Account. 
  • What are appointment percentages, and how are they calculated?

  • Appointment percentages represent the portion of a standard 40-hour work week assigned to your position. These are calculated by multiplying your appointment fraction by 40 hours; for instance, a 25% appointment equates to approximately 10 hours of work per week, while a 50% appointment averages 20 hours. However, it is important to note that GSR and TA positions are typically classified as exempt. This means that hours are not strictly tracked or assigned to specific days; instead, the percentage represents the average weekly effort expected over the entire duration of your contract.

    Because academic work tends to fluctuate, your actual hours may vary from week to week. For a 50% appointment, you might work 30 hours during a heavy experimental period but only 10 hours during a slower week, provided the average remains consistent with your appointment level. We understand that balancing research and teaching can be a challenge, so if you feel your workload is consistently exceeding your assigned percentage, you should contact your supervisor as soon as possible to discuss your concerns. For additional protections and specific workload guidelines, please refer to the relevant collective bargaining agreements.

  • What GSR or TA salary point will I be hired at?
  • The graduate programs cannot answer this question as it depends on the hiring title, hiring unit and your experience level.
    The collective bargaining agreement between the UC and UAW covering GSRs and TAs outlines the minimum points employee must be hired at:

    GSR Point 2 for GSRs with at least 3 quarters of 25%+ GSR experience
    GSR Point 3 for GSRs with at least 6 quarters of 25%+ GSR experience
    TA Point 2 for TAs with at least 3 quarters of 25%+ TA experience
    TA Point 3 for TAs with at least 6 quarters of 25%+ TA experience

    While these are the minimums, some units may elect to hire students at higher salary points. This is at the discretion of each hiring unit and the hiring supervisor. Students rotating should discuss hiring points with potential major professors to make an informed financial decision regarding final lab selection. 
  • Do I have access to vacation or sick time? What about long-term leave options?
  • GSRs and TAs are eligible for up to two days of paid short-term leave per quarter; short-term leave covers situations such as vacation or illness. Employees should contact their supervisor as soon as possible to request the use of short-term leave. Short-term leave can accrue depending on appointment type; please contact your hiring department for information on your current short-term leave balance. 
    A variety of paid long-term leaves are available. Students should contact their hiring department as soon as possible if they think they may want to pursue long-term leave to explore eligibility and options. 
  • Who is my "hiring department"?
  • The hiring department is the administrative unit overseeing your employment. If you are a GSR, your major professor's department is typically your hiring department; if you are a TA, the department offering the course is typically your hiring department. You should have received a formal employment offer letter when you started your position. That letter should specify the hiring department and provide contact information. 
  • When will I get my first paycheck?
  • Employment is paid in arrears. This means that your are paid after performing work. Typical appointment dates and payments are...
    Fall Quarter - employed October 1 - December 31; paid November 1, December 1, and January 1
    Winter Quarter - employed January 1 - March 31; paid February 1, March 1, and April 1
    Spring Quarter - employed April 1 - June 31; paid May 1, June 1, and July 1

Travel and Research Awards

Travel and Research Awards help fund specific research projects and/or professional travel expenses. Graduate Studiesoffers a Fall and Spring travel award. The UC Davis Graduate Student Association also offers a travel award. 

Some departments and graduate groups offer their own travel awards. Please keep an eye on your email for these opportunities. If you have a major professor with an appointment in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, you may qualify for a Jastro-Shields Award. Graduate Program Coordinators will email a call for Jastro-Shields applications in the Spring if funds are available.