Grad Policies: Fees

All registered students are liable for fees. The Office of the Registrar will block a student’s registration unless the fees are paid, either by the student or through some form of financial assistance.

The fees are subject to change without prior warning. Please see the Registrar’s website for up to date fee information and the Graduate Division’s website for an estimated student budget.

1. Health Insurance

   The fall GSHIP provides major medical coverage from August 15 through January 14; the spring plan covers January 15 through August 14. Any questions about health coverage should be directed to University Health Services (UHS).

2. Nonresident Tuition

   Non-California residents are assessed an additional tuition. If you are a U.S. citizen or hold an immigrant visa, it is your responsibility to establish California residency (preferably after your first full academic year). Students that do not wish to establish residency in California, or were not eligible to get California residency, will be responsible for paying the Non Resident Tuition. Establishing California residency will allow for a decreased tuition. This only applies to students in degree programs lasting longer than one year.

   Immediately upon arrival in Berkeley, students should:

   • Register to vote in CA.
   • Use a credit card regularly to pay for bills so that there will be continuous proof of physical presence in California.
   • Obtain a California Driver’s License or Identification Card and cancel any driver’s licenses from other states.
   • Register their car with the California DMV as soon as possible after arriving in California.
   • Open a CA bank account and save cancelled checks. Close bank accounts in other states.
   • File a California State Income Tax Form, even if there is no income to report. The first year will be Form 540NR, and then Form 540 thereafter.
   • Whenever filling out a University form that asks for a “permanent address,” supply a California address.
   • Plan to spend most of the vacations and the summer of the first academic year in California. Going home for a couple of weeks can be explained away, but if extended periods of time are spent in other states, the Residency Office may be skeptical about claims that California is the intended home. It may be possible to obtain an exception for a summer job in a state other than one that a student may have lived in for an extended period of time. However, an exception letter from the student’s advisor confirming that the job was an integral part of their education should be submitted to the Residency Office as soon as possible, in case the petition is not approved.

   To initiate the process of establishing residency, students should review the Residency Information on the Registrar website.

   Applications for students entering in the fall should be submitted at the beginning of the following summer. The Residency Office does have an early deadline; students who have submitted their residency applications before that date received an automatic deferment of their Nonresident Tuition while their cases were being considered. Students filing applications after that date and before the final deadline were responsible for paying the first installment on their total bill (including Non-Resident Tuition) in mid-July.

3. Reduction in Nonresident Tuition

   Nonresident graduate doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy by the beginning of the semester are eligible for a 100% reduction of the Nonresident Tuition Fee (to $0.00) for a maximum of 3 years (six consecutive semesters, excluding summer). Such students who continue to enroll or re-enroll after the 3-year period will be assessed the Nonresident Tuition Fee in full.

4. Tuition for International Students

   Unfortunately, the Department is unable to assure full tuition support for all international students because of limitations on the resources that can be used for this purpose. However, every effort will be made to limit the tuition liability of students to an affordable amount.

   Many faculty members have access to industrial funds, which they can use to pay either full or partial tuition for their students. Students who are unable to obtain adequate tuition coverage from their Research Advisors may apply for a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) position. The Department will award Nonresident Tuition Scholarships (NRTs) to continuing EECS international students who are GSIs, paying half the NRT for students with a 25% appointment (10 hours/week) and full NRT for students who have a 49% appointment.

   • Applications for GSI appointments for EE and CS courses

   Deadlines are announced by e-mail to all graduate students in November and April. A GPA of at least 3.1 is required for GSI appointments. Students are limited to no more than 6 semesters of GSI appointments.