University fellowships and funds are awarded on the basis of merit and promise of productive scholarship. Types of awards and funding sources include centrally administered fellowships and departmental block grants. Fellowship funds can provide for any of the following: payment of fees and/or nonresident tuition or provision of a living stipend. A fellowship is any payment to a student that is not salary or direct reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses such as travel costs. University fellowships are normally processed and disbursed by the Graduate Division.
Students must be registered in the appropriate quarter to receive any financial support funds from the Graduate Division or the department. New students may not receive any University funds until they are registered in courses and fall quarter begins.
We encourage all graduate students and prospective graduate students to apply for fellowships. You can apply for fellowships even before you are admitted to a graduate program. A detailed list of fellowships can be found in the Graduate Division website. Please note that some of the fellowships have citizenship requirements, make sure that you carefully read the eligibility criteria before applying, and contact the program officer if you have any questions.
The program faculty and the Baskin School of Engineering can support you in building a highly competitive application for these and other fellowships. Please contact the Graduate Director if you intend to apply for an external fellowship either during the application process or after you have been admitted to UCSC.
A Teaching Assistant (TA) is a registered graduate student in full-time residence, chosen for excellent scholarship and for promise as a teacher, and serving an apprenticeship under the active tutelage and supervision of a regular faculty member. TAs are hired on a quarterly basis beginning approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of the quarter.
TAs who work 10 hours per week or more are also eligible for remissions on their in-state fees. For 2019-20, quarterly in-state fees stand at $6,221.70.36 (this includes health insurance). After fee remissions, students employed as Teaching Assistants are only required to pay $412.70 per quarter. Departments will cover this amount as a courtesy if funds are available. TA fee remissions do not cover out-of-state Non-Resident Tuition, unless guaranteed in an admission funding package.
A GSI is a full-time registered UCSC graduate student that has been appointed to have primary and full responsibility for the teaching of a course under the supervision of a ladder-rank faculty member. GSIs in BSOE are hired under the Associate In title. Minimum qualifications for this position require the possession of a master’s degree or equivalent training and at least one year of teaching experience. All GSI appointments require the review and approval of the Graduate Dean.
BSOE GSIs qualify for full fee and tuition remission if they are appointed for at least 25% time (10 hours per week). Full fee and tuition remission includes the payment of fees and health insurance for all eligible students. Non-resident tuition is not covered.
A GSR is a full-time registered UCSC graduate student appointed to assist in performing research under the direction of a ladder-rank faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. GSRs are hired on a quarterly basis. The general and individual quarterly GSR calls are sent by the BSOE Payroll Analysts, approximately 8 weeks prior to the start of the quarter. Responses to hire GSRs are due from faculty approximately 4 weeks prior to the start of the quarter. Once funding has been approved for a GSR hire, the student will be contacted by BSOE Payroll to complete paperwork.
GSRs qualify for full fee and tuition remission if they are appointed for at least 25% (10 hours per week), in all GSR appointments combined, over the three months of the quarter. Full fee and tuition remission includes the payment of fees, health insurance for all eligible students, and nonresident tuition if applicable.