Undergraduate Financial Support
Undergraduates can visit the UCSB Financial Aid Office for information.
Graduate Financial Support
The financing of your education is primarily your responsibility. The department has control over a moderate level of support which it distributes on the combined factors of merit and need, but makes no guarantees as to the continuance, or the level, of any financial support it may provide at any given time. However, once an appointment is made we naturally try to continue support to students through completion of their degree.
Merit-Based Support
Application Deadline: DECEMBER 15
A. Fellowships:
Fellowships provide funds to support the living and educational expenses of graduate study. If you apply for this merit-based assistance, your application will be judged on the basis of the quality of your previous academic work, on the evidence of your ability to do research and other creative accomplishments, and on your promise of becoming a productive scholar. Except in unusual circumstances, applications for fellowships are considered only once a year; awards are made for the academic year beginning with the fall quarter. Fellowships can come in the form of a 4-6-year guarantee of support (Regents Special Fellowship, Chancellor’s Fellowships, Eugene-Cota Robles Fellowship, Doctoral Scholars Fellowship) to a 1-year fellowship (Graduate Opportunity Fellowship) or the payment of fees and nonresident tuition (Block Grant). GRE scores are required for all fellowship applicants. If your fellowship includes the payment of fees and/or nonresident tuition, payments will be credited directly to your billing account prior to payment deadlines. Read the award letter carefully, and contact the department if you have questions.
B. Teaching Assistantships:
Teaching Assistantship awards for the following academic year are made in March-April (only those who receive TA support will be notified). Normally we support between 20-25 graduate students each year on full (50% time) or partial (25% time) Teaching Assistantships. Teaching Assistantships provide financial assistance as below:
| Percent Time | Monthly | Quarterly |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $798 | $2393 |
| 50% | $1595 | $4785 |
Employment as a 25%-time or more TA includes payment of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Premium (GSHIP). The award of a TA'ship pays 100% of the education and registration fee ONLY, which equals $2,090 (resident) and $2,171 (non-resident) for 2004/2005. If you do not receive a tuition fellowship or other fee fellowship in addition to your TA award, you are responsible for paying all fees and nonresident tuition. Read your award letter carefully and call the department if you have any questions.
Teaching Assistantships entail duties related to upper division course laboratory sections and discussion sections of lower division Physical Geography and Human Geography. The department believes that teaching experience is a valuable part of graduate education and strives to allow each student some TA service. TA'ships may be renewed after careful review of actual teaching performance. At least one quarter of teaching assistant or equivalent experience is required of all Ph.D. students.
C. Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT)
Geography doctoral students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are invited to apply for fellowships for research in Interactive Digital Media. More information.
D. Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) Appointments
Between 25 and 30 Graduate Student Researchers are available each year, depending on the level of extra-mural support the department has received through proposals submitted by the faculty. Generally, these are given to students after one year in residence, but occasionally may be provided on initial enrollment. Graduate Student Researchers are arranged on an individual basis between the student and a faculty member who is a Principal Investigator on a grant, and generally cannot be "applied" for like one would a Teaching Assistantship or Fellowship.
The department expects that students about to embark on thesis/dissertation research will work with their faculty advisor on research proposals in order to secure this form of support if it is not already available.
Graduate Student Researcher appointments provide financial support as follows:
| Monthly | Hourly | Dept. Policy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step I | 2438.00 | 14.01 | 1st year MA students |
| Step II | 2627.00 | 15.10 | 2nd year MA students |
| Step III | 2913.00 | 16.74 | 1st year PhD student w/MA |
| Step IV | 3147.00 | 18.09 | 2nd year or > PhD students |
| Step V | 3357.00 | 19.29 | PhD advanced to candidacy |
Employment as a 25%-time or more GSR includes payment of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Premium (GSHIP). Employment as a 35%-time or more GSR also may include payment of fees and nonresident tuition (dependent on funding agency limitations).
Establishing California Residency:
Information about establishing California residency can be found at the Office of the Registrar’s website under the "Residency" heading.
Need-Based Financial Support:
Graduate students may apply for need-based loans and work-study awards through the Financial Aid Office. Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens may apply for funds administered by Financial Aid. Eligible non-citizens are those who are in the U.S. for any other than a temporary purpose. You meet this requirement if you have an I-151 Alien Registration Card, an I-94 Arrival-Departure Report Card stamped "refugee" or "applicant for adjustment", or have been granted asylum in the U.S.
