FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

1. Departmental Fellowship Funds
It is the department's practice that all regularly admitted students, who do not have outside fellowship support, receive financial assistance. The Department is allotted funds sufficient for fellowship support covering living expenses, university fees and (if needed) out-of-state tuition for six to eight graduate students per year.* These assets are used primarily for the full support of every member of the first-year class. Graduate students in their first year do not normally serve as Teaching Assistants. The University awards some multi-year fellowships to highly qualified students, and has a number of dissertation-year fellowships that are awarded on a competitive basis. Most students receive some fellowship support after their first year.

  *A Note to International Students: To be processed, all fellowship awards must have a valid Social Security number. Should you be admitted with a fellowship, you would need to obtain a valid SS#. This is for federal tax purposes and applies to any U.S. school you might attend. Foreign students may apply for Social Security numbers at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries prior to their arrival at UCLA by presenting a passport, visa, and another form of identification and providing a local U.S. mailing address.
  

2. Teaching Assistantships
After the first year, students are typically awarded 3 quarters of teaching assistantship per year. (A limited amount of summer teaching is also available). If a teaching performance is satisfactory and a student is maintaining normal progress in the program, it is possible to receive up to 18 quarters of TA support. (The total amount of support, including the first year, is not to exceed seven years.)
 
3. Research Assistantships
Each year funds are available to hire several graduate students as research assistants.
 
4. Non-resident Tuition Fellowships
Non-resident tuition fellowships are available to out-of-state U.S. students in their first year, and to foreign students; other students do not require them.
 
5. Readerships
The Department employs a few graduate readers whose job it is to grade papers under supervision of the instructors. Application is made to the Graduate Counselor at the beginning of each quarter.
 
6. Other Financial Assistance
The University and extra-mural agencies offer various awards which are frequently obtained by our graduate students. Details of these awards are contained in the "Graduate Student Support" brochure which is sent out in December of each year to continuing graduate students. Some of these external fellowships also maintain websites: The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies.

  ** California Residency
To obtain California Residency you must satisfy the following conditions:
 
1) Presence in the state of California for one year.
 
2) Intent to make California a permanent home. (Obtain a California Driver's License or ID card; establish a bank account; register to vote; list your California residence as your permanent one.)
 
3) Financial independence for the three immediately preceding calendar years (not been claimed by parents as an exemption for federal and state income tax purposes; not received more than $750 each year from his or her parents, and not lived in the home of his or her parents for more than six weeks each year.)
  
Home