Fees & Financial Aid

Finances are an important concern for most prospective University students. Students and their families should be advised to investigate the financial aspects of attending the University, including probable expenses and available financial aid programs, well in advance of enrolling.

The chart below provides estimates of average costs for an undergraduate living in a University residence hall during the 2007–08 academic year (three quarters or two semesters). Costs vary among the campuses due to differences in fees and living expenses. Given recent increases in student fees, students should expect the total costs for 2008–09 to be higher.

* Fees are subject to change without notice.

Required Fees

The average University fees of $7,446 for 2007–08 include the educational, registration and campus fees. The University educational and registration fees are the same at all campuses. The University fees for 2008–09 have not yet been established. Usually, a fee increase is accompanied by an increase in financial aid to ease the impact on students with financial need.

The campus fees support activities and services such as the associated students, student union, recreation center, transportation, student health center, etc. The campus fees vary from campus to campus.

Students are expected to pay required fees during registration prior to the beginning of each term. All campuses except UCLA offer deferred payment plans that allow students to pay fees in installments during the term. The campus Registrar’s Offices have information about these programs.

The campus General Catalogs, websites and financial aid publications are good sources of information about specific fees and expenses at each campus. The campus admissions, financial aid and housing offices also can provide information about fees and expenses.

Financing a UC Education

The University wants every student it admits to be able to attend regardless of his or her economic background. Achieving this goal requires a partnership involving students, parents (in many cases) and the University. The University administers a variety of financial support programs for students. In 2005–2006, 64 percent of UC undergraduates received some form of grants, loans, scholarships and work-study; the average award was just over $13,000.

UC students finance their cost of education through a partnership consisting of the following:

1. Parents: Parents of students under the age of 24 are generally expected to contribute toward the cost of their child's college education. Using federal guidelines, the University analyzes information provided on the financial aid application about parental income, assets and household size to determine the size of this contribution. Parents with particularly low incomes have an expected contribution of zero.
2. Student: The University expects all financial aid recipients to help cover the costs of their education through a combination of working and borrowing. The University’s aid program is designed, however, to limit the need to work and borrow to reasonable levels. Grant funding should be adequate to limit 1) the need to work while enrolled to no more than 20 hours per week, and 2) the need to borrow such that payments are manageable given the average expected earnings of UC graduates. Being awarded scholarships can reduce the need to work and borrow.
3. University: The University administers grant programs that provide gift assistance from a variety of sources for financially eligible students. If grants from federal and state sources are inadequate to keep the need to work and borrow at reasonable levels, the University provides students with its own grant assistance. To evaluate a student’s eligibility for financial aid, the University looks at the cost of attendance and the expected contributions from parents and students. If costs exceed the expected contributions, the University looks to other resources to help them cover the costs. For a better sense of how families with various financial situations might finance a UC education, see UC's online financial aid calculator.

Nonresident Tuition

Students who are not California residents must pay fees in addition to those paid by resident students. For non-California residents, tuition and fees amount to an additional $19,068. Tuition and fees for 2008–09 have not yet been established. To be considered a California resident for purposes of fees, an out-of-state student must:

• Have lived in California for more than one year preceding the residence determination date (the residence determination date is the day instruction begins at the last UC campus to open);
• Relinquish residence in other states;
• Show an intent to establish residency in California; and
• Demonstrate financial independence. There are several ways to demonstrate financial independence for the purpose of establishing California residency. Unmarried undergraduates from other states qualify as financially independent if they were not claimed by their parents or others as dependents for tax purposes for two preceding tax years and if their annual income is sufficient to meet their needs. All married students, students in established domestic partnerships, and unmarried graduate and professional students from other states qualify as financially independent if their parents or others have not claimed them as dependents for tax purposes for the preceding year.

Other out-of-state students who qualify as financially independent include veterans of the U.S. armed services; students with legal dependents other than a spouse; students with both parents deceased; students who are wards of the court; and students who are at least 24 years of age by December 31 of the year they seek to be classified as residents. For more information, contact the campus residency deputy.

UC Tuition Exemption (AB 540)

Certain nonresident students who attended a high school in California for at least three years and graduated from a California high school may be eligible for an exemption from the UC nonresident tuition described above. Nonresident students include undocumented and domestic students who, for various reasons, are classified as nonresidents. Students who fulfill the qualifications but who don’t have a lawful immigration status must certify that they are taking steps to legalize their immigration status or will do so as soon as they are eligible.

Students who are nonimmigrants, including foreign students, are not eligible for this exemption. For additional information on eligibility and the application process, visit the University's Student Financial Support Programs & Policies Web page.

Residence Status at Other Institutions

Students with California residence status for fee purposes at other colleges in the state are not guaranteed residence status for tuition purposes at the University of California. Contact the campus residency deputy for more information.