Cost and Financial Aid

Projected Graduate Student Budget for 2011-2012

Academic Year 2012-13 (9 months)

Nonresident Fees

Additional Program Expenses

*Budget and expenses subject to change

Ways to Reduce your Costs

Establishing California Residency

Many out-of-state students begin establishing California residency in their first year in order to be eligible for in-state tuition for their second year. The Legal Residence Office website explains the steps you need to take to establish residency.

*Only US Citizens are able to establish residency for in-state tuition in their second year. International students do not qualify.

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS)

Students interested in pursuing studies in a foreign language during their graduate studies at Berkeley may apply for the FLAS fellowship. Visit the FLAS page for information and requirements for this fellowship.

Working on Campus

GSR (Graduate Student Researcher), GSI (Graduate Student Instructor), Reader, and Tutor positions are instruction assistant positions available to all registered students. While it is not recommended that you work during your first semester, it is important to know about these positions because they present an excellent opportunity for your second, third and fourth semesters.

Positions are available campus-wide and you are welcome to pursue openings in any department. The Media Studies and English departments regularly hire J-School students. Contact each department separately for specific deadlines, procedures, and requirements. The positions can include a partial fee remission with a modest salary. The partial fee remission per semester is approximately around $7,000. The semester salary is approximately around $2,700. These positions are very competitive, start your search early. Job listings for GSI and reader positions are posted on the UGIS website.

The Journalism School also offers position with the television and news labs, in addition to assisting the magazine program, community sites and other programs at the school. Many students also hold hourly positions with The Investigative Reporting Program and The Knight Digital Media Center at the J-School. Students may also sign up to be part of the multimedia pool covering program events.  Often students will also seek hourly positions in other departments on campus.

Financial Aid

UC Berkeley Departmental Funding

The Journalism Department offers a limited amount of funding to accepted students who demonstrate need. To be considered, applicants must check the "Fellowship and/or Departmental Aid Applicant" box on the Graduate Division Online Application. Applicants must also submit the FAFSA (see below) to be considered. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $10,000 a year and are need-based. You will be notified about any departmental award in your admission letter.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

You can begin filing your FAFSA form online starting in January 2011 to be considered for federal grants, loans, or qualification for work-study. Priority filing due date: March 2, 2011. UC Berkeley’s institution code for the FAFSA is 001312.

Working Off-Campus

Many students earn money working part-time or free-lancing for a variety of Bay Area media in print, broadcast or new media. Positions are posted on the departmental job blog. Access to this blog is granted once a student is admitted to the program.

External Funding

Students can tailor their external funding source search by using the following public access databases and resources.

• Berkeley Scholarship Connection
• Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database
• Fastweb Scholarships Database

In addition, many outside organizations offer scholarships for graduate study. This following list is a starting reference for researching funding opportunities.

Please note: Many scholarship and fellowship deadlines fall before the application deadline for the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Research and apply early. You can apply for scholarships and fellowships before you apply to graduate school. Funding will only be awarded once you enroll in a program.

• US Department of Education
• The Greater Good Science Center
• Mother Jones Fellowship Program
• The Sacramento Press Club
• Google Journalism Fellowship
• Peter Agris Memorial Scholarships (for Greek Americans)
• American Copy Editors Society
• American Journalism Review
• Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)
• Association on American Indian Affairs Scholarships
• Association for Women in Sports Media
• Broadcast Education Association
• California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA)
• California Journalism Awards
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship (for students still enrolled in undergraduate programs)
• Foundation Center - Media Scholarships
• The Hebrew Free Loan Association
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA)
• National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
• National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) Awards
• NLGJA Northern California Chapter Student Scholarship
• National Press Club
• Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
• Overseas Press Club Foundation
• Radio-Television News Directors Association
• The Good News Foundation 
• Society of Professional Journalist
• South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA)
• American Association of University Women (Domestic and International Women)
• Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
• Gilbert Rios Memorial Award (for Puerto Rican or Latino College Students)
• National Association of Television Arts & Sciences
• SF Foundation Community Leadership Awards
• National Institute for Labor Relations Research

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Additional Resources for International Students

The Berkeley International Office is the one stop resource for international students. They can answer many questions about what how current international students at Berkeley transition to graduate school. See their website for more information.

Other resources for international students includes, but is not limited to:

• UC Berekely Graduate Divison Resources for International Students
• International Center for Journalists
• Human Rights Watch
• International Journalists' Network (subscribe to newsletter for ongoing updates for scholarship announces)

Contact: Associate Director of Student Affairs, Joanne Straley in Student Affairs for further information.