Centrally Administered Graduate Fellowships
These generous and competitive awards are chosen by committees representing all departments on campus, and funds are awarded on the basis of merit and promise of productive scholarship. The Graduate Division and other UCSB affiliates award dozens of them every year only to UCSB graduate students. There are five that you can apply for directly, and the rest are by departmental nomination. You can find more information here.
Teaching Assistantships
The primary source of funding for many of our graduate students is teaching assistantships. Being a TA gives you the opportunity to hone your teaching and problem-solving skills while studying in the department. TA's are expected to work between 10 and 20 hours per week preparing and leading small group discussion sections, grading papers, and proctoring exams. All new teaching assistant appointees are required to register for, attend, and pass PSTAT 501, "Teaching Assistant Training'' (a one unit class) for two quarters (Fall and Winter).
Research Assistantships
As students progress in their studies, find advisors and research topics, a limited number of research assistantships become available.
Departmental Grants
Partial offsets of non-resident tuition fees for some students are available from departmental block grant funds. These are awarded to promising students based on merit.
Extramural Funding
Be sure to investigate other sources of funding and support, such as the financial support information from the Graduate Division. The Graduate Division also hires a graduate student Funding Peer who can help other graduate students find outside funding. In the past, some of our graduate students were supported financially by professional organizations such as the Society of Actuaries (Hickman Scholars Program).
Need based Financial Aid
There are loans and work-study opportunities available based on the financial need of the applicants. For more information, visit the Financial Aid website.
All new and continuing domestic students are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).