Fellowships and financial aid

Helping graduate students fund their education is a priority for the University of California. Our students are among the top recipients of prestigious extramural awards, and our campuses provide a wide range of university and departmental support.

All prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact campuses regarding financial support, including diversity and other campus-specific fellowships.

Prospective graduate students may browse a number of Web-based resources for financial support. Although this list is not comprehensive, these sites offer guidance and information on applying for graduate, discipline-specific and other types of extramural funding. Some sites require a log-in via campus subscription to access services (noted below).

GRAPES
UCLA’s graduate and postdoctoral funding search engine, with more than 620 private and publicly funded awards, fellowships and internships.

Federal Student Aid
All students are encouraged to fill out a FAFSA, as some financial assistance opportunities are based on financial need.

GRANTS.GOV
Online source for federal grant and fellowship programs offering approximately $500 billion in annual awards.

Grant Forward
Database of funding opportunities across 39 subject areas, more than 2,000 categories and 9,000 sponsors. Ask your campus for for access. 

Pivot
Database of more than 23,000 records, representing over 400,000 funding opportunities, worth more than $33 billion. Requires a campus subscription for access; all UC campuses and six CSU campuses subscribe.

International Education Financial Aid
Resource for financial aid, college scholarship and grant information for students wishing to study abroad.

NASA Internships and Fellowships
For graduate students primarily in STEM disciplines.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research
Funds research in areas related to human health and disease.

National Science Foundation (NSF)
Funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering.

National Physical Science Consortium
Partnership between government agencies and laboratories, industry and higher education that aims to increase the number of individuals living in the U.S. with graduate degrees in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing a diverse applicant pool. Ask your campus if they have access. 

H-Net—Humanities and Social Sciences Online
Fellowships and grants from academic institutions around the world.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowships
Fellowships for those pursuing a career in teaching and research at the college or university level.

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Supports up to two years of graduate study in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Open to naturalized U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or the children of two parents who are both naturalized citizens.

Pathways to Science
Opportunities in the STEM fields, with emphasis on connecting underrepresented groups with STEM programs, funding, mentoring and resources.

National GEM Consortium
Seeks to increase participation of underrepresented groups at the master's and doctoral levels in engineering and science through fellowships.

American Indian Graduate Center
Partners with the Gates Millennium Scholars Program to provide fellowships to American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students throughout the United States.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Nation’s largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic higher education.

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Offers a variety of NSBE and corporate-sponsored scholarship and award opportunities to collegiate undergraduate and graduate student professional members.

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
Along with the GEM Consortium, SHPE has established a competitive, graduate fellowship for outstanding members who are pursuing an advanced degree in STEM. 

Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Supports women pursuing ABET-accredited graduate programs in preparation for careers in engineering, technology and computer science in the U.S. and Mexico.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Brings individuals from other countries to the U.S. for graduate study.

Institute of International Education
Scholarships, fellowships and grants organized and maintained by the Institute of International Education.

CA Dream Act Application
Determines California student financial aid for AB540-eligible students.

University of California - Resources
Provides an overview of UC-wide resources for undocumented students. You can also review the resources available on each campus:

Berkeley
Davis
Irvine
Los Angeles
Merced
Riverside 
San Diego 
San Francisco 
Santa Barbara 
Santa Cruz