Information about stipends and fellowships available to entering domestic and international graduate students.
UCLA has a variety of stipends and fellowships available for entering domestic and international graduate students. After admission to the program, the Department appoints students to teaching and research assistantships; departmental traineeships; and department fellowships. All applicants, however, should apply for financial aid. You may do so in the Graduate Division’s Application for Graduate Admission. Students should also investigate opportunities for extramural funding (National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation grants, etc.).
The University of California, UCLA, and our Department aspire to have a global reach and include international and undocumented students in our graduate programs. International applicants and undocumented applicants with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, or with or without California Assembly Bill 540 status can be considered for admission on the same basis as any or other applicant. However, the Department also carefully reviews our ability to offer a full funding package to cover 5 years in the program when considering applicants for admission. To learn more about the UC’s commitment to supporting undocumented students, please visit: https://undoc.universityofcalifornia.edu/.
Because of federal and state laws, types of funding support available for undocumented students varies depending on whether a student has DACA and/or AB540 status. We recommend all undocumented applicants and potential faculty advisors be familiar with information on funding eligibility available at https://grad.ucla.edu/funding/financial-aid/students-with-ab540-andor-daca-status/. In addition, applicants can learn more about the applications process, rights and laws that protect undocumented students, resources available at UCLA, and more by reviewing the UCLA Undocumented Graduate and Professional Students Handbook.
Departmental Awards
Department Fellowships
This fellowship includes full payment of registration fees, health insurance, non-California tuition (if needed), a stipend of $27,000, and a commitment of four additional years of financial support primarily through teaching or research assistantships, and in some cases other sources, such as donor or private funds (see below for details).
Teaching Assistantships
Quarter-time and half-time positions (10 and 20 hours per week) are available throughout the academic year for students who are legally authorized to work in the United States. Your health insurance and almost 100% of your Registration Fees will be covered automatically through your appointment.
Research Assistantships
Quarter- and half-time positions are available for the academic year. Pay is comparable to the Teaching Assistantships for students who are legally authorized to work in the United States. Your health insurance and 100% of your Registration Fees will be covered automatically through your appointment. There is also the possibility of full-time work in the summer. Duties include aiding and conducting faculty research and performing your own research-related work.
Graduate Division Awards
Self-nomination forms are included in the Application for Graduate Admission.
Eugene Cota Robles Award
This is a four year fellowship program which has historically supported a limited number of outstanding underrepresented students who are entering Ph.D. programs and are interested in a career in college or university teaching and research. During year 1, this fellowship provides a stipend of $25,000, Registration Fees, and Non-California Resident Tuition (if needed). The Graduate Division will also provide a second year of equivalent support (to be scheduled as appropriate in the second, third, or fourth year) in the form of a RA/Mentorship award. The Department will provide two years of support in the form of Teaching Assistantships. Students will receive the appropriate salary stated above. In addition, the Department will furnish Registration Fees during the two year period. Applicants must be either U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented students who qualify for nonresident supplemental tuition exemptions under AB 540 and should demonstrate high potential and promise.
Graduate Division Special Fellowships
These fellowships are available to specific applicant populations. Please read Graduate Division Special Fellowships for detailed descriptions. Graduate students who can demonstrate strong research interests related to or of value to the medical field, for example, should consider applying for the Ursula Mandel Fellowship. For detailed descriptions, please visit the Graduate Division Special Fellowships website.
Extramural Fellowships and Scholarships
You are urged to investigate extramural sources of funding such as those listed below. Students who are truly competitive for admission to the UCLA Psychology Graduate Program should have an excellent chance of obtaining these awards even prior to admission to our program. The major extramural funding sources for psychology graduate students are the National Science Foundation, the Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program (open to students in all areas except clinical), the Ford Foundation Minority Fellowship Program and the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program. NSF and Ford Foundation fellowship programs have an early November deadline; APA has a December deadline. Check the Javits program website for their application deadline, as it had not been announced at the time of this printing. Note that all the fellowship programs listed above are multiple year fellowship programs, with Ford, Javits, and NSF providing three years of support.
The UCLA Graduate Division maintains the UCLA Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database. The GRAPES database catalogs extramural funding opportunities of interest to prospective and current graduate students, students working on a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, and postdoctoral scholars.
Refer to the following publications for additional fellowship listings:
- Annual Register of Grant Support
- Financing Graduate School
- Foundation Grants to Individuals
- The Grants Register
- Money for Graduate Students in the Sciences
- Peterson’s Grants for Graduate and Postdoctoral Study
Financial Aid
UCLA’s Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering financial support based on need. To obtain detailed information on loan programs, please visit: www.financialaid.ucla.edu/.