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Financial Aid

DOMESTIC APPLICANTS

Financial Aid
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Federal financial aid, which may be in the form of loans, grants, or qualification for work-study, is based on demonstrated need. The FAFSA for the academic year 2010-2011 will not be available until January 2010. Priority filing date: March 2, 2010. For more information about the Federal Student Loans and Awards contact the university's Graduate Financial Aid Office. UC Berkeley’s institution code for the FAFSA is 001312.

UC Berkeley Funding
To be considered, applicants must check the "Fellowship and/or Departmental Aid Applicant" box on the Applicant Summary Sheet and section C of the Graduate Division application; applicants must also submit the FAFSA. 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.

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS)
Fellowships of $16,000 plus tuition and fees are available to US citizens and permanent residents who are specializing in foreign language and international studies AND plan to enroll in language courses related to their specialty. When applying to the Graduate School of Journalism, applicants must check the Fellowship and/or Departmental Aid Applicant and the FLAS Fellowship Applicant boxes on the Applicant Summary sheet, as well as the section under Fellowship Application on the Graduate Division application. In addition, applicants must complete both the Statement of Purpose and the Personal History Statement under the Personal Statement section of the Graduate Division Web site.

For more information, see the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships. The application for the 2010-2011 academic year will be available in September 2010. For further informatoin see the University's Graduate Division Fellowship's Office Web site.

 

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

You will be expected to show proof of ability to support yourself (and your family, if applicable) for two years of study. The estimated student budget (including tuition, books, transportation and living expenses) for international students is approximately $45,000 a year. Married students should bring an additional $7,000 if accompanied by a spouse and $4,000 for each accompanying child.

Visa Restrictions
Students holding a student visa (F-1) should not expect to be employed in nonacademic positions during the first two semesters, and spouses and children on dependents' visas (F-2) are not permitted to accept employment. International students are not eligible for federal student loans.

Departmental Opportunities
International students will be considered for need-based departmental grants. Funding is limited though, and full scholarships are not available; we recommend applying for scholarships and grants from outside organizations or looking into loan programs specifically designed for international students (see links to External Funding Sources below). The School of Journalism does not offer teaching assistantships, and opportunities for employment are limited.

International students interested in being considered for departmental grants must check the Fellowship and/or Departmental Aid Applicant box on the Applicant Summary Sheet and the section under Fellowship Application on the Graduate Division application. The FAFSA is not required for international applicants.

For more information, see the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships. The application for the 2010-2011 academic year will be available in September 2010. For further informatoin see The University's Graduate Division Fellowship's Office Web site.

Other notes
International students are encouraged to start early and investigate government and private resources in their areas and to consult the many online sites devoted to assisting international students with funding graduate-level study. The International Student Advisor at Berkeley International Office can also be contacted for further information.

 

WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

On Campus

GSR (Graduate Student Researcher), GSI (Graduate Student Instructor), and Readership positions are class and lab assistant postions offered campus wide. While it is not recommended that students work in their first semester, students can apply for these positions for their second, third and fourth semesters. These positions are open to any qualified graduate students. The Graduate School of Journalism offers about 20 GSR positions each year. Application for these positions are available during the spring semester for hire the following academic year. GSR, GSI and Readership positions usually come with a partial fee remission of about $4750 per semester and a semester stipend of about $2700. Workstudy eligibility is usually required, though not always necessary. The journalism positions are with the television and news labs, in addition to assisting the magazine program, visiting scholars program, and many other programs at the school. Many students also hold hourly postions with FRONTLINE World, The Knight Digital Media Center, The Center for Photography or students are a part of the school photography/writer pool covering program events. The Student Affairs Office forwards other department position announcements as received, but it is up to the student to locate this type of position. Follow these links for further information:

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 SOURCES

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

In addition, many outside organizations offer scholarships for graduate study. This following list should be used as a starting point in researching funding opportunities. There are many other funding opportunities available.

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

 

If you have any further questions, contact Joanne Straley in Student Affairs 

Application Deadline:

deadline_wd

Information Sessions:

Information Sessions (RSVP)
Monday, February 20, 2012

Contact Cory Welch if you have application questions.

Information Sessions to be held in the North Gate Hall Library from 5:30-7:00pm unless otherwise noted. Feel free to contact J-School Admissions with any questions.