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Financial Support FAQ

https://ucsdcloud.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/UCSanDiegoGraduateDivision/Shared%20Documents/Student%20Assistant%20Projects/GEPA%20Financial%20Support%20One%20Sheet%202025.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=xULkGXFinancial Aid Resources

General

Financial Support Payments Tool (FSPT)

UC San Diego has been working to develop a new application to improve graduate student funding processes. The new application is called the Financial Support Payments Tool (FSPT). 

What's Changing for Graduate Students?

FSPT improves how stipends are paid and viewed. You’ll now enter your direct deposit information in TritonLink and UCPath as applicable, pending stipends will no longer appear in TritonLink, and stipend processing times will be faster, meaning more on-time and, in some cases earlier, payments.

Review the FSPT Stipends Doc: Info for Grad Students guide for more details.

Timekeeping Requirement

All UAW-represented academic appointees are required to complete their timesheets every month, whether they have any absences to report or not. Ecotime help guides can be found on the Ecotime Campus Timekeeping page.

If an employee does not have access to Ecotime please submit a Services and Support ticket to the Ecotime team.

What are the funding options for graduate students?

Financial Aid

UC San Diego graduate students may apply for need-based aid by completing a Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA). Need-based aid is administered through the Financial Aid Office, not the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA):

Fellowships and Awards

Fellowships are generally merit-based awards that provide a stipend and tuition assistance to graduate students. Additional financial support and eligibility requirements may vary by award.

Academic Employment Opportunities

Financial support may be awarded through academic appointment of assistantships. These appointments, generally administered by discipline and department, may include a stipend and tuition payment for providing assistance in teaching and/or research support.

How does a student sign up for direct deposit?

Types of Direct Deposit for Students:

There are three units that provide direct deposit to graduate students, depending upon the type of transaction:

Stipend Payments for International Students:

International students who are expecting a stipend payment should sign-up for direct deposit with both Student Financial Solutions and Disbursements and also should note they will be prompted to complete a Glacier record in order to determine appropriate taxation.

Please ensure that your data is current in all systems.

May a part-time graduate student receive financial support?

Academic Employment - Graduate students must be registered in a minimum of 12 units of upper-division and graduate-level work each quarter to be employed at greater than 25% time during the academic year. Students registered in fewer than 12 units are eligible for 25% time appointments upon department approval. 

Fellowships and Traineeships - Awardees must register in a minimum of 12 units of upper-division and graduate-level work each quarter. See: https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/fellowships/index.html

All graduate students who receive financial support must be in good academic standing as defined under the Standards of Scholarship in the General Catalog. 

A request to the Dean of the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) for an exception to policy must be endorsed by the student’s advisor and department/program chair. Any payment that is an exception to policy must be pre-approved.

For questions regarding need-based aid eligibility, please contact Financial Aid: http://students.ucsd.edu/finances/financial-aid/index.html

Can a student who defended in Spring be paid during the summer?

A US Citizen or Permanent Resident who receives a terminal degree, and is eligible for support, can be supported through the quarter-break after graduation provided the student continues to be actively engaged in graduate student research.  The summer is considered to be the quarter-break after spring quarter.

An international student (F-1 or J-1 visa) can only be supported through the quarter date of graduation. Contact the International Center for additional information.

Can a student who was on a leave of absence during Spring be paid during the summer?

A student on leave during spring may be supported as a graduate student during summer provided the student is eligible for support, actively engaged in graduate student research and enrolled for the following fall quarter.

Where can a student find their support time limit (SUTL)?

Students can access this information on the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) Student Portal.  Single-Sign on is required.  

https://student-db.grad.ucsd.edu

Fee Remission

See below for some of the most frequently-asked questions regarding fee remission. For specific questions, reach out to your department, as they will have the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding your employment/fee remission. If assistance is still needed, please email grademployment@ucsd.edu.

I just accepted an employment offer. When will I see my fee remission?

Congratulations! Your home department will submit a request for fee remission on your behalf. Once they do this, the fee remission will be posted to your student account by the fee remission posting date (usually a couple of weeks prior to the start of the quarter), or within 3-5 business days of their request, whichever is later.

*Important - You will need to be registered for classes in order for this to apply, since registering then causes a balance to appear on your account to which the fee remission can be applied.

I already paid my tuition bill and now I have received fee remission. Do I get a refund?

Yes. Refunds are requested and processed through the Student Financial Solutions office. Please see their instructions here.

The fee remission includes health insurance. What if I don't want UCSHIP?

Upon registering for classes, you are automatically enrolled in UCSHIP because it is a requirement of enrollment as a student to have health insurance. You are welcome to waive UCSHIP if you have adequate outside coverage.

Do I keep the funds for the health insurance fee remission if I waive UCSHIP?

If you opt out of UCSHIP for a quarter, the benefit of the health insurance waiver from employment no longer applies since there is no UCSHIP charge for it to be applied to.

What if my fee remission isn't applied in time for the billing due date?

There are no late fees assessed but there is the possibility of being dropped from classes if you have other parts of your balance that are unpaid.

Need Help?

Contact the Financial Support Unit via the Student Support Portal in Services & Support.

Submit a Ticket

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