Financial Aid

Financing Your Education

The responsibility of financing the MDevEng program usually rests primarily with the student. Therefore, we strongly suggest that applicants investigate all available financing options. We have gathered some information on funding sources on this page, although it is not exhaustive and applicants are encouraged to conduct their own research. International students should explore funding opportunities in their home countries.

MDevEng Admissions Fellowships

The MDevEng program offers a limited number of competitive admissions department fellowships, which are both need-based and merit-based. Decisions are based on overall strength of required materials submitted with the general admissions application and no separate application is needed. If awarded a department admissions fellowship, we will notify recipients by email. The department fellowship will be applied to tuition and fees across the three semesters of the program. Accepted MDevEng students from Sub-Saharan African countries are eligible to apply for Maters Degree Scholarships from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley. For more information about the program and the application process, please review the information from the program website.

External Fellowships

Plenty of nonprofits, organizations, and affinity groups offer fellowships and scholarships that can help defray the costs of attendance. We recommend applying early and often to these! Applicants and admits are responsible for securing their own funding, though a funding database will be made available to admitted students.

Federal Student Loans and Scholarships

If eligible, MDevEng students may qualify for a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan or Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan to help cover program costs.

Please consult these links for more information:

Eligibility for Financial Aid at UC Berkeley
Financial Aid Award Guide
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
US Department of Labor Scholarship Search Tool
UC Berkeley Graduate Division Fellowships and Awards (While many awards listed on this link are for students pursuing doctoral studies, we encourage applicants to review the list for potential eligible fellowships.)

Academic Student Employment (ASE)

Please review the job descriptions available through UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division to determine what category best fits your needs and interests.

MDevEng students who are fully sponsored, meaning all fees are paid by a third party or outside agency, may choose to work as GSIs and/or Readers. However, if you are eligible for a fee remission from UC Berkeley, you will only receive it if your sponsoring agency reduces the sponsorship by that amount. Fee remissions will not be paid to the student as a refund if fees are being covered by an outside source.

Veterans Education Benefits

If you are eligible for VA benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill (Ch 33), Vocational Rehabilitation (Ch 31), Dependents Educational Assistance (Ch 35), or Montgomery GI Bill (Ch 30, 1606 or 1607), you may use them for the MDevEng program. However, this program is not eligible for the Cal Vet College Fee Waiver. Please see this information on initiating VA benefits at UC Berkeley, and contact the Veterans Benefits unit in the Office of the Registrar with any questions.

Academic Student Employment (ASE)

MDevEng students may apply for ASE appointments in any of the three semesters during which they are enrolled. ASE appointments may reduce some tuition fees up to the total cost of in-state tuition. Though incoming students are eligible to apply, these positions are competitive and the MdevEng program itself is demanding; students should consider carefully their ability to take on employment in addition to their coursework before committing to a position. Please review the job descriptions available through UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division to determine what category best fits your needs and interests. MDevEng students who are fully sponsored, meaning all fees are paid by a third party or outside agency, may choose to work as GSIs and/or Readers. However, if you are eligible for a fee remission from UC Berkeley, you will only receive it if your sponsoring agency reduces the sponsorship by that amount. Fee remissions will not be paid to the student as a refund if fees are being covered by an outside source.

Fee Payment Plan

UC Berkeley’s Fee Payment Plan allows for qualified semester fees to be paid in five monthly installments. Interested applicants can read more here.

Aid for International Students

International students are encouraged to visit the Berkeley International Office Financial Aid page, and to take advantage of the resources it provides.