Financial Aid

Financing Your Education

Financing the Master of Development Engineering (MDevEng) program is typically the primary responsibility of the student. We strongly encourage all applicants to explore a wide range of funding options early in the application process. Please note that the following list is not exhaustive, and applicants are encouraged to conduct their own research to identify additional scholarships, fellowships, or employer-sponsored support.

International applicants should also investigate funding sources available through government agencies, foundations, or institutions in their home countries.

MDevEng Admissions Fellowships

The MDevEng program offers a limited number of competitive Impact Fellowships to incoming students. These fellowships may be need-based, merit-based, or both, and are awarded based on the overall strength of the materials submitted with the general admissions application—no separate application is required.

Please note: Impact Fellowships are only available to applicants who apply by the early application deadline.

Recipients will be notified by email if selected. Awards are applied directly to tuition and fees and are distributed across the program’s three semesters. These fellowships are designed to support students who demonstrate exceptional promise, leadership potential, and a strong commitment to social impact.

Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program

The Center for African Studies and the Mastercard Foundation support the MCF Scholars Program at UC Berkeley for master’s degree students. Applicants must be citizens of a Sub-Saharan African country and are required to first apply to a graduate program before being considered for the scholarship. For more information, click here.

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.

Scholarship/Fellowship Name	Deadline	Award Amount	Eligibility Criteria
GEM Fellowship Program	11/14/2025	$16,000.00	Must be a senior, or graduate of an accredited engineering or computer science program at the time of application. Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8/4.0. Must contractually agree to intern for two summers with sponsoring GEM Employer.
Quad Fellowship	March 2026	—	Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents of Quad Countries or 10 Southeast Asian Countries. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in STEM by Aug 2026. Superior academic record at undergraduate level. Applied to or enrolled in a US-based eligible STEM graduate program (2026–2027).
George Moore Scholars	Late November 2025	70% of cost of attendance	Graduates from 2024–2025 or 2019 onward building work experience. Applicants selected from higher education institutions across Ireland.
Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship	10/30/2025	Up to $90,000 towards your graduate education over the course of one to two years.	30 years old or younger. Immigrant or child of immigrants (must meet residency criteria). Must be enrolled in a full-time U.S. graduate/professional program (2026–2027).
International Peace Scholarship Fund	12/15/2025	The maximum amount awarded to a student is $12,500. Lesser amounts may be awarded according to individual needs.	Must be a woman from other countries pursuing graduate studies in the U.S.
Society of Women Engineers Scholarships	January 2026	Determined by which scholarship you're matched with.	Studying engineering or CS full-time in upcoming academic year. Program must be ABET-accredited or affiliated with SWE. HS GPA > 3.5 or University GPA > 3.0.
NSBE Scholarships	October 2025	Determined by which scholarship you're matched with.	Be a paid NSBE member with renewed membership. Verified GPA in profile. Complete/update Eligibility Survey on nsbe.smapply.io.
Switzer Fellowship	January 2026	$17,000.00	U.S. citizen, permanent resident, DACA, refugee, or asylee. Enrolled in grad school in CA or New England (not online). Strong academic record & environmental goals. Must have completed at least 1 semester and be pursuing a terminal Master’s degree.
AAUW International Fellowships	9/30/2025	$20,000.00	Applicants must identify as a woman. Must be admitted or enrolled in a U.S.-accredited graduate program. Have U.S.-equivalent bachelor’s degree; GPA ≥ 3.5 for highest degree earned.
Margaret McNamara Education Grants \| US-Canada Program	1/15/2026	up to $15,000	Be a self-identifying woman, and at least 25 years old at time of application deadline. - Be a national of a country listed on the MMEG country eligibility list. Have U.S.-equivalent bachelor’s degree; GPA ≥ 3.5 for highest degree earned. Be registered (not just accepted or enrolled) at an accredited in-person academic institution and program when submitting their application (exclusively online programs are ineligible). - Plan to be enrolled for at least one full academic semester (half-year term) after award of the MMEG grant. Not be related to a World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, or Inter-American Development Bank staff member, spouse, retiree, or MMEG Board member. Not hold US citizenship or permanent residency (green card) or Canadian citizenship or Canadian landed immigrant status.

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)

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.

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.

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.