Fee Definitions

Submit your Application for Candidacy to the Doctoral Degree (Plan A or B) form to the Graduate Degrees Office. File this form no later than the end of the semester after the semester in which you passed the Qualifying Examination. A $90 Advancement to Candidacy Fee is required; revenue from this fee is used to support graduate-student professional development.

The campus fee items (subject to change) currently include:

• Associated Students of University of California (ASUC) Fee $34.00 (Undergraduates only)
• Graduate Assembly Fee $33.00 (Graduate Students only)
• Student Center Fee $6.00
• Ethnic Studies Fee $2.25
• Life Safety Fee $56.50
• Student Transformation through Academic Recruitment and Retention (STARR) Fee $29.50 (Undergraduates Only)
• Campus Health Care Fee $97.00
• The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Fee $10.00
• Lower Sproul Plaza Fee $306.00
• Save the Daily Cal Initiative (V.O.I.C.E.) Fee $6.25
• Wellness Fee $225.50
• Educational Opportunity & Equity (GOLD) Fee $21.25
• Campus Climate & Equity (Big C) Fee $33.75
• Housing Security Fee $4.75
• Student Basic Needs Fee $17.75

For more information regarding campus fees, please see the student Fee Referenda.

This mandatory fee ($105 per semester; $52.50 in Summer) is assessed for all students. (Students in some special programs are exempt from this fee and are ineligible for the benefits of the Class Pass.) The fee provides an AC Transit Class Pass, which students may use for unlimited rides on AC Transit buses and Bear Transit shuttles. Please visit the UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation website for detailed AC Transit Class Pass information.

A course materials and services fee (CMSF) PDF is assessed for students enrolled in specially designated courses. The fee, which varies by section and is indicated in the course listings, is assessed to students enrolled in these courses. Students who drop the course(s) after the deadline are not entitled to a refund of the CMSF.

At this time, certain courses in these areas require a CMSF:

• Anthropology
• Art
• Bioengineering
• Biology
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Earth and Planetary Science
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
• Film and Media
• Integrative Biology
• Journalism
• Mechanical Engineering
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Music
• Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology
• Physical Education
• Physics
• Plant & Microbial Biology
• School of Public Health
• Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies
• Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies
• Note: Other courses may also require this fee.

Starting in Fall 2022, the Instructional Resilience and Enhancement Fee (IREF) will be a CMSF assessed to ALL students enrolled in any class during a term. For more information about this fee, please see the FAQs for the Instructional Resilience and Enhancement Fee.

This fee is a consolidation of eleven existing transaction fees into a single, one-­­time fee covering a variety of documents and services for the lifetime of the degree. The one-­­time, nonrefundable fee varies depending upon the program:

• Undergraduate $233
• Doctoral $140
• Masters, PDF paying, self-­­supporting students $111
• JD, LLM, and Law Summer-­­Only $37
• Summer-­­Only and EAP visiting students $71

If you are a Summer Sessions student who paid the Document Management fee and are admitted as a new student for the following fall term, you will only be responsible for the balance of the appropriate document fee for your degree goal.

Services not covered by the document management fee will still be subject to transaction fees. These include, but aren’t limited to: express shipping, enclosure of forms with transcripts, customized verifications, replacement diplomas, and notary services. Note: Effective January 1, 2020, transcripts will no longer be withheld if a student has a Financial Hold.

If you are a sponsored student whose fees are paid by a government agency, a foundation, or another outside organization, you must ensure that the payment is properly credited. If your sponsoring agency requires an invoice prior to issuing payment, contact Billing and Payment Services.

Graduate students approved for Filing Fee status will be assessed a graduate policy Filing Fee of $313.50.

Graduate students approved for in absentia status will be assessed a reduced Student Services Fee of $93, reduced Tuition of $957, and, if applicable, full Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and full Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition. For more information, please read Graduate Division registration fees.

All registered undergraduate and graduate students, including registered international students, are automatically enrolled in Berkeley's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and assessed a health insurance fee on their registration bill. For more information, including costs per semester, read University Health Services Tang Center SHIP Fees and Enrollment.

A $56 per semester fee is assessed to international students for services rendered to them by the Berkeley International Office (BIO). For information about International Office fees, visit BIO’s Itemized Fees List and International Student Expenses.

Note: This fee will not be assessed during the 2024–25 academic year.

All students not officially registered by Friday of the third week of instruction in fall and spring terms are charged a late registration fee of $150. Note: This fee is suspended indefinitely and will not be assessed during the 2024–25 academic year.

Students who add classes after the Friday of the third week of instruction are charged a late add fee of $5 per course.

Students who drop classes after the Friday of the second week of instruction are charged a late drop fee of $10 per course.

Fall 2024 Golden Bear Orientation: Aug. 22–26, 2024

Spring 2025 Golden Bear Orientation: Jan. 16–17, 2025

The New Student Programming Fee covers expenses related to Golden Bear Advising, Golden Bear Prep, Golden Bear Orientation, and Getting Your Bearings. You will be assessed a fee of $475 on your first semester CalCentral bill ($320 for UCEAP students). As orientation is mandatory for all new undergraduate students, so is the fee. If applicable, look at your financial aid package to see if financial aid will cover this fee in the form of a “New Student Grant.” The programming fee covers:

• Golden Bear Advising and Golden Bear Prep pre-arrival modules
• Golden Bear Orientation programming
• Getting Your Bearings programming

UCSA Fee

The Regents approved the UC Student Association (UCSA) Systemwide Fee in July 2021. It is an annual fee of $7 per undergraduate student (assessed $3.50 per Fall/Spring term), which students may opt out of. For more information, please see the UCSA Systemwide Fee.

UCGPC Fee

In July 2021, the Regents approved the UC Graduate and Professional Council (UCGPC) Systemwide Fee. It’s an annual fee of $7 per graduate student (assessed $3.50 per Fall/Spring term), for which students may opt-out. Please see the UC Graduate and Professional Council (UCGPC) Fee for more information regarding this fee.

The University of California is committed to providing a supportive and enriched learning environment for all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. To facilitate this intent, all registered resident and nonresident students are assessed the Student Services Fee, a systemwide mandatory charge.

Income generated by the Student Services Fee (formerly the University Registration Fee) shall be used to support services and programs that directly benefit students and are complementary to, but not a part of, the core instructional program. These services and programs include, but are not limited to:

• Operating and capital expenses for services related to the physical and psychological health and well-being of students.
• Social, recreational, and cultural activities and programs.
• Services related to campus life and campus community.
• Technology expenses directly related to the services.
• Career support.

These services and programs create a supportive and enriched learning environment for University of California undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

UC Policy requires that students be enrolled full-time. Under certain circumstances, students may be allowed by their college to enroll in a reduced course load. However, this does NOT grant reduced tuition & fees.

Very limited situations may be approved for reduced tuition and an approved reduced course of study. In these cases, students must request approval for a reduced course of study both by the Disabled Students' Program AND by their college. Once both approvals are in place, students will be assessed tuition & fees as follows:

• 50% Tuition
• 100% Campus Fee, Class Pass, Health Insurance
• 50% of Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition, if applicable

Enrollment limits: Approved undergraduate students may enroll for two courses or fewer per semester, or the equivalent as determined by their college. Approved graduate students may enroll for one-half or less of the regular course load stipulated in Academic Senate Regulation 702.

Deadline: Students must receive approval from DSP and reduce their course load to be in compliance by the end of the self-service add/drop period.

Students should consult the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office as their aid package may be reduced due to reduced enrollment and fees.

Graduate students must also seek approval from their home department, as not all graduate programs qualify. Fee reductions will also affect GSI/GSR appointments and fee remissions.

Credit balances are refunded via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which deposits the refund directly into your designated checking or savings account. EFT is the fastest, safest, and most convenient way to receive a refund. You can authorize EFT online or in CalCentral. Allow seven days for the authorization to be activated.

If you choose not to authorize an EFT, Cal Student Central will dispense a paper check. You will be notified by email when your check is ready. After notification, you will have ten days to pick up your check.