Admitted EDS PhD students typically have 5 years of financial support, which includes half-time student academic employment, and full tuition & fees* during the academic year.

If admitted to the program a detailed funding letter outlining the funding package will be provided.

For further questions about funding please contact the Graduate Coordinator, Amber Rieder, arieder@ucsd.edu.

Financial Support FAQs

EDS Funding Opportunities

FAFSA

*Please note that students who opt into membership of the GPSA they are responsible for paying the $7 yearly membership fees.

Employment

As part of the EDS PhD Graduate Student funding, EDS PhD students work 50% time in Academic Student Employment Titles.  Most common appointments are as Instructional Assistants (IA), or Graduate Student Researchers (GSR)

UC policy states that a full-time graduate student may be employed a maximum of 50% time (20 hours per week) during the academic year and up to 100% time (40 hours per week) during the summer months. The summer is defined as the day after the Spring quarter ends to the day before the Fall quarter begins. Students can be appointed to one or more positions. In order for tuition and fees to be covered, the appointment must be at least 25% (10 hours per week). 

Instructional Assistant Expectations

IA employment opportunities are an important component of graduate student funding and teaching apprenticeship. If students do not have funding from other sources, they are required to apply for IA opportunities both within EDS and in other departments. To see available positions outside of EDS, please see the GEPA Employment page.  The Graduate Coordinator and Director of Graduate Studies will work closely with students to ensure they are applying to appropriate positions. It is expected that students will communicate with their faculty mentor and the Director of Graduates Studies regarding any positions that they are interested in and might apply for. Students should also contact the Graduate Coordinator so that they can assess tuition and fee remission and keep track of your employment history. 

Priority for TA positions within EDS are given to first and second year students, and also students who have not had the opportunity to work in EDS before.  Students in their third year and beyond are required to apply outside of EDS as well as inside of EDS.  The goal is to place all students in EDS, however this might not always be possible each quarter.

EDS expectations for Instructional Assistants are outlined in a Guidebook, which can be found the EDS Instructional Assistant Handbook. For questions pertaining to IA roles and responsibilities, students may contact Dr. Makeba Jones (j3jones@uscd.edu), the EDS IA Faculty Advisor. Students may also find the Resource Guide from Engaged Teaching in the Teaching + Learning Commons helpful.

Each quarter the Graduate Coordinator will send out a call for those who are interested in being employed within the department for the next academic quarter.  Students who are not selected to be placed in the department, are responsible for applying for positions across campus.  There are many opportunities in other departments, (especially departments in the School of Social Sciences).  The College Writing Programs also offer many opportunities.  For more information on academic employment across campus please visit the GEPA Employment Information website.

More information regarding how students are assigned to IA positions within EDS can be found here. 

If you have limited or no experience teaching college students or working as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate class, EDS strongly recommends that you participate in workshops on college teaching through UCSD’s Teaching + Learning Commons before applying for IA. 

Guidelines for Securing for Graduate Student Researcher Positions 

Students interested in or offered a GSR appointment are encouraged to discuss opportunities with their faculty mentor or research advisor, and to follow the guidelines outlined in Financial Support FAQs

Guidelines for Securing Associate-In Teaching Positions

An Associate-In position Teaching Position involves teaching an undergraduate course with approval granted by the Dean of GEPA. The Associate-In is assigned a faculty mentor to provide guidance and training as needed. Use of this title requires prior approval by the Dean of GEPA.

Appointment to an Associate-In position requires evidence of extraordinary merit in teaching and scholarship and prior relevant teaching experience, advanced training in the subject matter, and support of the department chair. For PhD.students, the candidacy exam must have been passed, and the student must be in the final stages of dissertation writing or must have equivalent other accomplishments The appointment is also dependent upon positive academic and administrative review and approval by the student’s department chair, the Divisional Dean, and the Dean of GEPA.

Other requirements for teaching as an Associate In:

• Must be Advanced to Candidacy one quarter prior to teaching the course
• Completion of the Introduction to Teaching a College Course offered by Teaching and Learning Commons
• The course must be a current EDS undergraduate course in the UCSD Catalog.

EDS PhD students will have the opportunity to apply to teach a course each summer.  The student must have already Advanced to Candidacy, or will do so by the end of the Winter Quarter prior to the summer they are applying to teach in. 

Students may have the opportunity to serve as an Associate-In through the Summer Graduate Teaching Scholars (SGTS) program if they are eligible. Students can also submit a proposal to the Graduate Coordinator to teach a summer course.

Calls for proposals to teach for the summer will be sent in early Fall quarter.

Periodically, opportunities to teach during the academic year will come up.  If this is the case the graduate coordinator will send a call to apply to EDS Advanced students.

Exceptions to Maximum Employment Policy 

In certain cases, students may be eligible to request an exception to the 50% maximum employment policy to be able to work up to 75%. It is recommended that students only request such an exception after they have completed all required coursework, and/or have advanced to candidacy. Students wishing to make an exception request must obtain written approval from their faculty mentor or research advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies, a representative from the department in which you are already employed if it is not EDS (if applicable), and the Dean of GEPA.

Graduate students may not take on employment in a staff title.  Please contact GEPA if you have questions about the policy.

Information on the breakdown of tuition and fees* can be found on the Graduate Registration Fees page.

Graduate Student tuition and fees are cover through academic student employment fee remission if the FTE is 25% or above during the academic year.  This does not apply for summer positions.

Academic Student Employment that include fee remission are:

• Teaching Assistant (TA)
• Reader
• Tutor
• Associate-In
• Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)

*Please note that students who opt into membership of the GPSA they are responsible for paying the $7 yearly membership fees.

Notification of fellowship opportunities will be sent to EDS students throughout the academic year.

For more information about UC San Diego fellowships for graduate students please see the GEPA Fellowship Information page.

The EDS PhD Program Time Limits

• Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of 4 years.
• Normative time is 5 years.
• Total university financial support cannot exceed 6 years.
• Total registered time at UC San Diego cannot exceed 6 years.

Free tax preparation assistance

• Domestic: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Find-a-Location-for-Free-Tax-Prep
• International–UCSD International Center: https://ispo.ucsd.edu/advising/financial/taxes.html

1098 Form Questions

• Access your 1098-T: www.tsc1098t.com
• 1-877-467-3821
• Login information can be found at: https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/tax-credit.html
• The vendor, TAB Services, can be reached at: 888-220-2540
• The Campus 1098-T line is 858-246-5900
• Email comes from registrar@ucsd.edu

W-2 Form Questions: https://ucpath.ucsd.edu/benefits-payroll/payroll/w2-statements.html

1099 Form Questions: https://blink.ucsd.edu/finance/tax/forms/1099.html

1042-S Form Questions (international students, only): Taxes: Form 1042-S and Section E of Tax Withholding FAQ for Foreign Visitors  (Stipends paid on title code 3296 through PPS will be reported on the 1042-S provided by Payroll.)

General Information

• For proof of stipend income (for stipends issued through ProSAM), students may print their Graduate Appointment Letter(s) at: https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/portal/student/index.php

EDS Faculty and Staff are not able to advise on student tax questions

https://thehub.ucsd.edu/Information on how to set up Direct Deposit:

• For campus employment please update your UCPath account after you have completed on boarding.
• For Student fellowships, stipends, billing, and refunds please see the guidance on the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs website.

• The HUB - Basic Needs Amenities in Central Campus
• Triton Food Pantry
• Financial Programs including Emergency Loans and Grants
• Off Campus Housing