Department Funding
Our graduate students receive teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships during their time here, which means no student is admitted to our program without funding. As teaching assistants or research assistants, graduate students' tuition fees, health insurance, and campus-based fees are all covered, and they receive a monthly paycheck over a 9-month period. Although not guaranteed each year, our graduate students often receive a financial bonus each summer and have the option to volunteer for summer teaching, which is accompanied by additional compensation.
Teaching assistantships are the most common source of funding in our department. During their first year in the graduate program, students usually hold teaching assistantship positions where they lead several discussion sections of the introductory communication courses for pre-majors. Afterward, they may act as teaching assistants for upper division courses, where they attend faculty lectures, hold office hours, and grade assignments. When faculty have grant funding, graduate students may work as paid research assistants.
Graduate Division Financial Support
The Graduate Division's Financial Support page is a good resource for information about funding and financial support at UCSB. This page has FAQs about financial issues; information about the FAFSA, student loans and other financial aid; information on internal and external fellowships; information about taxation of fellowships and assistantships; information about academic appointments and other employment opportunities on campus; and an estimated graduate student budget.