UC San Diego Scholarships for International Students

The University of California, San Diego, is a public research university located in San Diego, California. Founded in 1960, UC San Diego is among the Public Ivies that offer high-quality education to its undergraduate and graduate students. It is also one of the ten campuses of the University of California.

UC San Diego has four academic divisions – Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences. In addition, it is organized into seven undergraduate colleges, and seven graduate and professional schools, including the Jacobs School of Engineering, Rady School of Management, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, School of Global Policy and Strategy, School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science.

The university has state-of-the-art facilities, including research units and centers. UC San Diego also prides itself on its art facilities and several public art projects and collection displays scattered around its campus. With these, students are continuously inspired and motivated while pursuing their degrees. Students acquire significant experiences at the university through its series of traditions and rich culture, as well as over 500 student organizations.

As a Public Ivy, UC San Diego has highly ranked graduate programs in sciences and medicine. It is home to faculty, researchers, and alumni who are Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur Fellowships awardees, and Pulitzer Prize winners, to name a few.

In this article, we will be talking about scholarships available at UC San Diego.

Related Scholarships

UC San Diego Scholarships

UC San Diego offers several scholarship opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students, both U.S. residents and international students. These financial aid programs aim to reduce financial strains and provide academic and professional development opportunities. To qualify, students must have outstanding academic performance, have high engagement in extracurricular activities, and must demonstrate financial needs. In addition, international applicants at UC San Diego must provide their TOEFL or IELTS exam results. Below are some of the UC San Diego scholarships you can apply to.

1. Shores Scholarship

The Shores Scholarship is awarded to incoming international first-year students at UC San Diego. It is a merit-based scholarship at UC San Diego wherein eligible candidates will be evaluated based on their academic credentials and financial needs. Shores Scholars receive a minimum award of $7,439 throughout their undergraduate degrees. In addition, this scholarship is renewable for four years.

2. Graduate Fellowships

  • Scholarship Page
  • Eligible Degree: Master’s and Ph.D.
  • Scholarship Amount: Living stipend and tuition fees coverage

UC San Diego offers scholarships in the form of fellowships to its graduate students as a way to expose them to their chosen professional fields. They gain relevant coursework under the supervision of experienced professors. In addition, they will receive funding that will assist them for their dissertation writing and other research-related activities. They will also receive scholarship awards that they can use to reduce the cost of their tuition fees and living expenses.

The Friends of International Center Fellowship program is awarded to international students studying at UC San Diego. To qualify, students must have plans to conduct their research abroad, must demonstrate outstanding academic records, and must have already completed one full year of their graduate studies. An award of $2,000 will be given to each fellow. It is funded by the Friends of International Center. In addition, since its establishment in 1975, the Friends of International Center has awarded over $1 million to UC San Diego scholars. Departments at the university can also nominate students of their choice. For more information regarding this fellowship program, visit the Friends of International Center Fellowship page.

3. Research and Teaching Assistantships

  • Scholarship Page
  • Eligible Degree: Master’s and Ph.D.
  • Scholarship Amount: Living stipend and tuition fees coverage

Research and Teaching Assistantships are offered to graduate students at UC San Diego. While pursuing their master’s and doctoral degrees, students will serve as assistants to the university’s departments. In return, they will receive tuition waivers, living stipends, and professional development opportunities. These assistantship programs can help students attain hands-on and invaluable experiences. In addition, they will perform tasks under the supervision of a faculty member, including running meetings, teaching undergraduate courses, conducting consultation sessions, among others. Furthermore, interested international non-native English speakers must demonstrate high English speaking skills in order to qualify for assistantships.

For example, UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering offers teaching assistantships to graduate students. As TAs, students learn what it is like to work in the academe and their industry of choice. They will perform duties and responsibilities that will depend on the instructor or faculty member they are assisting. However, most TAs grade student papers, program assignments, and conduct class discussions. In addition, they are required to work for no more than 20 hours a week. Before doing so, students must undergo training to complete their application process. As compensation, students will receive approximately $2,500 per month, partial tuition fee remission, and health insurance. Visit the College of Engineering Teaching Assistantships page for more information.

As a university with a diverse and inclusive community, the University of California, San Diego makes sure that all the student’s financial needs are met for them to enjoy their stay. UC San Diego offers more student employment opportunities for its graduate students across all departments and programs. Visit your school’s or department’s page to see which ones are available and apply from there. You can also visit the Graduate Financial Aid page.

There is also financial assistance available for undergraduate students, however, they are highly competitive and only a few are selected. Most scholarships at UC San Diego are merit-based; in order to qualify, you must present your academic credentials and some types of aid require papers showing your financial needs. Visit the Undergraduate Financial Aid page to know more.

For more information, visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships page. From there, you will see the complete information regarding the costs of education at UC San Diego and what you can do to fund your education. There are also several external funding opportunities offered to both international undergraduate and graduate students.

 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the USA Scholarships Page!