The following page provides award information and procedures for multiple Central Recruitment Fellowship programs, including

(a) the Chancellor’s Fellowship and Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship,

(b) the Regents in the Disciplines Fellowship (Regents ITD), and

(c) the Racial Justice Fellowship.

It also provides information about the UC Mexus/Conacyt Program, Childcare Support Supplement for Central Fellows, Native American Opportunity Plan and Department Recruitment Offer Upload (for non-central awards).

Table of Contents / Quick Links

Award Allocation and Deadlines Summary (further details in each program section below)

• Department allocations for (a) Central Recruitment Fellowships, (b) Regents in the Disciplines Allocations and (c) Racial Justice Nominations, are now published in the GradPoint Financial Portal Reports Section. Instructions on how to access the reports with these allocations can be found here.

• Central Recruitment Awards (Chancellor’s Fellowship and Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship) award nomination must be submitted to the Graduate Division via AppReview between Jan 10, 2024 and Feb 16, 2024.

• Regents in the Disciplines Offers must be submitted to the Graduate Division via AppReview between Jan 10, 2024 and Apr 12, 2024.

• Racial Justice Nominations must be submitted to the Graduate Division by Feb 2, 2024

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Central Recruitment Awards (Chancellor’s Fellowship and Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship)

Departments will make award nominations via the AppReview system for the Chancellor's and/or Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowships without the need for review by a central committee. In most cases, departments will have one award allocation, allowing the ability to offer either a Chancellor’s or Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship to their desired candidate. To see the number of available award allocations for your department, please visit the Reports section in the GradPoint Financial Portal and review the “Graduate Division Allocations Report”. A user guide on this report can be found here.

The basic workflow for making these awards is the following:

1. Departments will Admit their candidate via the AppReview system

2. Departments will Submit and Approve their Award Nomination via AppReview, indicating (a) which fellowships (Chancellor’s Fellowship or Eugene Cota Robles Fellowship) is to be issued and (b) selecting the schedule/option election (see below for available schedule options).

3. Departments approvers will approve the award in the AppReview system.

4. The Graduate Division Fellowships Team will then “Publish” the award to the department and student. This populates the award letter in the student’s EApp profile and sends them a notification of the award via email.

5. Awarded Students will indicate their decision to Accept or Decline the offer via their EApp profile. The acceptance deadline will remain Apr 15, 2024 as per the CGS Resolution.

Please note, though the system will permit department submission of an award nomination prior to the student having been admitted, a fellowship offer will not be made to students until their admission has been completed. Departments wishing to expedite publishing of the central recruitment award to their candidate should complete admission procedures as quickly as possible.

Deadlines

The window for departments to submit award nominations for the Chancellor’s and/or Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowships is Jan 10, 2024 and Feb 16, 2024.

Departments will have three scheduling options to chose from when awarding either a Chancellor’s or Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship:

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Chancellor’s Fellowship Award Eligibility and Support Package

Eligibility: Incoming international and domestic Doctoral or M.F.A. applicants

Criteria: Awardees must be top-ranked applicants whose applications provide persuasive evidence of
academic excellence and outstanding records of accomplishment.

Fellowship Support: Two or three years (Years 1,3 or 1,3,5) based on department option election. The Graduate Division provides a $32,500 stipend, payment of fees, and UC Student Health Insurance (UCSHP) to all awardees, and Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition for nonresident domestic and international students. Departments may supplement with block grant, other departmental fellowship funds or any combination of appointments (i.e. TA and/or GSR with included benefits of appointment). Please note employment in stipend years is restricted up to an average of 35% time over the course of the academic year.

Employment Support: Two or Three years based on department option election. Departments provide either a 50% TA or GSR appointment. Departments may elect to add a third employment year to create either a five or six-year package depending on the number of stipend years elected.

1. 50% TA appointments provide salary, UC Student Health Insurance (UCSHP) and partial
   fees. The Graduate Division provides a fee fellowship to cover the balance of resident-level
   fees after fee remission; NRST covered by IDRF for qualifying students.

2. 50% GSR positions provide salary, UC Student Health Insurance (UCSHP), and fees. NRST
   covered by IDRF for qualifying students.

Summer stipend: Chancellor’s fellows will receive a $5,000 summer stipend in the summer
following their first academic year.

Supplementation: Departments may supplement this package with additional block grant, other
departmental fellowship funds or any combination of appointments (i.e. TA and/or GSR with
included benefits of appointment). Please note that employment in stipend years is restricted up
to an average of 35% time over the course of the academic year.

Art MFA awardees: The Graduate Division will provide one stipend year with the department
providing one appointment year.

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Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship Award Eligibility and Support Package

Eligibility: Doctoral or M.F.A. applicants who are either domestic students or students who qualify for an
NRST exemption under AB 540. Awardees should make a contribution to the graduate population
in the awarding department in at least one of the ways described in the diversity statement below. Each recipient will be expected to work closely with a faculty sponsor whose role will be that of mentor.

Criteria: Awardees are among the most meritorious domestic students who contribute to the diversity of
the department or the university as outlined below. The fellowship award will involve a post-award review, focused on the qualifying diversity component of this awardee.

Fellowship Support: Two or three years (Years 1,3 or 1,3,5) based on department option election. The Graduate Division provides a $32,500 stipend, payment of fees, and UC Student Health Insurance (UCSHP) to all awardees, and Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition for nonresident domestic students in year one. Departments may supplement with block grant, other departmental fellowship funds or any combination of appointments (i.e. TA and/or GSR with included benefits of appointment). Please note employment in stipend years is restricted up to an average of 35% time over the course of the academic year.

Employment Support: Two or Three years based on department option election. Departments provide either a 50% TA or GSR appointment. Departments may elect to add a third employment year to create either a five or six-year package depending on the number of stipend years elected.

1. 50% TA appointments include salary, UC Student Health Insurance (UCSHP) and partial fees.
   The Graduate Division provides a fee fellowship to cover the balance of fees after fee
   remission.

2. 50% GSR positions include salary, UC Student Health Insurance (UCSHP) and fees paid by the
   salary funding source.

Supplementation: Departments may supplement this package with additional block grant, other
departmental fellowship funds or any combination of appointments (i.e., TA and/or GSR with
included benefits of appointment). Please note that employment in stipend years is restricted up to
an average of 35% time over the course of the academic year.

Summer stipend: Eugene Cota Robles fellows will receive a $5,000 summer stipend in the summer following their first academic year.

Art MFA awardees: The Graduate Division will provide one stipend year with the department providing one appointment year.

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DIVERSITY STATEMENT

REGENTS' POLICY 4400: --Adopted 9-20-2007, Amended 8-17-2010

The diversity of the people of California has been the source of innovative ideas and creative accomplishments throughout the state's history into the present. Diversity - a defining feature of California's past, present, and future - refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and geographic region, and more.

Because the core mission of the University of California is to serve the interests of the State of California, it must seek to achieve diversity among its student bodies and among its employees. The State of California has a compelling interest in making sure that people from all backgrounds perceive that access to the University is possible for talented students, staff, and faculty from all groups. The knowledge that the University of California is open to qualified students from all groups, and thus serves all parts of the community equitably, helps sustain the social fabric of the State.

Diversity should also be integral to the University's achievement of excellence. Diversity can enhance the ability of the university to accomplish its academic mission. Diversity aims to broaden and deepen both the educational experience and the scholarly environment, as students and faculty learn to interact effectively with each other, preparing them to participate in an increasingly complex and pluralistic society. Ideas, and practices based on those ideas, can be made richer by the process of being born and nurtured in a diverse community. The pluralistic university can model a process of proposing and testing ideas through respectful, civil communication. Educational excellence that truly incorporates diversity thus can promote mutual respect and make possible the full, effective use of the talents and abilities of all to foster innovation and train future leadership.

Therefore, the University of California renews its commitment to the full realization of its historical promise to recognize and nurture merit, talent, and achievement by supporting diversity and equal opportunity in its education, services, and administration, as well as research and creative activity. The University particularly acknowledges the acute need to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of talented students, faculty, and staff from historically excluded populations who are currently underrepresented.

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Other Recruitment Fellowship Details and Updates

• Departments are required to award one of their centrally supported recruitment fellowships to a diverse student who meets the provided diversity criteria. Therefore, if a department elects to issue a Chancellor's Fellowship instead of a Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship, then their Regents ITD Fellowship must be awarded to a student who is (a) a Doctoral or M.F.A. applicant who is either a domestic student or a student who qualifies for an NRST exemption under AB 540, and (b) contributes to the diversity of the department or the university as outlined in the University of California’s Diversity Statement above.

• As has been the case since the 2015-16 cohort, all international students admitted to doctoral programs will automatically be awarded the International Doctoral Recruitment Fellowship. The tuition support provided by the IDRF will automatically be incorporated into competition awards for qualifying students.

• All domestic non-residents are expected to establish residency after their first year of study.

• FAFSA Reminder : A portion of the funding for UCSB graduate awards comes from need-based money,
  so it is required that all domestic graduate students file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
  (FAFSA). The deadline for submitting the FAFSA is Mar 2, 2024

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Regents in the Disciplines (Regents ITD)

As was the case in previous years, all departments will be guaranteed one Regents stipend allocation in 2024-25 to utilize in recruitment. Centrally funded Regents in the Disciplines stipend years include coverage of in-state tuition and fees, UC Student Health Insurance, a $32,500 stipend during the academic year, and a $5,000 trailing Summer stipend. this fellowship does not include NRST, so Departments must pay NRST for non-resident students in their first year from block-grant or other discretionary funds.

The most recent version of the Regents in the Disciplines offer letter template is in the GradPoint Resources tab, as well as a detailed user guide demonstrating how to upload and approve these offers through the AppReview system.

Starting with the 2024-25 recruitment year, each department that has historically received a Regents in the Disciplines allocation will receive one allocation every two years. Each department will be guaranteed one Regents stipend allocation in 2024-25 to utilize in recruitment. Any department that is successful in securing a 2024-25 Regents fellow would skip next year and be provided their next Regents allocation in 2026-27. Should a department not secure a Regents Fellow this year, be that through declined offer(s) or election not to use the allocation now, the current allocation will be made available for the 2025-26 recruitment year.

**Please note, Regents in the Disciplines offer letters should be sent to students through the AppReview system and not through other means of communication. Offers that are not sent through AppReview cannot be tracked by the Graduate Division. Tracking records in AppReview is important because an automatic report is generated using this information which the Housing Office accesses directly to verify which on-time housing applications receive priority over the others. If your Department’s Regents offer does not go through the required AppReview system, the report automatically generated for housing will not accurately reflect your student’s name, which will result in the student not being included on the priority housing list for Central Fellows.

Other Related Details

• All Regents ITD awards will be required to contain five full years of support, an increase from the previous four year minimum.

• The Graduate Division considers a 'year of funding' to include at a minimum payment of in-state tuition and fees, NRST if applicable, UC Student Health Insurance, and salary from employment or a stipend of at least $32,500 for Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.

• Note domestic non-residents are expected to establish residency after their first year of study and international students receive coverage of NRST after their first year through advancement via the International Doctoral Recruitment Fellowship (IDRF) provided they do so within department specific time-to-advancement standards.

• All Regents ITD awards will either have (a) a Regents stipend in year one only, or (b) for departments selecting to move one of the stipend years from their Central Recruitment Fellowship to their Regents ITD, Regents stipends in years one and five.

• Other aid composing the minimum five year offers will come from department resources, typically in the form of Academic Employment.

• Regents ITD awards will be issued by departments via AppReview/EApp in the same manner as has been the case in prior years. Departments will again be required to admit students being offered one of these fellowships before the Regents ITD offer is made to the student.

• Departments are required to award one of their centrally supported recruitment fellowships to a diverse student who meets the provided diversity criteria. Therefore, if a department elects to issue a Chancellors Fellowship instead of a Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship, then their Regents ITD Fellowship must be awarded to a diverse student. 

Deadlines

Regents in the Disciplines Offers must be submitted to the Graduate Division via AppReview between Jan 10, 2024 and Apr 12, 2024.

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Racial Justice Fellowship

Once again this year, the Deans and the Graduate Division will be supporting the Racial Justice Fellowship, a program designed to help recruit students whose research and teaching interests, mentoring experiences, and/or other demonstrated commitments are focused on racial justice.

This is a top-off style fellowship, giving awardees summer stipend support of $8,000 for the first three years, when combined with a five-year fellowship package.  Five-year packages may include Central Fellowships from the Graduate Division, a Regents Fellowship, or other departmental fellowships, and will be used to recruit students whose research and teaching interests, mentoring experiences, and/or other demonstrated commitments are focused on racial justice. They are open to incoming students in any discipline.

Eligibility: This award is open to incoming graduate students in any discipline.
Criteria: Nominees should have demonstrated research and teaching interests, mentoring experiences, and/or other demonstrated commitments focused on racial justice. Nominating departments should upload a justification describing how their nominee meets these criteria at the time of nomination.
Support: The Racial Justice Fellowship includes summer stipend support of $8,000 at the end of each of their
first three years, $24,000 total. Nominating departments commit to ensuring awarded students (previously applied to all nominated students) receive at least a five year package of full support which can be accomplished via either a central recruitment fellowship, a Regents in the Disciplines fellowship, or a department recruitment financial offer. This five year package can include combinations of Fellowship or academic appointments (e.g. TA or GSR appointments), but must include at least one year of full fellowship support.

Deadlines

Nominations will continue to be submitted this year in AppReview. A nomination deadline for this Fellowship is Feb 2, 2024.

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Childcare Support Fellowship

The Graduate Division will continue to provide support for fellows with qualifying child dependents for the 2024-25 cohort. During stipend years central fellows will be eligible for a $1,400 stipend per quarter if they have qualifying dependents. Although this support will be described in the Eugene Cota-Robles and Chancellor’s Fellowships award letters, departments are encouraged to make sure students are aware of this support in the course of recruitment activities. Regents in the Disciplines awardees are also eligible for this support during their centrally funded stipend year(s). Draft language articulating this support to be included in department Regents in the Disciplines offer letters can be found in the Regents ITD template available on GradPoint Financial. 

Annually, a communication from the Graduate Division will go out to fellows with stipend years/quarters to determine eligibility for the upcoming year, and no action is necessary by departments for students to receive these funds.

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UC Mexus Conacyt Program

Starting with the Fall 2021 cohort, the UC Mexus/Conacyt program began requiring campuses to commit to providing one fully funded year, during year five, for all admitted UC Mexus/Conacyt students. These students arrive on campus with four years of support via this program, so departments are only obligated to provide one year of support in a student’s first five years, although departments could choose to supplement via fellowship or academic appointment in the preceding four years. Any questions about this can be directed to the Financial Unit at financial@graddiv.ucsb.edu.

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UC-HBCU Fellowship Program

Since 2013, UCOP has provided fellowship support in partnership with campuses to enroll former UC-HBCU interns into UC Ph.D. programs. The UC-HBCU Initiative, through the Office of the President, encourages UC faculty to actively engage in collaboration and cooperation with faculty and students at HBCUs. Such efforts serve to strengthen and enrich our mission of teaching, research and public service. These UC-HBCU intern alumni, if admitted to certain UC campuses, have the potential to receive one year of full funding from UC Office of the President and one year of funding from Graduate Division, when coupled with three or more years of Department funding from their admitting Department. Departments should contact Walter Boggan regarding UC-HBCU alumni who might or may have already applied to your department, and Kelly Crowell at the onset of the financial recruitment process to ensure the correct steps are taken. Limited funding is available from UCOP, and the proposed student package needs to receive UCOP approval before assertions of funding can be communicated to the applicant.

The steps necessary for financial offers are below:

1. Email Kelly Crowell at the Graduate Division informing of which student you would like to request a UC-HBCU Fellowship Offer for. In this communication please detail the student name, objective they are applying for, and admittance status in the department. Please note: Departments need to have moved forward with admitting the applicant before financial packages can be requested.

2. Template for the package will be drafted by the Graduate Division and shared with the department for confirmation. Department approved draft will be sent to UCOP for approval of the proposed full 5+year support package.

3. If UCOP approval is granted, Graduate Division crafts and enters a Custom Award Letter in AppReview in consultation with the admitting department.

Native American Opportunity Plan Funding (NAOP)

Commencing in the 2022-23 Academic Year, UCOP created the Native American Opportunity Plan, ensuring that in-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees are fully covered for California students who are also enrolled in federally recognized Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native tribes. Additional information about this Plan can be found here.

The Graduate Division’s August '22 communication directly to continuing students informed them of the UC’s Native American Opportunity Plan, providing them the opportunity to demonstrate eligibility. For those students who were able to demonstrate their qualifications, the Graduate Division ensured coverage of the In-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees for the year, and will continue to work with departments to ensure those fees are covered on an ongoing basis.

The UC Native American Opportunity Plan will continue for the 2024-25 year for new recruits. Below is what to do for new recruits:

• In their AppReview application, students are asked to indicate if they believe they are eligible for the Native American Opportunity Plan. If they indicate yes, they are asked to include required documentation through an upload feature to demonstrate their eligibility. The below screenshot is what the students see.

  Open

  

• Departments can see this self indication of eligibility in AppReview. The screenshot below is a part of the student’s demographic data.

  Open

  

• The Graduate Division, in conjunction with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, will assess the student’s eligibility by reviewing their uploaded documents for students who have accepted admissions, after the recruitment season has concluded.

• If eligible, the Graduate Division will then verify if the student has existing aid covering the in-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees for the year, and write to the student and department informing them of any additional coverage to meet the NAOP level of support.

Please note: This program does not replace existing aid that is already covering systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees. Some examples of existing aid include (but are not limited to) grants, fellowship support, or employment-based fee remission. In the event a student already has these fees covered by another source, the commitment under this program will be considered to have been fulfilled. 

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Department Recruitment Offer Upload

As previously communicated in the May 20, 2022 email message to departments, the Graduate Division is requiring financial offer letters of department support to be uploaded to the AppReview repository starting with this 2023-24 cohort of admitted applicants.

We have developed a number of resources to aid in the process of uploading: 

• Instructions on how to upload offer letters in AppReview can be found here. 

• Instructions on accessing the Department Recruitment Offer Report in GradPoint can be found here.

  • Details on the described Department Recruitment Offer Report can be found here. 

• Instructions on how to view uploaded offer letters in GradPoint can be found here. Letters can be seen in the “Financial Letters” category. 

Departments should ensure that all financial offers to admitted students are uploaded to the AppReview system by July 1, 2024, though there are benefits to uploading letters on a rolling basis, including the inclusion of related information if the Department Recruitment Offer Report in GradPoint. If there are additional questions about this upload requirement, please first visit and review the FAQ’s page before reaching out for additional clarification.

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