Fee Remissions

Graduate students who hold academic appointments (GSI, GSR, Reader, Tutor) may be eligible for fee remissions that offset a portion or all of their fees.

The amount of the fee remission students may be eligible for depends on the type of appointment that is held during the current semester. Students on Filing Fee status are not eligible for fee remissions.

To qualify for a fee remission students must meet ALL of the following criteria:

1. Be registered by established university deadlines, but no later than by the end of the third week of classes (September 9, 2022 for Fall 2022; February 3, 2023 for Spring 2023). You are responsible for meeting all university deadlines for registration and enrollment.
2. Be enrolled in at least 12 units no later than September 9, 2022 for Fall 2022; February 3, 2023 for Spring 2023, and remain enrolled in at least 12 units for the semester.
3. Be appointed for the semester. For dates, see the Academic Calendar. There are no fee remissions associated with appointments during Summer Session.
4. Be appointed in a fee remission eligible title at 25% time or greater.
5. Meet the academic requirements (minimum GPA, no more than 2 incompletes, etc.) for their type of appointment.

Supporting department time and leave records must substantiate the appropriate percentage of effort throughout the semester.

Failure to meet any of the above requirements will make students ineligible to receive a fee remission.

Students should check their current CARS account status on the CalCentral portal to see the dollar amount of each type of fee that has been assessed by the Registrar, or check the fee schedule on the Registrars’ website.

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1. Partial Fee Remission

Partial Fee Remission for Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs), Readers, and Tutors working 25% or more time, and Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) working 25–44% time.

Fees paid by remission

• Student Service Fee
• Tuition
• Health Insurance Fee *
• Berkeley Campus Fee ($150)

2. Full Fee Remission

Full Fee Remission for GSRs working at least 45% time.

Fees paid by remission

• Student Service Fee
• Tuition
• Health Insurance Fee *
• Berkeley Campus Fee
• Class Pass (AC Transit) Fee

3. Full Fee and Nonresident Supplemental Tuition Remissions

Full Fee and Nonresident Supplemental Tuition Remissions for GSRs working at least 45% time.

Note: Only for non-California residents who are: a) pursuing the Ph.D. or professional doctorate (as defined by the student’s department) as the terminal degree; b) within the departmentally-established normative time period; and c) not receiving any other support that funds nonresident supplemental tuition. U.S. citizens and permanent residents classified as non-California residents are eligible only for their first year of graduate study at Berkeley.

Fees paid by remission

• Student Service Fee
• Tuition
• Health Insurance Fee *
• Berkeley Campus Fee
• Class Pass (AC Transit) Fee
• Nonresident Supplemental Tuition Fee

* Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) premiums are automatically remitted as part of the fee remission program unless you have a waiver of health insurance coverage on record at the University Health Services. If a student has a SHIP waiver, then fee remission amounts will be reduced by the amount of the insurance fee. Any payments made toward SHIP will be returned to the funding source. Undergraduate GSI appointees may be eligible for Tuition and Student Services fee remissions only.

4. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Appointments

Students who have Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA) appointments at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) must remain at LBNL for the entire semester to be eligible for any remissions associated with the appointment. If the appointment is terminated before the end of the semester, the remissions will be canceled, and the student will be required to repay the entire amount of the LBNL remission via a billing in CalCentral. If the student begins a GSR appointment on campus at any point after the first day of the semester, that appointment may not meet the criteria to qualify for the remissions.

The fee remission information reflected in your CalCentral account is based on information prepared by your hiring unit, which submits the data directly to the Office of Human Resources. Questions about your appointment and the fee remission should be directed to your hiring unit.

Since this process may take up to two weeks from the time your hiring unit submits your appointment information to the Office of Human Resources, you should consult your hiring unit for details regarding your specific appointment and to ensure that you have completed all necessary hiring paperwork. If your appointment paperwork is incomplete or not submitted on time, your paycheck and fee remission may be delayed; you are still responsible for covering 20% of your assessed fees by the university deadline and enrolling in at least 12 units by the end of the third week of classes.

If you become ineligible for fee remission at any time in the semester, the entire fee remission credit will be reversed on your CalCentral account, and you will be responsible for payment of your registration fee balance.