Tuition Reduction Program
for Ph.D. & Ed.D. Students Who are Foreign Citizens
University of California policy provides for a 100% reduction of the annual non-resident tuition for international doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy and meet the established UCI program criteria. This benefit is provided for a maximum of three consecutive calendar years (including time on an approved leave of absence). The reduced non-resident tuition begins with the first academic quarter following advancement to candidacy. A non-resident student who continues to be registered, or who re-registers following the three-year maximum time allowance, will be responsible for the full non-resident tuition rate that is in effect at that time. This special reduction is not available to graduate students enrolled in a terminal master’s or the medical doctorate degree programs.
Program Participation
Once the Advancement to Candidacy form is reviewed, approved, and processed in UCI’s Graduate Division Office, a reassessment at the reduced tuition rate for the following quarter is generated. There is no further action required of the student. The new assessment will be available on the student’s Zotbill and posted on the student’s Zot account on-line. The completed Advancement to Candidacy form must be filed in Graduate Division by the advancement to candidacy deadline for the Ph.D. in order for the 100% tuition reduction to be available for the following quarter.
For further detailed information, review our Tuition Reduction FAQ section.
Program Criteria
A registered Ph.D. or Ed.D. student at UCI, who is also a citizen of a foreign country, must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the reduced non-resident tuition option:
- Classification as a non-resident student for tuition purposes.
- Registration in a Ph.D. or Ed.D. program that specifically has an advancement to candidacy requirement (e.g., excludes the M.D. program).
- University approval to be advanced to doctoral candidacy as of the first day of the academic quarter (as determined by the campus) for which the reduced tuition is assessed. Therefore, in order to meet this requirement, the student must have advanced the quarter prior to receiving any tuition reduction. Please refer to the Advancement to Candidacy form and relevant deadlines for more information.
- Eligibility for the reduced non-resident tuition program is measured in calendar years and terminates three calendar years from the first day of eligibility.
- If a student fails to register for any regular academic quarter during the three year period, the non-resident tuition reduction will normally not be extended beyond the three consecutive year limitation.
- Eligibility for the reduced tuition is for only one doctoral degree at one UC campus; a student who received the non-resident tuition reduction while earning a Ph.D. at one UC campus will not be eligible for the tuition reduction while earning an additional Ph.D. degree at the same or another UC campus. However, a student who has earned a Ph.D. at a non-UC institution, subsequently enrolls in a Ph.D. program at the University of California, and meets the established criteria, is eligible for the tuition reduction program.
- A student who receives funding from an outside agency to cover the cost of non-resident tuition is still eligible for the reduction in non-resident tuition. The source of a student's funding is not relevant to the assessment.
- A part-time student who is an eligible Ph.D. candidate will also be eligible for the non-resident tuition reduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are M.B.A., M.F.A., M.U.R.P., or other master’s degree candidates eligible for this program?
- By how much is the non-resident tuition reduced?
- What happens to the non-resident tuition level when a Ph.D. (Ed.D) candidate does not complete the Ph.D. (Ed.D) degree within three years of advancement to candidacy?
- What happens when a student has filed for their degree (paying only the Filing Fee) and then, at a later time, must re-register? Would the student be eligible for the reduced non-resident tuition?
- Is a qualified student who receives funding from an outside agency to cover the cost of non-resident tuition eligible for the reduction?
- Will students working on a joint Ph.D./master’s degree be eligible for the reduced non-resident tuition?
- Are students enrolled part-time in a Ph.D. or Ed.D program eligible for the reduced non-resident tuition?
