Graduate Student Resources

Financial Aid and Predoctoral Fellowships

Departmental fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. Awards usually include out-of-state fees (when necessary) and in-state fees plus a stipend of $23,150 for the academic year (plus $6600 for the summer). Application for these fellowships is accomplished by sending your graduate application to us by December 15. Need-based financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study, are awarded by the Office of Financial Aid. Unfortunately, need-based aid is only available to US citizens.

For the 2013-14 academic year the estimated in-state fees are $14,984.50 per year. Out-of-state and foreign students pay in addition non-resident fees of $15,102 for the year. The Department, with the help of faculty and the labs (LBL and LLNL) has been able to fully fund all of its graduate students through research assistantships, teaching and grants in recent years.

US Citizens and Permanent Residents

Throughout your academic career, research positions, or business career, you will have to write grant proposals, statements of purpose, and project proposals. Funding is rarely automatic. Set aside the time to research funding sources and to work on applications. Learn about annual deadlines. Research all possible sources of funding. University Fellowship offices, department bulletin boards, and student services offices advertise possibilities. Check on-line listings for major sources: NSF, DOE, NIH.

If you do not succeed in winning grants when you first apply, persevere. Extramural grants will give you increased funding and independence. Those who otherwise sponsor you (faculty, later employers) will appreciate your efforts to obtain funding. When you do succeed, your efforts will reward you not only with additional funding, but also with the prestige of the award (snowballing effect), and will benefit others in your program or research group by freeing up more funding for them.

There are a variety of extramural fellowships available to outstanding Nuclear Engineering students. You are strongly encouraged to apply for any fellowship for which you are eligible. Some fellowship possibilities are listed below. There are also a number of additional resources collated by the Graduate Division.