The History Department's Financial Aid Committee will meet in February to begin the financial award process. We hope to have notice of awards and denials to students by the end of March.
Merit-based financial awards are competitive and limited. Therefore, we encourage you to get in touch with the University's Financial Aid Office to obtain information on loans, grants, work-study, etc.
The following is a brief description of UCSB's merit-based awards.
REGENTS FELLOWSHIPS: Competition is very high for these five-year fellowships that combine stipend, tuition and fee support for the first and fifth years and teaching assistantships during the second, third and fourth years. Criteria: GRE Verbal score of at least 90% and a Writing score of at least 5.5. A GPA of at least 3.6 or higher for junior and senior years, letters of reference and a writing sample of quality are important. An exceptionally outstanding record in creative work, publication or other measures of success also constitutes adequate criteria for nomination
DEPARTMENTAL RECRUITING FELLOWSHIPS: A portion of the Department’s fellowship money goes towards recruiting packages for incoming students. This money may be awarded as non-resident tuition fellowships (out-of-state students are expected to establish residency by the end of their first academic year), or as a departmental fellowship, which would go towards payment of fees and include a stipend.
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS: A limited number of teaching assistantships are available. These are merit based and generally given to students who already have the M.A. degree. Such support is not guaranteed for any fixed period, but most students are able to TA for at least two years. Teaching duties generally consist of four sections of one of the lower division survey courses: Western Civilization, American History or World History.
ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS AND READERSHIPS: A research assistant assists
a professor in doing academic research, library work, bibliographic work,
etc. A reader assists a professor with large class rosters in grading
papers. Faculty needing research assistants usually recruit them from
graduate students in their field or by sending an email to the graduate
student e-mail list.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please call the Graduate Program Assistants, Darcy Ritzau, M-F, 8-12 noon, (805) 893-3056 or Deborah Johnson, T & Th 8-5pm, F 1-5pm, (805) 893-2224.