Undergraduate students who have submitted their petitions to the appropriate dean for a deficit program of 10 or fewer units prior to the first day of instruction, and who have received approval, may be eligible for a 50% reduction of the tuition fee and, if appropriate, the nonresident supplemental tuition subject to approval of the Office of the Registrar.

Please note that approval of a deficit load will not automatically entitle a student to a fee reduction. To be eligible for a fee reduction, students must submit a Partial Fee Reduction request form to the Office of the Registrar by the 15th day of instruction (add deadline) for the quarter. Late forms will not be accepted. Approval is based on the student meeting one of the following verifiable reasons: employment, health, family responsibility, or declared degree candidacy.

Refunds will be processed at the end of the quarter in which students are eligible. Therefore, students must pay the full fees in order to complete enrollment by the deadlines.

Students must be enrolled in 10 units or less at the time the Partial Fee Reduction petition is submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Students who exceed the 10-unit requirement will be denied. If at any time during the quarter, enrollment exceeds 10 units, the partial fee reduction will be cancelled.

Students who have approval prior to fee assessment for a permanent deficit program through the College of Letters and Science will be automatically assessed 50% of the tuition fee and nonresident supplemental tuition. Students on a permanent deficit program fee reduction who enroll in more than 10 units at any time will be billed for the full amount of fees and will need to re-apply for permanent deficit through the College of Letters and Science.

Warning: Financial aid students who receive a Pell Grant, Academic Competitive Grant (ACG), SMART Grant, Cal Grant A, or a Cal Grant B will have these grants reduced if they receive a fee refund as a result of their deficit load program. In most cases, the financial aid reduction will exceed the fee refund; thus, it is highly recommended that Pell Grant, ACG Grant, SMART Grant and Cal Grant recipients consult with the Financial Aid Office prior to applying for a deficit load. Students who are approved for a permanent deficit load automatically receive the fee refund and do not have the opportunity to decline it. Students who are on a deficit load program for only one quarter have the choice of accepting or declining the fee refund.

University Center Fee

An undergraduate who has petitioned for reduced fees and is enrolled in 5.5 or fewer units is eligible for a full refund of the University Center fee. The refund procedure and determination date for eligibility are the same as for deficit programs above. Students who exceed the maximum limit allowed will be assessed the full fee.

Part-Time Status for Graduate Students

Graduate students may request part-time status for reasons of Health, Occupation, or Family Responsibilities. International students are only eligible for part-time status for Health. If approved for part-time status, a student shall only register in a maximum of 6.0 units, and will receive a 50% reduction in fees. Other eligibility restrictions apply. Please see the Graduate Division's website for the full policy and petition procedures. 

In Absentia Fee Reduction for Graduate Students

Graduate students who must remain registered and whose research or study requires them to remain outside California for the duration of a quarter may be eligible for in absentia registration.  Students who qualify for in absentia will receive an 85% reduction of their Registration fee, education fee and campus based fees.  Students will still be charged for health insurance, but they may waive out of it. Students are responsible for non-resident tuition, if applicable. Students apply by completing an In Absentia petition and securing Graduate Division approval. Students are responsible for taking care of their registration. Consult Graduate Division for details.

Employee Assistance Program

Full-time university employees (nonacademic and academic) may be eligible for additional fee reductions and are encouraged to contact Human Resources (nonacademic employees) or the Office of the Registrar (academic employees) regarding details of eligibility and procedures.

Filing fee

Ph.D. students or terminal master's degree students completing the last requirements for a degree may be eligible to pay the filing fee instead of the registration fee. The filing fee is one-half of the current registration fee. Contact the Graduate Division regarding eligibility and procedures.

New Students

Students who paid $250.00 with the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) will have that amount deducted from fees due.

Reduced Nonresident Tuition for Doctoral Candidates

Effective Fall 2006, the quarterly nonresident tuition fee is reduced by 100% for graduate doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy. Eligibility for the reduced nonresident tuition is measured in registered quarters, and begins with the first academic quarter following advancement to candidacy. Leave of absence and unregistered quarters will not extend a student's eligibility. A student who continues to be enrolled or who re-enrolls after nine registered quarters after advancing to candidacy will be charged the full nonresident rate in effect at the time.