Being an international student adds additional complexity in navigating the UC system. A couple things you may want to know at the beginning of your program or even before you join ESPM.

MONEY 

In our system, Non-Resident Supplementary Tuition (NRST) for grad student tuition is not waived but it is your employee of the semester's responsibility (your PI if you are GSRing, the department if you are GSIing). US citizens can get in-state tuition rate after the they get CA residency, yet international students are always "non-resident aliens", as indicated by your tax category. 

• The direct result of you being a non-resident is that you are often expected to do your qualifying exam at your 3rd semester (your citizen peers usually do it 4th or later). This is because you will get a 6-semester 100% out-of-state tuition waiver after you pass your quals and apply to become a PhD candidate. HOWEVER, this also means you are expected to have financial troubles if you cannot finish within 3 years after your quals, since GSI only covers in-state tuition. This time period applies whether you are registered or not during these six semesters. A nonresident student who enrolls after the three-year calendar period will be charged the full nonresident tuition rate in effect at that time. 

• However, you should never be forced to take quals in your 1st year.

• ESPM covers everyone's NRST during their first year. For your second, and sixth, seventh, etc years you can apply for NRST waivers from the department. These used to be more common, but the department still has some. Consult with your GSAO about this.

• Make sure you engage your advisor in this conversation, as the NRST adds to our financial burden, and laying out a plan on how to cover it since day 1 is ideal.

• There are some ways you are can get around after the 3 calendar years of fee reduction, usually through a special registration status. There are three ways we can think of:

  • 1. Withdraw....you don't owe tuition in this case, but you can only withdraw once. When you are withdrawn you can't work as a GSI or GSR and legally it is not allowed for international students: withdraw means you are therefore officially unemployable in the USA and it affects your visa status.

    2. Register in absentia. This sort or registration is reduced and maintains your health care and keeps your university accounts active, but it is intended only for students that are off campus conducting field research, and again you can't work as a GSI or GSR.

    3. Go on filing fee. If you are in the last semester of your degree and you are CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL FINISH, you can go on filing fee. The cost is 240 dollars. You do not get to keep your SHIP, or to work as a GSI/GSR, but you are still considered registered, so you can work on campus. If you don't manage to file by the deadline there is a penalty: 1/2 of the registration fees for the next semester, and you must enroll in the next semester...that's about 25K...so be careful. 

• The majority the grants that are circulated in the department are U.S. citizen only, or US resident only. Check out the eligibility is always the first thing to do when looking for a grant. We need to be more creative in getting money. 

• Of course none of the restrictions apply to you if you have your own fundings (some external fellowships or Berkeley Fellowship will cover your tuition + stipend). 

Working restrictions

In order to work on campus (as GSR, GSI, GSE, etc) Berkeley International Office (BIO) will sign your work authorization. Besides that, here are some things to know and consider.

In the eyes of the University, a non-resident graduate student can only work a maximum of a 50% appointment on campus (resident students can work up to 75% appointments with out any other paper work). There really isn't any way to get around this 50% requirement unless you show "significant financial hardship". You can, however, work off campus by activating your CPT (Curricular Practical Training), but the job has to be relevant to your studies ...no Starbucks baristra work allowed. Simple paperwork, but it needs to be done a little in advance.

You can also work on campus in positions in which you will not be formally in payroll. For instance research supplements, stipend aid, fellowships, etc.

You can be an independent contractor/consultant. Don't bother letting the University know if you are going to do this. If someone would like to hire your for your knowledge of a subject area congratulations! There is a small blurb about contracting in the Grad Student Handbook. It basically says "some of our ESPM students get contracts/consults". When tax time comes you just need to fill out a 1099 form to claim the income.