Grad Students

We ask that all faculty indicate their funding plans for each graduate student they support in our internal Grad Student Funding Plan workbook. You can use this sheet to indicate quarters for which you would like to request a departmental TAship for your student. This allows us to be proactive and assess funding concerns early on. Department staff rely on this spreadsheet to layout funding for the entire academic year. 

We understand that funding plans may change as the academic year progresses, so we will have limited windows of time where faculty can go in and update their funding plans. Please make sure department staff are aware of these changes. If you need to update funding during a period of time where the sheet is locked, please reach out to the Graduate Student Advisor, Bhavna Mahi, at bmahi@ucsc.edu or astrogradinfo@ucsc.edu. 

Access internal funding plans here:

Grad Student Funding Plan 2025-2026

Grad Student Funding Plan 2026-2027

Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) qualify for full fee and tuition remission if they are appointed for at least 25%, in all GSR appointments combined, over the three months of the quarter. Full fee and tuition remission includes the payment of:

Campus Fees

Student Services Fee

CA Resident Tuition if applicable Non-Resident Tuition

Health Insurance 

These benefits must be paid from the funding source that pays the student’s salary. Fellowship funds may not be used for this purpose. The cost of these benefits will be charged to the funding source quarterly. 

Resident Fees/Tuition Remission Costs as of 2025-2026 (per quarter):

Campus Fees = $497.70

Student Services Fee = $430.00

CA Resident Tuition = $4,380.00

Health Insurance (GSHIP) = $2,252.00

$7,559.70 per quarter

Non Resident Fees/Tuition Remission Costs as of 2024-2025 :

$5,034 per quarter in addition to the above

Our Department pays at a Salary Point "5". 

Academic Quarter at 50% - $4,038/month or $12,114/quarter

Summer at 100% - $8,076/month or $24,228/3 months

If a student is supported at 50% for all three quarters plus 100% in the summer - their annual salary is $60,570

In addition to salary costs,  payroll taxes and benefits (PBR) need to be figured into the total cost.  The current Composite Benefit Rate (CBR) for any wages not paid with 19900 funds is 6.35%. If on a "Federal Contract" - the CBR is 2.38%

Annual Salary = $60,570

Plus 6.35% for PBR = $3,846

Total costs = $64,416 (plus tuition and fees, GSHIP)

GSHIP = Graduate Student Health Insurance

• Graduate students are limited to 50% employment during the academic quarter unless the Graduate Division approves an exception. This exception does not apply to international students.

• Duties performed by a GSR shall be directly related to a research objective. Hiring a GSR to perform duties suited for a student assistant or staff position is not permissible. 

Our Division (PBSci) hires Graduate Student Researchers on a quarterly basis. The Department sends the hiring request call to faculty a few weeks before the start of each quarter. Faculty/PI must submit GSR Hiring requests in Infoready in a timely manner to initiate the hiring process. The deadline is important as the per the GSR contract, GSR must receive their appointment letters no later than 30 days prior to their start date. Please refer to these InfoReady GSR Faculty Instructions for assistance with entering appointments. PI Accountant Assignments can be found on the divisional webpage.

Questions? Help? Contact the folks below:

Astro Department Manager, Alyssa Danielli (alfadani@ucsc.edu)

Astro Department Grad Student Advisor, Bhavna Mahi (bmahi@ucsc.edu or astrogradinfo@ucsc.edu)

PBSci Academic Personnel Analyst, Margaret Stanfield (mkstan@ucsc.edu)

PBSci Academic HR Specialist, Jianna DeHoyos (jadehoyo@ucsc.edu)