Filing Fee Updates 

Updated (8/30/2022)

Dear Colleagues,

Fall 2022:  For the Fall 2022 quarter, Filing Fee policy will be the same as for Spring 2022 quarter. Specifically, a student who has completed their research and writing and is either awaiting final approval from the dissertation/thesis committee or making formatting and typographical changes based on those comments may apply for Filing Fee status. They can be employed as a TA, AI, Reader or GSR during Fall quarter, although please note that since a TA/AI/Reader position provides tuition remission and health insurance, it is not in a student’s interest to be on Filing Fee while serving as a TA or AI.  Should the student not file in the Fall 2022 quarter, there is no possibility to extend Filing Fee status to a second quarter.  They will need to apply for readmission and tuition and fees will be due for that additional quarter in which they file.

 Future Quarters: Beginning Winter 2023, Graduate Studies will implement a new Filing Fee policy. The goals of this policy are to 1) provide consistent support to students finishing their dissertations and theses, 2) use best practices for completing academic work,  3) bring UC Davis in line with other UC campuses, and 4) ensure students are not pressured to prematurely complete their research, writing and approval in a single quarter.

 The system-wide Filing Fee status is intended for a student who planned to file in the previous quarter, but did not due to either delayed response by the committee or the need for last minute minor formatting and typographical changes.  Filing Fee status has never been intended for conducting research, non-final review(s) by the dissertation/thesis committee, or creating sections of the dissertation/thesis. Some faculty have leveraged Filing Fee status and Filing Fee extensions before the research and writing are complete in order to avoid paying a student’s tuition and health insurance.  This is not in the interest of the student and inflicts significant burden and uncertainty on them.

 A student on Filing Fee for a given quarter should be able to file within one to two weeks of the start of that quarter. However, the new policy allows them to file up to 8 weeks in that quarter.

 The new policy requires 

• that all members of the exam committee explicitly approve the academic and intellectual content of the penultimate draft, and

• the submission of a comprehensive completion plan (approved by all members of the committee and acknowledged by the student) of all typographical and formatting changes necessary to file.

 If a student on Filing Fee status does not file their dissertation/thesis by the end of the 8th week of the quarter, 

• The student will be automatically enrolled in that same term and tuition and fees will be due.

• If the delay in filing is due to the committee, the major professor and/or program will be responsible for paying the tuition and fees.  

• The student can apply for Filing Fee for the following quarter and will not need to pay a second Filing Fee payment.

Per employment eligibility criteria (APM Appendix-IIB; Section III A 1.), and consistent with other UC campuses, graduate students applying for Filing Fee will not be eligible for employment as a TA/AI/Reader/GSR, except by a very rare exception.  Students with TA/AI/Reader/GSR positions benefit from tuition remission and health insurance, so Filing Fee is very rarely in their interest. 

To help programs and students navigate these changes, we have created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for additional reference. Please also visit the Graduate Studies Filing Fee webpage for more information about this new policy and process.  Any further queries should be sent to myself (dtemplelang@ucdavis.edu) and/or JP Delplanque, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.

Sincerely,

Duncan Temple Lang

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.