UPDATED Oct. 02, 2021.

To provide additional support to graduate students, UC Santa Cruz is working to create new programs focused on housing, cost reduction, student success, and family support.

The programs, some approved and others in development, are designed to be responsive to the concerns graduate students have raised about the challenges they face.

This list of enhancements to existing programs addresses some of the material support concerns. It is a reflection and response to some of the challenges that have been expressed, and represents a beginning to open dialogue, collaboration, and shared problem-solving.

Learn more about the new and enhanced programs below.

• Housing Support Programs
  • Funding to support transitioning to Santa Cruz
  • $2500 Housing Supplement
  • Slug Support Graduate Case Management (formerly: Housing support program)
  • Holding Family Student Housing rates
  • Legal consultation for off-campus housing issues
• Cost Reduction Programs
  • Parking Rate Reduction
  • Deferred late fees on campus, housing fees
  • Remove the E-Payment convenience fee
• Supporting Graduate Student Success
  • Enhanced funding to departments for ASE benefit packages
  • Funding for department-sponsored TA instructional professional development trainings
  • Bridging the Summer Gap Pilot Program
  • Slug Support for graduate students
• Family support programs
  • Family Student Housing internet upgrades
  • Subsidized Back-up Care Program

Housing Support Programs

Funding to support transitioning to Santa Cruz

New PhD/MFA graduate students*; ongoing
Effective fall 2021
Up to $1,500 available for new, incoming PhD/MFA graduate students. 

Eligibility:

• Must be a new or incoming student in a doctoral or MFA program.
• Must matriculate within the current academic year OR have matriculated in the previous academic year.
• Must be relocating from outside of the Santa Cruz region to within 100 miles of the UC Santa Cruz main campus.
• Must incur expenses related to the change in housing such as transportation costs, housing deposits, loss of income, and household supplies.

Eligible students can apply, once matriculated, by selecting “New Student Relocation Suplmnt” in their To-Do List/Tasks in MyUCSC.

Program status: In place.
Program available: Fall 2021.

Slug Support Graduate Case Management

Slug Support now has a dedicated case manager to assist graduate students. If you are experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, or financial insecurity to cover your basic needs, we may be able to help. Slug Support can provide emergency food and housing resources as well as work with you on a long term plan to help you find resources on and off-campus and navigate various barriers that may be impacting your ability to focus on your academics. Please email the deanofstudents@ucsc.edu to schedule an appointment or call our crisis line at 831-459-7003 for immediate assistance related to food and housing emergencies.

Program status: in place
Program available: fall 2021

Holding Family Student Housing Rates

All FSH residents; one-time
UC Santa Cruz will keep Family Student Housing rates at the 2019–2020 level for the 2021–22 academic year.

Program status: approved; implemented
Program available: Housing rates will not increase in 21/22 with the normal cycle.

Legal consultation for off-campus housing issues

All students, carve out for graduate students; ongoing
Free legal consultation is available through the Dean of Students Office. Sessions specifically for graduate students will be made available and advertised.

Program status: in place
Program available: now

Cost Reduction Programs

Parking Rate Reduction

Reduced parking rates for A, B, C and R permits
Available to Quarterly, Academic, Annual or Multi-Year permits; ongoing
Reduce parking rates for A, B, C and R permit holders by centrally supporting the remaining debt on the west parking structure. Rate reductions will be made automatically to permit holder rates. Reduction is estimated at 12%–15% of 2020 rates. Reduction does not affect daily, half-day, or other short-term permits.

Program status: approved
Program available: before fall 2021

Deferred Student Business Services (SBS) Miscellaneous late fees/housing fees

Graduate students; ongoing
The SBS Miscellaneous Late fee and Housing late fees will not be assessed for active Grad Students for the first two due dates of each term.

Remove the $0.95 convenience fee for eCheck payments

All users; ongoing
Remove the 95-cent transaction fee for eCheck payments made via the UCSC eBill/ePay site for all users making payments.

Supporting Graduate Student Success

Enhanced funding to departments for ASE benefit packages

Tuition and fee coverage for all departments that hire graduate student TA, GSI or other ASEs using state funds or tuition funds
Some blocks of funding for graduate TA and GSI positions do not include funding for benefit packages (tuition, fees and GSHIP). This program funds all state funded TA, GSI, and ASE positions of 25% or more, freeing departmental funding to better support graduate students.

Program status: approved
Program available: begins fall 2021

Funding for department-sponsored TA instructional professional development trainings

Available to departments; ongoing
To ensure the ongoing success of professional development for TAs, this program provides funding to departments for their professional development offerings for graduate student teachers, removing the financial barriers to this professional development program, and allowing department funds to be used in other ways to support their programs.

Program status: approved
Program available: begins fall 2021

Bridging the Summer Gap Pilot Program

Graduate students interested in pedagogy; available summer 2021
This pilot program employed 24 graduate students (8 in summer session I, and 16 in summer session II) as instructional fellows with CITL and Online Education to support campus educators with effective and equitable course planning.

Program status: approved, active
Program available: slots for summer 2021 filled; ongoing support to be determined in fall 2021.

Slug Support for Graduate Students

Available to all graduate students; Fall 2021
Enhancements to the Slug Support programs to address graduate student needs. A full-time case manager will be dedicated to developing programs and providing services that support graduate student needs. After the first year start up, the plan is to expand support to include all student families.

Program status: approved, active
Program availability: fall 2021; ongoing

Family support programs

Family Student Housing internet upgrades

Available to all FSH residents
Upgrades to the internet infrastructure at FSH were made using new technologies that allowed for a lower cost and faster installation of the necessary technical infrastructure. Project was fully completed June 2021.

Program status: approved, complete
Program availability: ongoing

Subsidized Back-up Care Program

Available to all graduate students, undergrads, employees; fall 2021
UC Santa Cruz this fall will start providing subsidized back-up child and elder care. This will include both in-home care and care at one of the child-care centers in a care network now being assembled. Each eligible employee and student who registers for the program will be allotted 15 uses per year. Users will be responsible for a copay per use, and campus will cover the rest of the cost.

Program status: approved
Program availability: fall 2021