For Graduate Students

The Basic Needs Center is committed to supporting our graduate student community. The resources below provide urgent relief for graduate student basic needs, but are not exhaustive.

If you are in need of urgent assistance around your basic needs, especially emergency housing or food needs, we encourage you to fill out the Basic Needs Assistance Form to receive support from our staff

Food

  • CalFresh: Also known as SNAP/EBT, is a long term food assistance program that awards eligible students up to $281 per month for groceries

  • Basic Needs Food Pantry: An emergency food relief supply for all UC Berkeley students (undergraduate and graduate), staff, visiting scholars, and postdocs. We offer pantry staples such as rice, pasta, milk, cereal, frozen proteins, and fresh produce. Visitors are welcome to visit up to once per week, by joining the virtual line. You can take as much as needed while being mindful that it is a shared community resource for emergencies. See our website for open hours and to sign-up for the virtual line.

  • Additional Food Resources

    • The Bear Pantry: Emergency food relief for low-income student families living in University Village Apartments

    • Food Now: Find food pantries near you, or call the Emergency Food Helpline at 510-635-3663

Housing

Finances

Grants & Fellowships:

  • Graduate Assembly Professional Development Grant: Provides funding to graduate students presenting at conferences, either in person or virtually. In addition, the Professional Development Award can be used to fund dues or membership fees in professional societies related to the student’s chosen field

  • International Student Need-Based Grants: Grants for international students with unexpected financial need.

  • Graduate Fellowships and Awards Resource Page: List of fellowships and awards for graduate students

  • Basic Needs Emergency Fund: emergency financial assistance in the areas of rent, food, housing security deposit, and other emergency and safety needs to students who have exhausted their financial resources. All graduate students are eligible to apply, regardless of documentation or academic status. 

  • If you are in need of funds immediately, you can access a Short-Term Emergency Loan through the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office

Employment:

Legal Services

  • Student Legal Services Drop-Ins:Meet with the Attorney for Students, who advise currently registered Cal students on a variety of areas in the Basic Needs Welcome Center.  A student legal consultation might include (but is not limited to) one of the following examples: a landlord-tenant dispute, a citation for a criminal infraction or misdemeanor, filing an action in California Small Claims Court, questions related to debt and/or collection actions, issues arising from a car accident or auto insurance, or questions about family law.

  • For more information visit Student Legal Services site

Medical Grants & Awards

  • Health Opportunity Fund: Up to $200 to use at the Tang Center for services and pharmacy purchases, not including the Tang Eye Center. No application necessary, but before paying, students must notify the Tang Center that they wish to use the fund by sending the cashier a message through the eTang portal. Available for:

    • Graduate students who have filed a FAFSA for the current year and have Pell Grant equivalent eligibility, or

    • Actively registered students in the Disabled Students Program

  • DSP Technology Grant: grants for assistive technology for students registered with the Disabled Students Program. Students must receive a referral from their DSP Specialist or an Auxiliary Services Supervisor to receive the application. The application process is open year-round and disbursed the first week of October (Fall) and the first week of March (Spring).

  • International Student Need-Based Medical Fund: Medical fund for international students with unanticipated medical costs. Awards up to $1,000, and the award is paid to the medical provider directly.

  • Orion Fund: Grants for students in health crises to fund health costs, medical technology, and other living expenses. Available for California college students age 32 or under confronted with a health crisis.

Mental Wellness

  • Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): CAP hosts graduate specific programming including:

    • Graduate Counseling: Has many groups open to both grad and undergrad, and also grad-specific groups. UHS group counseling sessions are free and do not require health insurance.

  • CAPS career counseling: Stressed about graduating and entering the workforce? Unsure about your direction? Sign up to meet with a career counselor to talk about entering this new stage of your life. Covered under SHIP.

  • The Graduate Wellness Center: A satellite office for CAPS. The Wellness Center provides graduate-focused wellness and mental health services, including individual, couples, and group counseling, and virtual workshops specific to graduate students.

    • Make a telephone counseling appointment by calling Dr. Amy Honigman at: (510) 664-5117

  • Graduate Student Peer Support Providers: Graduate Peer Support Providers (PSPs) meet one-on-one with graduate students at UC Berkeley to provide assistance in navigating the complex processes related to mental health, basic needs, and academia.

  • PATH to Care Center: confidential and holistic support for survivors. 24/7 Care Line: (510) 643-2005 for navigating resources for urgent support around sexual assault, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence, stalking, and invasion of sexual privacy.

  • Crisis services: after-hours and mental health crisis support by calling 1-855-817-5667.

Transportation

  • Bear Transit: Bear Transit is UC Berkeley’s shuttle system, servicing the campus Berkeley community. Provides convenient transportation between:

    • Campus, Downtown Berkeley BART, Parking lots, Residence Halls and Clark Kerr campus, Hill area, Campus shared services on 4th Street & North Berkeley BART (returning January 2022)

    • Disabled Transportation: All daytime shuttles, P-Line, RFS-Line, and H-Line, are equipped with wheelchair lifts

  • AC Transit: Public buses operating in the East Bay. Learn more about free unlimited AC Transit rides for students through EasyPass

    • The following are excluded from the Easy Pass:

      • MICS - Master of Information and Cybersecurity

      • MIDS - Master of Information and Data Science

      • MASIC - Master of Advanced Study in Integrated Circuits

      • OOMPH - Online Master of Public Health

      • Hybrid-LLM - Master of Laws 

      • MSSE -  Master of Molecular Science and Software

  • Parking and Transportation Drop-In Hours

    • UCB Parking and Transportation interns will be available to assist with any student trip planning needs.

    • Location, as well as current days and times of drop-in hours are listed on our website

Undocumented Students

Students with Dependents

More Support/Advising @ The Graduate Division

The Graduate Division provides a variety of academic, personal, diversity, and professional support services to help the well-being and success of academic and professional graduate students. For assistance navigating these resources, sign up for a 15-minute virtual appointment with Graduate Student Life Director Larissa Charnsangavej at https://calendly.com/larissa-charn/graduate-life or email gradlife@berkeley.edu

More Support @ The Graduate Assembly

The Graduate Assembly is the official representative body of the graduate and professional students at the University of California, Berkeley. For a list of resources, please visit https://ga.berkeley.edu