Expenses, Fees, and Student Aid

OD Student Fees The fees summarized in the following table are unofficial and subject to change. Official information on current fees is provided by The Office of the Registrar — see Registrar's Fee Schedule. [Note: The required fees for Vision Science Graduate Students are listed at VS Graduate Fees.]

Note: Fees are listed per semester. The fees listed in this table are meant to serve as an unofficial guideline — please refer to Registrar's Fee Schedule for the most up-to-date information.

Expense	Residents	Non-Resid	Comments
University Registration Fee	$393.00	$393.00	All students pay a University registration fee, which covers services such as laboratory costs, certain recreational facilities, counseling and placement services, and the University Health Services.
Educational Fee	$2,898.00	$2,898.00	This fee is assessed uniformly across all campuses in partial support of the educational program for all students or for the general support of the University's operating budget.
Berkeley Campus Fees	$205.75	$205.75	The Campus Fee consists of an ASUC fee, a Student Center fee, an Ethnic Studies fee, an Intramural Sports Facility fee, a Life Safety fee, a Recruitment and Retention Centers fee, and a Campus Health Care fee.
Class Pass - Transit	$58.50	$58.50	These passes allow all students to use AC Transit and campus shuttle buses, including travel to San Francisco on AC Transit's TransBay lines.
Health Insurance Fee	$805.00	$805.00	All OD students are required to pay the Student Health Insurance Plan fee. The fee can be waived if students can prove comparable major medical coverage. For more information call 510-642-5700.
Non-Resident Tuition Fee	N/A	$6,122.50	Non-residents of California must pay a non-resident Tuition Fee. If you have any doubts about your residence status, write to (1) Residence Deputy, Office of the Registrar, 39 Sproul Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-5404 (Tel: 510-642-1614) or (2) Legal Analyst - Residence Matters, 1111 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607-5200.
Professional Degree Fee	$5,105.00	$5,105.00	The Regents of the University of California have levied an annual fee for professional students on all OD students.
TOTAL	$9,465.25	$15,587.75

More Information about Fees

Your expenses depend on many factors that you should consider before planning a budget. If financial help will be needed beyond the funds that you or your family are able to provide, the necessary applications for financial assistance should be submitted well in advance of enrollment at the:

Office of Financial Aid
201 Sproul Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-1960
Email: fao_grad@berkeley.edu
Tel: 510-642-0485

For complete current information regarding fees and other expenses, see the Gradute and Professional Student Financial Aid Office.

 Please click on the following link to view a PDF copy of an important legal notice regarding student fee litigation: Luquetta Class Action Notice.

 Certain professional-degree students and others may be eligible for refunds of overcharged fees. Please click on the following link to view a PDF copy of an important legal notice regarding student fee litigation: Kashmiri Class Action Notice.

Equipment Expenses

During their first year of enrollment it is necessary for optometry students to purchase certain hand-held equipment for use starting with the second year of school. This equipment, which may be used after graduation in the practice of optometry, costs from $3,000 - $4,000 depending on brand name and quality of equipment selected by students.

During the fourth year, students are required to participate in the Berkeley Optometry Externship Program. These rotations take the fourth-year clinician away from the Bay Area for 16-20 weeks and require students to manage their own costs for travel, accommodations, food, and other living expenses.

Financial Aid

Financial aid includes grants, loans, work-study, scholarships, and fellowships (for graduate students). The deadline for actually applying for graduate scholarships and all other financial aid and for submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is March 2. For application forms, information regarding the application process, and eligibility for financial aid, contact:

Federal scholarships provided by the Comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act are available to students in optometry who, without such financial aid, could not pursue the study of optometry. In addition, there are loans available for optometry students through the same congressional act.

Email: fao_grad@berkeley.edu
Tel: 510-642-0485

From the US Department of Education Website

Disclaimer: The following information is provided only as a courtesy. Berkeley Optometry and the UC Regents are not responsible for changes in US government financial aid policy. Students should refer to the websites cited below for the latest information.

Who can receive financial aid?

For most federal student aid programs, you must show that you have financial need. Your financial need is based on what you report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you're not yet ready to file the FAFSA, you can submit a FAFSA4caster to receive an early estimate of eligibility: www.fafsa.ed.gov

You also must meet certain other requirements. You must:

• Be a U.S. citizen (or U.S. national) or eligible noncitizen (see below)
• Have a valid Social Security Number (unless you're from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau)

Register with Selective Service:

Selective Service Registration*
In order to be eligible for federal student aid you must register with the Selective Service if:

• You are a male born on or after January 1, 1960, and
• You are at least 18 years old, and
• You are not currently on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Notes: Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Palau are exempt from registering (go to www.sss.gov for more information)

* For male students at the School of Optometry, Selective Service Registration is also required to attend external rotations at certain locations, such as Veteran's Administration Hospitals.)

• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate or pass an exam approved by the U.S. Department of Education
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program at a college that participates in the federal student aid programs
• Not have a drug conviction for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (such as grants, loans, or work-study)
• Once you are attending college, other requirements will apply. For more information, contact the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend
  

Who is an eligible non-citizen?

You are an eligible noncitizen if you are a U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551 or I-551C (Permanent Resident Card). You may also be an eligible noncitizen if you have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing:

• "Refugee"
• "Asylum Granted"
• "Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)"
• "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
• "Paroled" (must be paroled for at least one year), or
• Victim of human trafficking (T-Visa)

If you are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau, you are eligible only for certain federal student aid programs. For more information, check with the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend.

You are not eligible for federal student aid if you have:

• A "Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence" (I-171 or I-464)
• An F-1 or F-2 student visa
• A J-1 or J-2 exchange-visitor visa, or
• A G series visa

What if I'm not a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen?

There are still some sources of aid for you. Try the following places:

• The college you plan to attend; maybe they have scholarships for international students
• Your country's government, or its embassy in the United States
• Internet scholarship searches such as the one at studentaid2.ed.gov/getmoney/scholarship
• Your state government, if you live in the United States
     

More Admissions Information

If you have additional questions after reading all the material under the Admissions Topics, please contact admissions@optometry.berkeley.edu.

Admissions and Student Affairs Office (ASAO)
397 Minor Hall, School of Optometry, Berkeley, CA 94720-2020
Tel: 510-642-9537; Fax: 510-643-7111