University of California, Berkeley
PA-7: Affordability and Access

UC Berkeley offers a range of grants and financial assistance programs to help low-income students better afford a college education. For example, the Cal-Grant program provides funding for those defined to be low- and middle-income students. Similarly, the Chafee Foster Youth Grant supports current or former foster youth who have demonstrated financial need. Up to $5,000 is available to qualified students each year. California also offers the Middle Class Scholarship targeted to students who come from families with combined household assets and annual income below $171,000.

The UC Berkeley Public Service Center partners with the American Cultures Center to support faculty in developing new or revised American Cultures courses that integrate community engaged scholarship. Faculty are selected as Chancellor's Public Scholars and receive a $3,000 research grant, $1,500 for project needs, training, staff consulting services and a paid student fellow to support the development of the community partnership project.

The Center for Educational Partnerships helps students overcome educational and financial barriers to prepare for and be accepted at two- or four-year colleges. Serving students from kindergarten through community college, the Center for Educational Partnerships and its eleven programs lead the University of California, Berkeley's efforts to: Improve the academic achievement of students who face significant barriers to college. Increase the diversity of students who enroll and succeed in higher education. Empower schools and districts to promote and foster college aspirations through building a college-going culture. Support collaborations and partner with K-12 and post-secondary colleagues. Create tools to partner with educators, families, and communities to inspire and advocate for our students' successful futures.

The University of California Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan makes college more affordable for California residents. The plan helps them cover UC systemwide tuition and fees ($12,630 in 2018-19) if they are a California resident with an annual family income of less than $80,000 a year and are eligible for financial aid. Other support offered by UC Berkeley include the Parent Grant for qualifying students with dependents, the Middle Class Scholarship and the need-based UC Berkeley Grant.

Under its Center for Education Partnerships program, UC Berkeley runs several programs and partnerships helping low-income students obtain and afford a university education. The programs include the Early Academic Outreach Program that partners with school districts, community colleges and other organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area serving students from traditionally underserved communities. UC Berkeley also partners with outside groups such as Puente, the East Bay Consortium and the Solano County Educational Consortium to help low-income students earn the grades to be able to attend UC Berkeley.

The UC Berkeley Food Pantry is a direct response to the need among the student population for more resources to fight food insecurity — the lack of nutritious food. With rising fees, textbook costs and living expenses, students must juggle the costs of living with the costs of obtaining a university degree, and some must choose between essentials such as food and the costs of college. The UC Berkeley Food Pantry was established to provide emergency nonperishable relief to help students in need of immediate food assistance continue on to successfully complete and obtain their degrees from the University of California. As the root of another program, graduation can be a very exciting moment for many of our students, but for some, the cost of buying a graduation gown is another expense that impedes them from fully experiencing the culminating moment of their academic achievement. The Educational Opportunity Program has created the "Graduation Gown Lending Project" to support first generation and low income UC Berkeley students with free rental of graduation gowns. Conceived by EOP Peer Academic Counselors, this project was created to help alleviate some of the hardships of graduation expenses. We appreciate any and all gown or monetary donations. With your help, we can ensure low-income students experience the special graduation day they have worked so hard to earn.

As part of UC Berkeley's ongoing strategic planning process, the campus is considering the expansion of high-quality online, summer and off-campus programs that provide flexibility for students who wish or need to study off-campus and/or outside of the traditional academic year and for prospective transfer students. That includes the exploration and potential expansion of nontraditional forms of enrollment such as certificate programs, degree completion programs, post-baccalaureate programs and interdisciplinary B/MA or B/MS degrees in “Liberal Studies,” as well as more lifelong learning opportunities for our alumni and our broader community.

UC Berkeley operates five child care facilities on and off campus for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The university offers need-based subsidized child care programs at its centers, with support of up to $375 a month.

UC Berkeley offers a Parent Grant to students with dependent children who show a demonstrated financial need.

The data from this field were provided the UC Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships office, the Division of Equity & Inclusion and the Office of Planning and Analysis' Common Data Set and other documentation.