Fees and Tuition
For the most recent tuition and fee amounts, please visit the Budget & Institutional Analysis website.
International Student Administrative Fee
All* international students who are either sponsored by UC Davis for F-1 or J-1 status or would be sponsored by UC Davis for F-1 or J-1 status if physically present in the United States, will be charged the International Student Administrative Fee. The fees will be assessed in the fall, winter, and spring terms only ($198.00 per semester or $132.00 per quarter for the 2024-25 Academic Year); the current fees will not be assessed during summer terms.
*Exception: Graduate and professional students who paid the one-time $159 fee and are currently pursuing a program of study in F-1 or J-1 status or who resume F-1 or J-1 status after an approved leave of absence not to exceed one academic year, may complete that program of study without the additional fee assessment. Students who were previously exempt from the $159 fee (i.e., who never paid the fee) due to alternative visa arrangements, but who later come under UC Davis's F-1 or J-1 visa sponsorship, will be assessed the fee upon the change in status/sponsorship.
This fee helps support a variety of services provided to our international students, including student visa assistance, international student advising, programs to help integrate international students into academic life at UC Davis, and funding to comply with federally mandated regulations. The fee increase covers the costs of those expanding and increasingly complex government regulations and reporting requirements and reduces advisor-to-international student ratios to better serve the international student community.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What services are provided through the fee?
The fee helps support the range of services that Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS), a unit of Global Affairs, provides to more than 6,000 students from more than 100 countries. SISS works with each admitted student to prepare documentation for application for a U.S. student visa. The unit also provides pre-arrival guidance and ongoing advising throughout a student's enrollment at UC Davis to ensure students meet all the requirements to enter the U.S. and maintain lawful immigration status.
Specific services include:- Visa and entry into the United States
Staff works with each admitted international student to process their (F-1 or J-1) entry forms necessary to apply for a U.S. student visa.- Pre-arrival guidance and ongoing advising
SISS works with students to ensure that they meet all the requirements to enter the U.S. and maintain lawful immigration status in the U.S. SISS staff are available for appointments for one-on-one assistance.
- Mandatory orientations
SISS provides several orientations where international students will learn about maintaining immigration status, student employment options, the educational and cultural environment at UC Davis and the City of Davis, and the services SISS provides to international students.
- Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
For UC Davis to enroll international students, federal law requires SISS to create and maintain a SEVIS record for all F-1 and J-1 students and their accompanying family members. Maintaining up-to-date and accurate information in SEVIS is necessary for students to sustain their lawful presence in the U.S. The SEVIS database creates the I-20 and DS-2019 forms provided to students by SISS.
- Work authorization
Approval for work authorization in the form of Curricular Practical Training for F-1 students and Academic Training for J-1 students during their UC Davis programs.
- Summer Session processing
SISS processes and assists continuing international students interested in taking UC Davis Summer Session courses.
- Admitted students on temporary leave
Visa and immigration assistance and information for admitted students on temporary leave from UC Davis.Through orientation sessions, optional courses and other programs and services, SISS helps international students understand, adapt to their new home away from home, prepare for success, and become part of the community. These programs include the Global Ambassador Mentorship Program, which helps international undergraduate students feel comfortable at UC Davis and learn more about American culture. Mentors in the program provide mentorship and, most importantly, friendship to help new international students excel in their new lives as UC Davis students.
The unit provides services for one year after degree completion for students on Optional Practical Training (OPT), which is temporary employment directly related to an F-1 students' major area of study. For students in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this OPT period of support can last up to three years after degree completion. Federal regulation requires that—during this entire time—SISS continues to provide these services and timely reporting on a growing amount of personal information. SISS provides similar services after degree completion to J-1 students on Academic Training.
- What is the refund policy?
There are no refunds beyond the first day of the term (quarter or semester, depending on the student's program). Students who paid the International Student Administrative Fee and subsequently withdraw, take a leave through the Planned Educational Leave Program, or take a leave of absence with official approval before the term's start, may request a full refund. Refunds are only granted if the request is submitted before the first day of the term. Any refund requests received on or after the start of the term will be granted only on a highly exceptional basis. Refund requests should be sent to siss@ucdavis.edu.
Some or all instruction for all or part of the academic year may be delivered remotely. Tuition and fees have been set regardless of the method of instruction and will not be refunded in the event instruction occurs remotely for any part of the academic year. Figures for tuition and fees represent currently approved or proposed amounts and may not be final. Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California as determined to be necessary or appropriate. Final approved tuition and fee levels may differ from the amounts presented.