Budgeting & Personal Finance Resources
Living in the Bay Area can be expensive when you're competing for rent with 6-figure-salaried tech bros. Below, we've compiled a non-exhaustive list of resources that may be helpful to you for saving money in graduate school, from paying off undergraduate student loans to personal budgeting via Excel.
Please reach out to the current Beast Webmaster if you know any additional resources that would be helpful to other students!
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Sample Student Budget
Created by a former student, this budget template can help you calculate how much your cost of living might be during graduate school.
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UC Berkeley Basic Needs
The Basic Needs Center team is committed to addressing students’ basic needs, including food security, housing security, and financial stability. All enrolled students including undergraduate, graduate, international and undocumented students are eligible for Basic Needs Center resources and services.
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UCSF Basic Needs for Students
Through a robust model of prevention, intervention, and emergency relief, Basic Needs connects students to critical on- and off-campus resources and provides educational opportunities for students to take personal responsibility for their wellness.
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UCSF Student Financial Services
The UCSF Student Financial Services division offers services to manage student debt, create spending plans, and connect individuals with aid offered by UCSF.
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UCSF BayPass
In Spring 2024, UCSF invited students to join the UCSF BayPass pilot program, providing unlimited travel on any service that uses Clipper (except historic San Francisco Cable Cars, parking, BayWheels and BikeLink). To receive the Clipper BayPass, students must enroll a Clipper card serial number with the program.
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ConnexUC
ConnexUC is the UC's preferred travel platform. ConnexUC negotiates discounts and rewards with major airlines, lodging properties, car rental companies, rail and travel agencies on behalf of UC employees.
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Haas Personal Finance Courses
According to other students, Fred Selinger is a fun lectuerer, and there’s a course specifically tailored for grad students and that's just 2 hours commitment per week.
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Student Discounts
This article from Business Insider lists which brands run student deals.
CalFresh
To apply for CalFresh, start your application at BenefitsCal.
CalFresh is California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. CalFresh is the largest food program in California and provides an essential hunger safety net. CalFresh is federally mandated and in California, is state-supervised and county-operated. The program issues monthly benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which can be used to purchased food at any grocery store or farmers market that accepts EBT cards.
While CalFresh is primarily intended for low-income households, the UC Berkeley-UCSF Bioengineering program is also eligible for CalFresh through its status as a local program to increase employability (LPIE). This basically means that students in BioE are exempt from the standard income requirements that would otherwise make them ineligible to recieve CalFresh benefits. To see a full list of all currently-eligible LPIEs, go here.
Tips for Getting CalFresh:
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BioE PhD students are considered full-time students, regardless of teaching appointments.
- This means we are not working while attending school.
- The program stipend should be reported as financial aid.
- Under "Student Exemptions," make sure to check "Participating in a student employment training program."
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Submitting as many documents as possible will help you substantiate your application.
- UC Berkeley-UCSF BioE Offer Letter
- Paystub from UCSF/Berkeley
- Lease Agreement
- Utility/Tuition Payments
- There is no limit on how many times you can submit a CalFresh application, so if your case is denied the first time, it's worth trying to re-submit again.
While some students have recieved EBT benefits up to $298 a month, it's important to note that each application is processed separately, and that CalFresh case workers may assign amounts differently depending on individual circumstances.
Additional CalFresh Help:
