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Academic Continuity Fund

Academic Continuity Fund

Academic Continuity Fund

Overview

The Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) created an Academic Continuity Fund to provide one-time, non-recurring financial assistance to a graduate student who encounters an unexpected gap in funding that threatens their ability to remain enrolled and make academic progress. The fund is designed to uphold UC San Diego’s commitment to supporting academic persistence and timely degree completion for graduate students with clear financial need. This program will assist in cases where external or expected funding sources are unexpectedly lost, and where no other departmental or discretionary resources are immediately available. 

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Academic Continuity Fund, students must meet the following criteria:

  1. Enrollment: Be enrolled full-time in an MFA or PhD program at UC San Diego.

  2. Standing: Be in good academic standing and within the first three years of an MFA program or the first five years of a PhD program. Exceptions will be considered for students where their academic progress exceeds this timeline for compelling reasons. Priority will be given to students who are near completion of their degrees.

  3. Funding Circumstances: Demonstrate financial need, such as:

    • Termination of an existing external grant or fellowship that previously supported the student.

    • Non-renewal of an existing external grant or fellowship that previously supported the student and that otherwise received positive reviews and scoring.

  4. Exhausted Department/Program Resources: The home Department/Program must confirm that all available funds have been committed and that there are no discretionary or alternative funding sources to support the student during the quarter in question.

School and Department Responsibilities

Department/Program initiating a request for support must:

  • Certify that the student is in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward their degree.

  • Confirm that no internal or discretionary funds are available to support the student during the quarter in question, and thus there is unambiguous financial need.

  • Submit relevant form via the Kuali system, including a brief justification and evidence of funding loss.

  • The form will be routed to the Department Chair/Program Director and the School Assistant Dean, who must also confirm that no School funds are available to support the student during the quarter in question.

Award Parameters

  • Funding will be provided for one academic quarter only.

  • The amount of coverage will include tuition and fees plus stipend at the level of the current first-year support of $37,500/9-months. The maximum amount that can be requested is $12,500 (one quarter of support excluding NRST). Non-resident supplemental tuition (NRST) will not be covered because these funds are provided through  GSGEI and post-candidacy waivers.

  • If the original grant/fellowship that previously supported the student becomes available during the quarter, the grant/fellowship funds will be used as soon as they are available. 

  • Each student is eligible for a single award through this program (i.e., it is non-renewable).

  • Funding is subject to annual budgetary availability within GEPA.

Application and Review Process

The application process will be initiated by the student’s department and routed through the following approval workflow:

  1. Submission via Kuali: Department/Program submits the request and required documentation. Requests should be received by GEPA as soon as the funding gap has been identified.

  2. Approval by Department Chair/Program Director: Department Chair/Program Director reviews and confirms the need for funds.

  3. Approval by School Assistant Dean: Assistant Dean of the School reviews and confirms the need for funds and attests to department not having other discretionary funds to cover.

  4. Review by FSU and EVC/AAFA: The Financial Support Unit (FSU) reviews for compliance with eligibility and fund availability. The Office of Academic Affairs Finance and Administration (AAFA) will also review.

  5. Approval by GEPA Dean: GEPA Dean reviews and makes final approval.