Financial Support Letter Guidance
This information is provided to departments to assist in sending letters of financial support to newly admitted applicants.
The information below should be used beginning Fall 2025. We are grateful for your patience and partnership as we worked to create a unified financial support template for admitted UC San Diego PhD, DMA, and MFA students for the current 26-27 admissions cycle. The financial support template is now available - details were emailed to you on 11/12/25.
Doctoral & MFA Programs
Program-Specific Financial Support Letters
All programs that send financial support letters to admitted Doctoral and MFA applicants are required to use the template shared via email when creating their program-specific financial support letters. The template includes standardized non-modifiable language as well as modifiable sections for department use. If you are unable to locate the email (sent on 11/12/25) containing this template, please reach out to your GEPA admissions liaison or email gradadmissions@ucsd.edu with your request.
Please review the following information in full:
Financial support letters may only be sent after the applicant has been officially admitted by GEPA (i.e., after the GEPA offer of admission has been sent).
Financial support letters may only be sent through Slate. For information on how to send a letter through Slate, see Email an Individual Applicant in Slate.
Timeline of Communications to Newly Admitted Applicants
Doctoral & MFA programs may opt-in to have a nomination message sent out via Slate. You have received this google form via email. Please email your GEPA Admissions liaison if you are unable to locate this information in your email. Programs may not send their own, unique nomination notices to applicants.
Offer of Admission from the GEPA Dean is sent through Slate by GEPA.
Program-Specific Financial Support Letter is sent through Slate by program. This letter may only be sent once the applicant has been formally admitted by GEPA. It can no longer be sent prior to an applicant receiving their formal offer of admission via Slate. For information on how to send a letter through Slate, see Email an Individual Applicant in Slate.
All other degree programs
Summary Table
| Doctoral & MFA New Admits | Doctoral & MFA Readmission Students | All Masters and Professional Degree Admits |
|---|---|---|---|
Can we send applicants a notice when they have been nominated, before GEPA has processed & admitted them? | No, but you may opt-in to the automated notice sent through Slate. | N/A (as these applicants are not nominated/admitted in the typical way) | No |
Do we have to use the GEPA-provided template when sending out financial/funding information to our admits? | Yes | Yes | No |
Do we have to use Slate when we send financial/funding information to our admits? | Yes | Not required but strongly recommended | Not required but strongly recommended |
Do we have to wait until after an applicant has been admitted (not simply nominated) to send financial/funding information? | Yes | N/A (as these applicants are not nominated/admitted in the typical way) | Yes |
Resources:
Review the recording and slides for the October GEPA Admissions | Graduate Coordinator Meeting.
Departments are welcome to consult with GEPA on the letter as follows:
Financial support policy: graduatedean@ucsd.edu
Financial support implementation: gradfinance@ucsd.edu
Letter issuance mechanics: gradadmissions@ucsd.edu