Program Costs & Financial Support

Program Costs & Financial Support

MPVM Costs and How to Fund Them

Every year, many prospective MPVM students tell us they don’t have adequate funds to cover the cost of the program and their living expenses. We completely empathize with the challenges of funding graduate education. Unfortunately, the MPVM Program does not have the funds to cover all the costs for the students who need and deserve them. We do offer limited financial aid but extremely rarely are we able to fully fund MPVM students and any costs beyond what aid we can provide are your responsibility. 

Costs for the MPVM program

Estimated Fees and Tuition for the UC Davis MPVM program are provided here: 2024-2025 Tuition and Fees.

Other Costs

• SISS International Student Administrative Fee (ISAF). If you will hold a F-1 or J-1 visa, excluding UC Education Abroad and non-UC Davis sponsored students (e.g. Fulbright or Vietnam Education Fund), there is a visa fee. More information is available at https://siss.ucdavis.edu/fees-and-tuition.
• Health insurance is required. UC Davis automatically enrolls you in the UC Davis Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) which costs approximately $2,482 per quarter ($7,446 for the year). You can apply for a waiver if you have equivalent private insurance. You cannot opt out of health insurance - you must either have private insurance or SHIP. Information about the SHIP is available at http://shcs.ucdavis.edu/insurance.
• Living costs. These may include rent, food, utilities, transportation to campus, etc., and will differ for all students.

How to fund the MPVM

• The program has a number of internal fellowships, grants, and other financial support. These do not have to be repaid. They include the Wyland Cripe MPVM Scholarship Fund, the Walter Sadler Scholarship, School of Veterinary Medicine Office of Research and Graduate Education fellowships and return from tuition (based on need and academic excellence).
  • If you apply by our priority deadline, we will let you know in your admission letter whether you are being offered any of these awards. You don’t need to do anything else to apply for them.
• Apply to external fellowships before you begin the MPVM Program:  There are many external scholarship and fellowship programs that prospective applicants can apply to before beginning the program, like the Fulbright Program or CalTech. UC Davis Graduate Studies Find External Fellowships site is a great place to begin your search for external funding.  Additionally, the Institute of International Education (IIE) maintains a list of funding opportunities. Students can reach out to the UC Davis External Fellowships Analyst, Adriane Boykin, for further guidance on the process.
• Graduate Student Researcher (GSR): Rarely, students may obtain work as a GSR. These are jobs in the labs of a faculty member who has grant or other money to hire a student. It is generally unrealistic to expect a GSR position. During the first MPVM year, faculty don’t yet know you well enough to hire you and you are pretty busy in class making it difficult to commit much time to the research needs of the lab.
• Teaching Assistant (TA): Some MPVM students work as a TA. To teach in vet school classes, you must have taken the class already and done well, so typically you can only teach in those classes after you finish your first year in MPVM. However, there are numerous undergraduate courses on campus that hire TAs and they often love our MPVM students. An advantage to working as a TA is that, in addition to stipend, it pays the in-state portion of your tuition and fees.
• Working as a veterinarian or assistant: If you have or are eligible for a California license to practice veterinary medicine, our students often pick up emergency, weekend, or night shifts to cover some costs.
• Student Loans: Domestic and permanent-resident students may be eligible for student loans to cover educational and living costs. To apply for Federal Direct Loans, complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/. The UC Davis federal school code is 001313. See below for types of loans.
• GSSP: This is a fellowship program administered by School of Veterinary Medicine, Office of Research and Graduate Education. You may be eligible in your second year of MPVM if you apply when the call is announced.

Types of Loans

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan: The fixed interest rate starts accruing upon disbursement; principal and interest payments start six months after dropping below half time. Students may be eligible up to $20,500. For additional information and fixed interest rates for the current academic year please see Loans for Graduate Students.
• Graduate Plus Loan: Graduate Plus borrowers may borrow up to the cost of attendance for the period of enrollment, minus other estimated financial assistance received for the period of enrollment. A modified credit check is required; applicants who are not credit-worthy may use an endorser who does meet the credit requirements. For additional information and fixed interest rates for the current academic year please see Loans for Graduate Students.
• Alternative Loan: Alternative education loans (also known as private loans) are an option for financing your education. Please visit the Alternative Student Loan section on the Financial Aid and Scholarships site for more information. International students may also seek an alternative loan by selecting International as your program when viewing options on the Financial Aid and Scholarships private lender list. Please be advised, any student seeking an alternative loan may need to seek a cosigner for loan approval.

Some Fine Print, and Notes on Funding

• Fellowship recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the MPVM curriculum or financial support will be discontinued.
• Total annual loan amount may not exceed a student’s cost of attendance.
• Direct specific questions about financial aid eligibility or awards to Graduate Financial Aid Services, 1100 Dutton Hall, phone (530) 752-9246 or e-mail gradfinaid@ucdavis.edu.
• International students are not eligible for student loans (possible exception may be an alternative loan with co-signer).
• International students:  Under Internal Revenue Service Code 1441, scholarship or fellowship payment may be subject to nonresident alien withholding tax.
• The United States has income tax treaties with a number of foreign countries under which residents of those countries are taxed at a reduced rate or are exempt from U.S. income taxes. To receive the benefit of the treaty, you complete IRS Form W-8BEN and submit it to Student Accounting by the indicated deadline. For further U.S. nonresident tax information, refer to the Student Accounting Office web site.
• The tuition, fees, and charges posted here are estimates based on currently approved amounts. These figures may not be final; actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California or, as authorized, by the President of the University of California. Accordingly, final approved levels and charges may differ from the amounts shown.