* Costs will vary based on personal needs, spending habits, and living accommodations and may not be reflected in your actual expenses.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Subsidized Unpaid Interns Program (SUIP)

SUIP will provide UCDC students $1,000 if their internship is unpaid or make up the difference if it pays less than $1,000. In line with the mission of UCDC to make it possible for all UC students to participate in the program, the goal of this initiative is to provide pay equity among students, most of who give up campus jobs and face a number of opportunity costs to attend UCDC.

Financial Aid

All UCDC Participants are encouraged to complete a FAFSA by the State’s priority deadline in early March (the year prior to UCDC participation) to ensure that you are considered for any financial aid for which you may be eligible.

Financial aid will be applied as if you were taking the equivalent units on campus in Davis (summer session students must take the internship for credit to be eligible for aid). See our Financial Aid page for more details. 

The UCD Financial Aid Office adjusts aid awards to meet the increase in the cost of the Washington Program (UCDC). Upon selection, UCDC will provide participant names to the Financial Aid Office, who will recalculate awards based on the increased UCDC budget. 

Other Scholarship Opportunities

The Washington Program offers other needs-based scholarships funded through generous contributions from donors. To see what scholarships are currently being offered along with application deadlines, see our Scholarships & Fellowships page.

Program Costs

Tuition & Fees

For the academic year program, university tuition & fees for the Washington Program are the same as a regular quarter on campus.

**For the summer program, you will only need to pay tuition and fees only if you desire to receive academic credit for your internship. The cost of tuition and fees are outlined on the UCDC website. 

Housing Costs

All students accepted to the Washington Program must pay the UCDC housing cost. The Washington Center is a great home for UC students participating in the Washington Program! Housing includes fully furnished shared apartments within the UCDC Center, a fully-equipped kitchen, and other accommodations. For more information, please see the Housing page.

Housing costs are divided up into three payments which begin in the month of arrival and are due on the 15th of each subsequent month (e.g. if a student is participating in the summer program, the first housing payment will be due on June 15th, July 15th, and August 15th).

For financial aid students, any housing cost not covered fully by your packaged financial aid will be due prior to arrival in Washington DC.

Airfare

Roundtrip airfare to Washington DC varies widely dependent upon a variety of factors such as how soon you book travel, which airline you select, and the airports you travel to and from. Accepted students should buy their tickets as soon as they are able to ensure better pricing options. Check out Google Flight Finder, Travelocity, Hotwire, and Expedia for easy flight searching. Preferred arrival airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Expect to spend around $40-80 on an Uber/Lyft/taxi traveling to the UCDC Center from the airport.

Local Transportation

The UC Washington Center provides a metro card for students to use to get around D.C.! However, also consider the costs of whatever special trips you want to take while in DC (taxi, bus, train, etc). 

Personal Expenses

Washington DC has an endless supply of restaurants, bars, shows, and more! While some of these options are more expensive than others, there are many fun things to do on a budget. Keep an eye out for fun and inexpensive things to do around the city (festivals, talks, museum exhibits, etc). Also, carry your student ID with you so you can take advantage of student discounts offered by theaters, museums, and other DC organizations.

Health Insurance

You may maintain usage of your current health insurance provided your insurance covers out of state/network care. Please check with your health insurance providers for details. Students enrolled in the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) may continue to use it while participating in the UCDC program.