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

**The University of California Regents mandate that all students be covered by a health insurance plan. All full and part-time undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in and charged for the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) unless they choose to submit an online insurance waiver confirming they have comparable health insurance coverage to the Health Center. Please note that a waiver of the UC SHIP may result in adjustments to awarded aid.

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. 

Housing Cost

All students accepted to the Washington Program must pay the UCDC housing cost. For students not receiving financial aid, housing payment deadlines are scheduled throughout the quarter preceding the quarter of participation. For financial aid students, any housing cost not covered fully by your packaged financial aid will be due prior to arrival in Washington DC.

The Washington Center is a great home for UC students that provides all the necessities for living in Washington, DC for a quarter including a furnished room, fully-equipped kitchen, and other accommodations. For more information, please see the Housing page.

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. 

Airfare

Students that fly to DC will have air travel costs which can vary widely and get more expensive the sooner it is to your departure. Be sure to purchase your tickets as early as possible! Also, expect to spend around $40-80 getting to the UCDC Center from the airport. Check out Travelocity, Hotwire, and Expedia for easy flight searching. 

Fees posted here are estimates based on currently approved amounts. Actual tuition, fees, and other charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California and could be affected by State funding reductions. Accordingly, final approved levels (and thus a student's final balance due) may differ from the amounts shown. 

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.