We strive to provide support for every facet of graduate student life here at UC Santa Barbara. Find housing, health and wellness, academic counseling, and resources for student parents to help you thrive as you pursue your academic, social, and career goals.
If you have more questions about graduate student resources:
Housing
UCSB offers two family housing complexes for graduate students, featuring 1- and 2-bedroom apartments located about a mile from the center of campus. Priority is given to families with children, and it is recommended that interested students apply for the waitlist as soon as possible--even prior to admittance--to ensure placement. First and second-year graduate students can be accommodated at San Clemente Villages, UCSB’s housing community for single graduate students. Single student housing is available for the first year to new students as long as they meet annual application deadlines.
Health and Wellness
UCSB Student Health provides exceptional, inclusive, compassionate, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare services to promote health and well-being in order to empower students to thrive throughout their university experience. They offer a variety of medical services including dental care, vision care, and urgent care, as well as laboratory testing and pharmacy services.
All graduate students have access to the campus gym and swimming facilities at the UCSB Recreation Center. You can also receive discounts on group fitness classes with your student ID. UCSB Student Health & Wellness provides a weekly Drop-In Wellness Center at the Graduate Student Lounge.
Academic and Writing Support
Our Graduate Division Academic Counselor supports students throughout their academic journey with in-person meetings, phone meetings, and workshops. Areas of support include academic goal setting and planning, communication and conflict resolution skills, time management, balancing personal difficulties, and confidence-building strategies.
Our Academic, Professional, and Technical Graduate Writing Development Director will work on any type of writing in any stage of development. This includes academic documents (e.g., class papers and dissertations) and personal documents (e.g., grant applications and cover letters), and tailored feedback to help students achieve the larger goals of the writing document related to issues of genre appropriateness, clarity, concision, and academic/industry standards.
Parent Resources
Graduate student parents have access to several financial resources to offset childcare expenses. The Graduate Student Association offers quarterly childcare grants to all eligible graduate students. Academic student employees and graduate student researchers can take advantage of the childcare reimbursement program as well as a dependent childcare flexible spending account. Our community is home to many social networks and groups geared toward supporting student families, like our Graduate Student Parent Facebook Group and organizations like Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP). Parents of children with special education needs can reach out to the Santa Barbara Tri Counties Regional Center in order to set up support and services.
Mental Health Resources
UCSB Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) mission is to assist Student Affairs and the University in helping the student body achieve academically, socially, and personally through culturally responsive mental health services. CAPS is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment to ensure that all students remain psychologically healthy in pursuit of their goals. All registered students are eligible for services at CAPS. Students can also avail of resources and counseling from UCSB Student Mental Health Coordination Services and UCSB Student Health.
Basic Needs Resources
There are many campus resources and services to help provide students with basic needs. The Associated Students Food Bank provides food resources and toiletries. UCSB Student Affairs, along with other campus partners, curates a Basic Needs Resources page to provide connections to food, housing, internships, and financial help. The Graduate Student Association also provides advocacy and connections to resources specifically for graduate students.
Transportation
Drivers need to contact the UCSB Parking and Transportation Services about parking permits, as well as the free Graduate Night & Weekend Pass. The free pass allows parking on campus for graduate students Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. the next morning, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Biking is the main mode of transportation for UCSB students. If you live within two miles of campus, you cannot get a day parking permit (unless you work more than 45% time), so bring a bike with you or look for a used one on Craigslist. All public transportation is easily accessible by Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District bus line stops located on campus.
The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) serves those who commute to UCSB by foot, skateboard, bicycle, bus, carpool, vanpool or train. TAP provides up to 6 days of complimentary parking per quarter, along with many other benefits.