Graduate Program Information

Resources for Enrolled Students

Reinventing the Wheel

After completing coursework, orals, and writing a prospectus, many students spend a semester or a year doing research away from Berkeley.

This can affect your status at the university, and requires some planning ahead. Following are questions students often ask before traveling.

Revised October 13, 2008

Q: Should I register for the year that I'm away?

A: Some fellowships require that you be enrolled at Berkeley as a requirement for receiving funds. If your fellowship requires this, you should register for 12 units of Dissertation Research (History 296). If your research requires you to remain outside of California, you can apply for a 50% reduction in the University Registration Fee portion of the in-state fees (saving $216). See Mabel for an application or go to 318 Sproul.

However, most students who are not required to be enrolled withdraw from the university and go on "approved travel status," because you do not need to pay registration fees while you are withdrawn. Use TeleBears to cancel your registration before the beginning of the term of withdrawal. International students must obtain the approval of the BIO office before withdrawing.

Q: What about my loans?

If you have UCB loans, there are a few more steps. You must go to the Loans & Receivables Office in 192 University Hall for an exit interview. Since you will no longer be an enrolled student, you will theoretically be required to start repaying your student loans. To get a deferral, contact each individual lender (i.e. Stafford, Perkins, your bank, etc.) long before you leave. This may avoid costly phone calls from abroad to clear your status. Most lenders will grant a deferral while you have fellowship support; ask for the Education Related Deferment Request form. Some may request a department letter verifying your status. Deferments only apply to fellowships that will provide a minimum of six months support. Definitely ask your lender(s) for written confirmation that they have accepted your deferral request. Fellowship deferral often time does not defer the summer months.

Q: How will I receive my fellowship checks?

A: EFT (electronic funds transfer) is available if you're registered and available to withdrawn students only if their fellowship is awarded for travel. It is important that you cancel your registration using TeleBears before the start of the semester in which you begin your travel status. If your last effective EFT was not set up for fellowship stipend, you must complete a new EFT form. The alternative is Loans & Receivables will hold your check for pick-up.

Q: Do I lose my health insurance if I'm not registered?

A: Yes, since your health insurance is paid for from your registration fees. However, you may buy health insurance from the university for the period you are away. The fees as of 2008 are $1579 per semester. Mabel will provide you with a letter to enable you to purchase the insurance. Students are limited to two semesters of health insurance while on withdrawn status.

For a summary of benefits go to http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/students/insurance/AtAGlance.html.

Fall semester coverage is from August 15 - January 14. Spring semester is from January 14 - August 14.

Students who feel they need additional coverage sometimes buy traveler's health insurance from travel agencies such as STA Travel or Council Travel.

Q: Do I lose my residency status if I leave the state?

A: You will automatically be reclassified as out-of-state by the residency office when you withdraw. When you apply for readmission, you will also fill out a form for residency. Include a copy of your fellowship award letter and a copy of your visa, if applicable. Since your absence from the state was necessary for educational purposes, you are eligible to be reclassified as a California resident.

While you are away, you can help maintain your residency status by keeping your local bank account open, using a California address as your permanent address on UC records, filing a CA income tax form, keeping your CA drivers license and car registration current, making sure to obtain an absentee ballot and voting while you are away. To get an absentee ballot, call the Registrar of Voters.

Q: How do I get my W-2 form so I can pay my taxes while I'm away?

A: Complete a new Personal Data Form with your forwarding address with the history account office, 3226 Dwinelle. W-2 statements are normally mailed out at the end of January. If you need to request a duplicate contact Payroll at (510) 642-1336. Active employees can obtain a duplicate at https://blu.berkeley.edu. You should think about how you will get any other necessary tax records before you go, and notify your financial institutions and employers where to send tax-related documents. Taxes are still due April 15 even if you're away. Estimated tax payments are also due as usual. Embassies and USIS have tax forms overseas.

Fulbright grantees who are out of the US for 330 out of 365 days may be exempt from US taxes. Get the IRS form Scholarships and Fellowships.

Q: What about my mail received in the department?

A: If you receive journals or newsletters on a regular basis, please give them your new forwarding address or else delete yourself from their mailing list until you return. Please do not forward your personal mail to the History department.

Q: Do I lose my e-mail account if I'm not enrolled? Can I use it while away?

A: User and Account Services will notify you by email when your account is about to expire.

If you are leaving the Bay Area and want to use your e-mail account you should use the CalMail web interface at: http://calmail.berkeley.edu. You can receive an extension of your email account for 2 years while on withdrawn statust. Ask Mabel to extend your account. Otherwise, sign up for an account with a free email service like Gmail. You can set your UCB account to forward all incoming e-mail to your second account. (Choose "mail forwarding" from The Post Office menu.) Be sure to find out if they have local access numbers in the area where you will be staying, and ask if there are any surcharges for using the service overseas, if applicable.

Q: Can I get business cards from UC?

A: Yes, for a fee. There is a form to fill out with several choices of styles for business cards with the University of California seal. Get the form from Ellen Thompson, 3307 Dwinelle. It takes at least 3 weeks for the cards to arrive.

Q: Should I get a letter of introduction to use the archives I'm going to visit?

A: An excellent idea. Fill out a form on line at: http://history.berkeley.edu/graduate/students/letter.html. Deborah Kerlegon in 3305 Dwinelle will prepare a letter saying you are a graduate student at the department, describing your dissertation topic, and asking that you be granted access to the archives. It takes 5 working days for the letter to be available.

Some archives are restricted. For example, to use the archives at the German Foreign Ministry, you must have a letter of introduction from the American Embassy. Be sure to contact the archives you plan to visit well in advance of your trip to introduce yourself, describe your project, and ask questions about their collections and usage policies. Some US archives even offer small travel grants.

Q: I have 500 library books checked out. Should I return them?

A: Yes. Many students forget to do this, and those fines add up fast. To return books by mail, send to Circulation Dept., Doe Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000.

If you wish to purchase a library card while on withdrawn status, get a letter from Mabel and pay Doe $25 for a library card valid for 6 months. This will allow you access to on-line resources.

Q: I'm going abroad. Anything else I should know?

A: Passports and visas: Make sure that your passport will not expire before the end of your trip, or get a new one before you go (this can take 4-6 weeks, or ten days if you pay extra for rush service). Check visa requirements for your country. Many countries that do not require a visa for tourists do require a visa for stays longer than three months. To get a student visa, you may need a letter from the department, and may have to pay a fee. Call the consulate for your country for more information. Do this as early as possible; obtaining a student visa for France, for example, can take several months! Once in-country, you may be required to register with the local authorities and even get a medical exam. It's a good idea to let the US Embassy know your local address and travel plans in case of emergency.

Foreign Students: Those with F1 or J1 visas withdrawing from the university must notify the foreign student advisers at I-House. Contact I-House for a visa before your return. E-mail: siss@berkeley.edu (Services for Int'l Students and Scholars).

Computers: You may wish to get an insurance policy that covers your computer in case of theft. Also check whether you have a power source that will be compatible with the electric current in your country, and if not, what kind of converter you need. (This applies to printers too.) If you are planning to use a modem overseas, you may need to get a telephone adapter plug for your phone cord. Power surges are fairly common in some countries, so pick up a surge suppressor once you are abroad. American ones are made for 110 current and don't work with 220 or 240 current. Small lightweight single units are available that can handle a notebook computer and a modem line. Computer locks can bring peace of mind on archive lunch breaks.

Backups are essential to protect your hard-earned data. Make copies often, keep some separately from your computer, and you might an external hard drive or blank CD or DVD media to facilitate backing up. Emailing files to yourself, to a secondary free email account, or to a friend are also possibilities for backing up important files. There are also storage sites on the internet where you can upload your files. That way, if your computer and all your disks go missing, you still have copies of your work. Stranger things have happened.

Money: How you access your US account while overseas depends on the services available in your country. With the American Express card, you may go to any AmEx office, write a personal check drawn on your US bank, and they will cash it for you in local currency. Many ATM cards are accepted at machines abroad, sometimes with a surcharge, but at a good exchange rate; ask your bank. Credit Unions don't charge an ATM fee. You can also send a large check to your credit card company ahead of time, and use the card to draw against that balance. Travelers checks are the most widely accepted, although cumbersome for very long trips.

Finally, even though the rate isn't very good, get $50-100 in local currency from a US bank before you leave. It will smooth your entry with airport fees, taxis, and a few meals while you get oriented. (This is especially important if you'll arrive on a weekend.)

Housing: Most students find housing through word of mouth, so start asking around. In addition, you might inquire at local universities, check newsletters that serve the academic community, and try the internet. There are web sites that carry free classifieds for housing in some countries.

Vaccinations: Get any required vaccinations, and keep a record with you. Some must be given weeks before travel. Be sure to factor immunizations into your travel budget. Shots and preventive medicines for some parts of the world can run into the hundreds of dollars, and are not covered by SHIP.

Phone: Check out internet-based telephone options such as Skype (http://www.skype.com) or calling cards for inexpensive ways to phone the United States from abroad. You may also want to look into pre-paid or pay-as-you-go cellular phones in the country you visit.

Student ID: Your UC ID won't help at most places, but you can get an International Student Identity Card from STA Travel or Council Travel that gets you discounts on travel, museums, and the like and includes a small amount of traveler's medical insurance.

Q: How do I resume my enrolled status when I return?

A: The application for readmission is available on the Graduate Divison website (http://www.grad.berkeley.edu). The application is due by April 15 for the fall semester or August 15 for the spring. Send the completed from to Mabel for Department signature.

If you're not sure whether you'll be ready to enroll again, wait until you're sure, so you don't lose the $60 processing fee. Late re-admission applications signed by the department may be accepted.

Q: What about applying for fellowships or GSI positions for when I return?