Does UC Berkeley offer full scholarships to undergrads?

UC Berkeley is a fantastic public university, but full-ride scholarships for undergraduates are extremely rare, especially for out-of-state and international students. Most financial aid Berkeley offers is need-based and reserved for California residents. The two major programs, the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan and the Middle Class Scholarship, apply only to in-state students who meet certain income requirements.

For out-of-state and international students, Berkeley generally does not provide institutional aid that covers the full cost of attendance. There are a few merit-based awards, such as the Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship, but these usually cover only a portion of tuition and sometimes come with perks like priority registration or small stipends. They do not typically add up to a full-ride, especially when factoring in the higher non-resident tuition.

That said, I did know some out-of-state students who received funding through Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) scholarships. Because these are federal grants, it did not matter that they weren’t California residents, and some were awarded between $10,000 and $20,000 in support. Opportunities like this—while competitive—show that external or federally funded scholarships can make a meaningful difference.

From my own experience, I know the scholarship process can feel overwhelming. When I was applying, I spent weeks of my winter breaks writing scholarship essays—long before AI tools could help. On average, maybe one in four applications worked out, and sometimes it was closer to one in eight. But the effort paid off. Over time, I learned how to write efficiently and target the right opportunities, and by my later years at Berkeley I had earned enough in scholarships (about $26,000) to be completely financially independent from my family.

That’s why I encourage students not to get discouraged. There really is a “listed price” and a “real price” for college, and scholarships are one of the most powerful tools to close that gap. I’ve seen students go into debt by not budgeting carefully or assuming aid isn’t possible, and I’ve also seen students, like myself, graduate debt-free by hustling for scholarships and smart financial planning.

If you’re serious about Berkeley but worried about costs, I can help. The same writing skills you’ll use for your UC application essays translate directly to strong scholarship essays. Together we can work on strategies that not only increase your chances of admission, but also help you build financial support once you’re in.

In summary: UC Berkeley rarely offers full-ride scholarships to undergraduates, particularly out-of-state or international students. Most in-house aid is California-specific. But if you are proactive about external scholarships, including federally funded programs like FLAS, and strategic with your applications, you can significantly reduce your costs—and I can guide you in developing those essay and application skills to make that possible.