Living Allowances
Faculty sponsors and departments that wish to provide a Visiting Scholar (VS) or Visiting Student Researcher (VSR) with UC Berkeley funding to supplement living expenses may do so. Per UCOP APM-430 policy, visitors are not eligible for salary or wages but may be provided with supplementary support in the form of a living allowance, travel and research-related reimbursements. These payments are reviewed and approved by the VSPA.
A request for a living allowance may be initiated once the scholar’s application has been submitted in the VSPA Gateway system. Approval of the allowance stipend will be approved after the University Services Fee has been paid and local residency has been confirmed by VSPA staff.
- Effective October 1, 2025: The annual maximum Living Allowance Stipend is $40,000.
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Effective November 1, 2025, requests to exceed the $40,000 stipend cap must be approved by the relevant Dean or the Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR), if the VCRO administers the sponsoring unit. General cost-of-living concerns will no longer qualify as a justification.
- Exceptional approval to exceed the annual maximum must first be obtained from the relevant Dean or the Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR) if VCRO oversees the unit. The approval memo must be included with the stipend request form in the VSPA Gateway system at the time of submission.
- Payments must be scheduled to be paid during the scholar’s appointment dates via the BearBUY system; the travel/reimbursement system is not the appropriate system for stipend payments for visiting scholars and visiting student researchers.
- Visiting scholars or visiting student researchers must reside locally and have an active appointment. Confirmation of local residency in the Berkeley area is required before a stipend can be issued.
- Retroactive payments are not allowed. Scholars who reside outside of the San Francisco Bay Area are not eligible for living allowances.
- Please allow ample review time when submitting a request and refrain from submitting a payment request on the same day.
- Honorarium: Visiting Scholars may receive an honorarium, which is a one-time payment granted in recognition of a special service or distinguished achievement for which propriety precludes setting a fixed price, such as a special lecture, participation in a workshop, panel discussion, or similar activities. This payment must be processed as a stipend through VSPA's Gateway system.
Foreign Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers:
- If a Visiting Scholar or Visiting Student Researcher is a visa holder, they must register with the GLACIER/Foreign Tax Compliance System. A GLACIER record is required for foreign nationals receiving a living allowance payment from their faculty host.
- Under US tax regulations, stipends and travel paid to visiting scholars are considered taxable income to the scholar. If you are a U.S. citizen, we recommend consulting a tax advisor to confirm the impact of these regulations on your individual tax situation. If you are a non-US citizen, we recommend that you consult with Glacier, the advisory firm engaged by the University of California
- BRS Partners: For non-VSPA visitors (Staff Volunteer) on B Visas please refer to Glacier's website regarding payments for "usual academic activity" and UCOP's policy on honorariums. Please also refer to BIO's website on B Visas for further information.
If you do not currently have Disbursement Preparer access in Gateway, your supervisor should send an email request to vspa@berkeley.edu authorizing the access. New users can refer to our stipend user guide for assistance.
Changes to approved living allowance request payment schedules or amounts may be made by the BRS Human Resources partner before the request is approved. Once the request is approved, requested changes may be sent to vspa@berkeley.edu and the VSPA will make the change.