Post by Lucas Silva, GIC Peer Mentor 2021
Traveling to the US to start graduate studies is thrilling but can also be worrisome and tiring (more so during a pandemic). This is especially the case with the additional responsibilities of carrying for dependents, who have their own challenges with the change to a new home in a different culture. Here I’ll try to address some of the things I considered most important regarding family/dependents: healthcare, education, and leisure.
Healthcare
As a graduate student, you will likely either have some sort of fellowship, teacher assistant, or research assistant position. Usually, these already cover the UCSHIP, the university’s excellent health care insurance for its students, and you end up paying just a small copay fee when using most services (I highly recommend the chiropractors). For most kinds of appointments, including dental, there are on-campus appointments, which is awesome because you can just walk there.
The struggle is really about health care for your dependents. To add a partner and a child/children to UCSHIP you would need to pay about $4,815.28 per quarter [link], in addition to copay fees. An alternative option I believe might be better is through the subsidized program Medi-Cal [link]. It offers free or lower-cost health insurance and excellent services as well.
The process for getting this coverage does demand some effort and back-and-forth paperwork. It is also based on family income and analysis, so it can be a bit complicated. Although you have the option to apply online [link], I suggest going to a social services agency nearby where they guide you through the process and answer your questions. You can find a map of available agencies here. You can go alone, but make sure you take all the required documents. You will have to wait in line for a few minutes and fill out several forms, but the attendants are really understanding and helpful.
It seems that children tend to get complete free coverage, while adults get limited free coverage (e.g., only emergency). After this process, you will be guided to choose a health care provider and primary care group/physician where you can schedule your medical appointments.
There are also clinics that are subsidized for low-income families and charge low enough fees for appointments. They are in surrounding cities and can be a good option for a partner’s health needs (e.g., UCI Health and Family Health Center in Santa Ana).
Education
Irvine’s public education system is considered one of the best in the country. My daughter is starting school this Fall, but friends with older children have told me how they are impressed by Irvine’s schools and education system. You can find more information on the school district website here.
For younger kids, UCI has five on-campus childcare facilities that are extremely well reputable. They vary per child’s age range and can be a little costly (prices here). There is a subsidized program for child enrollment if both parents are students or are working. There is also the possibility of a thousand dollars reimbursement per quarter if a parent is a teacher or research assistant [link].
Leisure
One of the perks of grad life with dependents is having fun with family and taking some time together for wellbeing and recharging. I won’t go too much into details of all the leisure possibilities around because there are just so many options! There are also thousands of internet guides on top things to do in South California for fun, adventure, relaxing, etc. It is also fun going through them to plan your family activities. I’ll then just list a few things relatively close that my family enjoys doing somewhat regularly.
- Visit close parks. Irvine was elected as among top 10 US cities with best park quality and accessibility. It has so many, and all are nice. I’ll list a couple we go to a lot!
- Aldrich Park. It is in the middle of campus and is beautiful! It also has lots of rabbits and grass for picnics or just playing around.
- Irvine Regional Park. About a thirty-minute drive from campus housing. It also has a small zoo and small train ride for a fee. Due to distance, it might be ideal for spending a day or half.
- Pretend City Museum. Interesting for small children. It has 17 small versions of city buildings (market, mail station, dental clinic, etc.). There is a $13.75 fee for each adult or child, or you can purchase annual memberships.
- Beaches! There are so many options as close as a 10-minute drive. One we enjoyed was Christal Cove and highly recommend it. We see many families there and for the most part it doesn’t get crowded.
I know this blog post is not even close to addressing all the nuances of graduate life with dependents, but I hope it helped to give a direction on three topics I considered to be a few of the most important. Feel free to contact me if you want any more information on these topics or anything else related to graduate life while having dependents. I am sure you and your family will have a great time exploring Irvine and California!