Employee Incentive Award Programs: 2026-2027

Read about employee incentive award programs and link to guidelines for eligibility and processing for 2026-2027.

Employee incentive awards recognize and reward excellence in University service. Incentive awards may be cash or noncash. 

Award submissions will be accepted effective October 26, 2026 through May 28, 2027

Submitting an Award Request: Department Review

To submit a STAR Award, please complete a UCSD STAR Award Payment Authorization Form (Excel Template). 

• Verify eligibility prior to submission. Compensation will complete an additional eligibility review.
• Fill out the authorization form completely for each recipient. Please maintain the current formatting to help us process your awards as quickly as possible.
• When possible, please combine award requests on one spreadsheet to eliminate the potential for duplicate awards.
• Confirmation of VC approval shall be documented by departments on the authorization form. 
• E-mail completed form to compensation@ucsd.edu. Include in your e-mail Department Head/Chair or Business Officer approval. 

Budget and Funding

• Allowable Sources: STAR awards cannot be paid from accounts currently in or projected to be in deficit. When and where available, alternative funds sources outside of the affiliated department can be used provided those are not in deficit and the department head receives VC approval to pay using alternative funds.
• For STAR Plan Year 2026-2027, the budget for STAR awards is 1%.  

Eligible Groups/Job Titles: 

• Policy Covered and Student Employees
• Teamsters: Clerical and Allied Services (CX)
• United Auto Workers (UAW): 
  • Student Services and Advising (SV)
  • Research and Public Service (RP)
  • Communications, Marketing, and Sales (CM)
• United Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) Newly Accreted (TX, HX, RX): 
  • Employees in recently accreted UPTE titles that remain in the status quo period of bargaining will continue to maintain eligibility for award and recognition programs for which they were eligible immediately prior to accretion. See UPTE Eligibility List (PDF).

At the time of the award, employees in the eligible job titles must also: 

• Have successfully completed their probationary period.
• Be a Career, Contract, or Limited employee.
• Be on active pay status or on approved unpaid leave.
• Received a "meets expectations" or better overall rating on their most recent annual performance evaluation.
• Successfully completed all required trainings. 

For additional details about the 2026-2027 STAR Plan, see the campuswide local guidelines (PDF), and consult with your vice chancellor office directly to see if they have additional information.

Compensation Review, Approval, and Processing

• Compensation reviews all awards for eligibility, award maximums according to STAR Plan Guidelines and required approvals. 
• Awards are paid as lump sum one-time payments on the employee's regular (on-cycle) paycheck with the XSL earn code. 

Campus HR Compensation will process STAR Awards for each pay cycle. Please refer to Campus Department deadlines for awards submissions by pay-period below. 

NOTE: No amendment/changes to the local STAR Plan can be made. 

Quick Reference Links:

• UC Systemwide Incentive and Recognition Award Plan

Other Incentive Awards: 

• Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year Award (PDF)
• Non-Cash Awards Procedures
  • Employee Non-Cash Awards and Other Gifts (PDF)

Taxable Earnings: Cash awards of any amount and all cash-equivalent awards of $75 in value or greater are considered taxable earnings

Payroll Forms: See accounting guidelines and forms for requesting cash award checks and reporting the value of noncash awards for income tax purposes.