phd stipend extension

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Postdoctoral Fellows
• Faculty and Staff
• Make a Gift

FAQ: 12-Month Funding Model for Rackham Ph.D. Students

Rackham Graduate School has announced a new funding model wherein all Rackham Ph.D. students on the Ann Arbor campus will receive 12 months of stipend support for the duration of their funding packages. Beginning in academic year (AY) 2023–24, all funding packages in Ph.D. admissions offers will provide a spring/summer stipend at a level equivalent to the stipend offered in fall or winter terms.

Why did Rackham move to a 12-month funding model for Rackham Ph.D. education?

Rackham has been working to increase the availability of spring/summer support for Ph.D. students for several years. Research has shown that financial support increases rates of degree completion in Ph.D. programs. Graduate programs offer guaranteed funding packages to their Ph.D. students because of the contributions to research, scholarship, and teaching that these students make. The university also seeks to recruit excellent cohorts into its Ph.D. programs and faces competition from peer institutions in doing so. This decision represents an additional investment by the university in the Ph.D. funding system and the excellence of its Ph.D. programs. The source of this new investment is the university’s general fund, as allocated by the provost for disbursal through Rackham’s block grant program. Accordingly, Rackham understands that proposed FY 2024 tuition and fee rate increases have been augmented to provide the additional resources necessary to offset the increased costs associated with the extension to 12-month funding packages for Ph.D. students. This funding is in addition to the Ph.D. funding support that faculty, departments, schools/colleges, and Rackham already provide to support Ph.D. education through fellowships, GSRA appointments, and GSI appointments.

More information on financial support available to Ph.D. students is available here: Funding for the Ph.D. Degree .

What steps were taken to solicit feedback from graduate programs and the broader U-M community prior to reaching this decision?

Prior to decision and implementation, a proposal was reviewed by the Rackham Executive Board. Feedback from chairs and directors of the more than 100 Rackham Ph.D. programs was sought. Areas for feedback included the academic rationale for the proposal, the degree of program support for it, and factors to keep in mind if the funding extension was implemented.

How was the timing of the proposal’s development, feedback period, and implementation determined?

On a high level, this change completes an arc that began in 2010 when the campus moved to full Ph.D. student funding in fall and winter terms, drawn from a mix of fellowship, GSRA, and GSI/GSSA resources. The university has sustained and increased that commitment over time, and now we can fully align our support with the needs of the Ph.D. degree, which include 12-month academic progress.

While increasing the level of spring/summer funding available to Ph.D. students has been a goal for many years, more recently—and especially in the last 18 months—the graduate school heard from faculty and directly from Rackham Student Government and in student town halls about the need for this funding to support year-round degree progress. These comments are supported by the Michigan Doctoral Experience Study. In response, Rackham began an assessment and coordinated with the Office of the Provost about the academic rationale and the source of funding.

Rackham pursued an investment in institutional research tools that allowed us to assess where the program-level distribution of need for spring/summer stipend was located. These tools were available by fall 2022 and were used to formulate the proposal, which was completed by early winter 2023. Once completed, we needed to receive feedback from our faculty governance and departmental leadership. Those meetings, which occur on a regular annual schedule, had long been scheduled for March 15 and March 20/21, respectively. The timing of the meetings ultimately set the decision date for the project. Due to the benefits of the project’s adoption, Rackham did not want to delay it for a year.

What was the rationale for keeping this decision separate from the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) collective bargaining agreement?

Ph.D. student funding commitments are separate from the collective bargaining agreement because they encompass a range of funding components, many of which do not relate to graduate student employment and are therefore not covered by the agreement.

The collective bargaining agreement with GEO covers only GSI/GSSA appointments, the components of funding that involve employment. Other aspects of Ph.D. funding commitments are not covered by the agreement and are not subject to collective bargaining. Some Ph.D. students with guaranteed funding never hold a GSI or GSSA appointment and are not covered by the collective bargaining agreement during any time in their program. Nor was the prior requirement of a minimum of eight-month funding part of the collective bargaining agreement; it was instead a commitment made by Rackham, the schools and colleges, and Ph.D. programs upon adoption of the Rackham continuous enrollment policy in 2010.

The university values the contributions of its graduate student employees and negotiates collective bargaining agreements that cover their wages and benefits and other terms of their employment. At the same time, the university believes strongly in the ability to promote academic degree progress without requiring the obligation of employment. It therefore additionally offers fellowships to graduate students through its schools and colleges, including Rackham. Rackham’s new spring/summer funding extension for Ph.D. students offers additional, flexible fellowship funding to fill in the gap between existing spring/summer stipend levels and the new full stipend commitment. Fellowships are separate from collective bargaining because they do not obligate employment, but rather promote academic progress. Programs will continue to determine how to allocate spring/summer stipends while drawing on a mix of sources—including GSRA, GSI/GSSA, and fellowship appointments—as they currently do in the fall and winter terms.

If the new funding is separate from the collective bargaining agreement, how can students be confident that it will remain available throughout their course of study?

When Ph.D. students are admitted to the university, their program guarantees them a funding package to support their progress towards the degree. Funding packages, which are predicated on the student being in good academic standing, include a combination of fellowships, GSRA appointments, GSI/GSSA appointments, and departmental funds. Current Ph.D. students in good academic standing will receive the new spring/summer support for the duration of the terms of their offer letters. Moving forward, offers of admission to Ann Arbor Ph.D. students will include provision for 12-month stipend support. 

It is important to remember that funding offered in admissions letters is guaranteed to the student as long as they remain in good academic standing. More information on financial support available to Ph.D. students is available here: Funding for the Ph.D. Degree .

How does this decision relate to Rackham’s strategic vision for graduate education?

Rackham’s strategic vision reimagines graduate education at U-M in a way that is student centered and faculty led, and that emphasizes a holistic view of graduate training. The extension to 12-month Ph.D. funding assists programs and their faculty by promoting program excellence, equity, and the ability of faculty to recruit new Ph.D. cohorts. We believe that moving to a 12-month funding model furthermore supports the academic progress and success of Ph.D. students as measured by completion rates and time to degree. In addition, we continue to hear from programs and faculty about their ongoing needs to sustain and advance the graduate research and scholarship that is at the core of Ph.D. training, and we appreciate that these needs and opportunities vary by discipline. We will continue to listen to the needs of faculty and programs, including their perspectives on costs.

Whose funding has been extended to include spring/summer stipend?

This funding change applies to Rackham Ph.D. students on the Ann Arbor campus who are in good academic standing and within the period that they were offered full funding as part of their offer letter of admission. Future offers of admission to Rackham Ph.D. students on the Ann Arbor campus will include provision for 12-month stipend support.

Spring/summer funding needs for Rackham Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) students and Ph.D. students on the Dearborn campus will be addressed separately by Rackham and their respective schools and colleges.

Which Rackham programs are affected by this move to 12-month funding of Ph.D. studies?

All Ph.D. programs on the Ann Arbor campus are included in this new model, and all should expect to receive supplemental block grant funding to address any gap between current available funding support and the new 12-month funding level.

Will the level of the spring/summer stipend be the same as the fall and winter stipend amounts in a given academic year?

Beginning in AY 2023–24, all funding packages in Ph.D. admissions offers will provide a spring/summer stipend at a level equivalent to the stipend offered in fall or winter terms.

Will students receiving external support (through fellowships, internships, or employment) receive additional spring/summer stipend under the 12-month funding model? 

Students are motivated to apply for external fellowships because they bring honor and recognition, allow the pursuit of novel research directions, and provide funding support. Examples of such external fellowships include the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS), and disciplinary research grants that promote field work or archival visits. When students receive these external honors, they are currently included as part of the university’s commitment to provide full funding support to Ph.D. students, and that practice will also apply to spring/summer funding. That is, external fellowships amounts that meet or exceed the minimum stipend satisfy the expectation of 12-month funding. If a student exceeds the minimum stipend level through the external fellowships, no additional funding is required from the department. 

Additionally, Ph.D. internships are of growing importance to doctoral education as students seek, with the support of faculty and programs, to learn about how to apply their skills in research and scholarship in a variety of careers. Especially in engineering, many of these internships provide students with external support and are well incorporated into the curricular progress of Ph.D. students. Faculty/program practices for supporting Ph.D. students to pursue internships should therefore continue. 

Many Ph.D. programs already have policies and procedures in place governing supplemental employment during the fall and winter terms, especially when students hold fellowships. Programs should consider how to extend or adapt these policies and practices to the new 12-month funding model.

To the extent that students receive external funding (internships, employment, fellowships) equivalent or exceeding the established stipend, they should not receive additional funding through this new allocation. This approach is the same as how internship experiences are currently treated when pursued during the fall or winter terms; therefore, programs can simply extend those practices to the spring/summer term.

Will international students be eligible for spring/summer funding? How will this affect their visa status (or other immigration compliance)?

All Rackham Ph.D. students in good academic standing and within their funding packages are eligible for 12 months of funding, including international students. Visa status is tied to enrollment, which is not affected by this change in funding status. Programs are encouraged to be in touch with the International Center regarding further questions.

Will Ph.D. students who have exceeded the period of funding guaranteed by their offer of admission receive this extension of funding support?

Students who have exceeded the period of support described in their offer letter funding package will not be guaranteed to receive a spring/summer stipend via this funding change.

Will Ph.D. students defending during the grace period receive this extension of funding support?

Programs already have practices for the conclusion of funding upon degree completion. For example, many programs conclude their funding of Ph.D. students around the time of the Ph.D. defense and/or submission of corrections; such program practices can continue.

What general guidance does Rackham have for programs as they implement the extension to 12-month funding of Ph.D. students?

Many Ann Arbor Ph.D. programs already provided 12-month funding to Ph.D. students through fellowships and GSRA appointments available to them. The remainder of programs typically provided partial support during some spring/summer terms as part of the offer of admission. All programs have an expectation of year-round academic progress toward the Ph.D. degree, particularly for the research and scholarship that leads to the dissertation. Thus, the same expectations that govern academic progress in the fall and winter terms should continue in the spring/summer, but now under a system in which all students are receiving support from the mix of fellowship, GSRA, and GSI resources to which each program has access—consistent with how programs operate during the fall and winter terms. More specifically, programs tend to have year-by-year funding plans and processes that address how the source and sequence of funding will be equitably allocated to Ph.D. students. These plans and processes will be equally useful in allocating a uniform level of spring/summer support to Ph.D. students in each program.

In summer 2023, Rackham formed an advisory committee to receive graduate program input to further promote an equitable guidance and implementation of the 12-month funding model across the full range of Rackham Ph.D. programs. The full report of this advisory committee was made available to programs in November 2023. Rackham deans and staff are also facilitating discussion among colleagues and providing guidance around concerns and issues related to admissions/offer letters impacted by 12-month funding, as well as strategies for structuring expectations for spring/summer academic progress in the context of 12-month funding.

Who comprised Rackham’s 12-month funding advisory committee?

The advisory committee was made up of faculty and administrators, from Rackham and units across campus, with close connections to and expertise in graduate education at Michigan and the Ph.D. funding model.

How will Rackham determine the ongoing block grants amounts provided for spring/summer support?

Rackham will disburse this new funding to programs through its annual block grant program. The current block grant program gives programs flexible funding to support their Rackham graduate students. The block grant allocation for spring/summer support will be increased annually in conjunction with the normal annual Rackham block grant increase. Consistent with Rackham’s existing block grant program, base allocations for spring/summer support are not directly tied to individual student enrollment and will not fluctuate year to year. Rackham’s goal in working with programs to determine base allocations is to establish ongoing support that will sustain programs without the burden of a yearly allocation process.

Are faculty research grants and departmental discretionary funds going to be the future source of this additional funding for 12-month appointments?

All Ph.D. programs and their faculty already provide a significant amount of funding for spring/summer support of their Ph.D. students, primarily through GSRA or fellowship appointments, but also sometimes through GSI or GSSA appointments. That investment in Ph.D. students will need to continue and will not be replaced by the central funding made available through this decision. At the same time, the augmentation of the proposed FY 2024 tuition and fee rate increases will offset the increased costs of the extension of appointments for Ph.D. students in an ongoing way. We acknowledge that, even given increased tuition revenue, programs will need to attend to their future Ph.D. cohort sizes to accommodate the changes in cost and funding source that naturally occur; this is something that programs already managed under the previous 8-month funding system.

Will programs or Rackham process spring/summer support payments?

Programs will provide the extended support to their students using available fellowship, GSRA, and GSI sources, allocated by equitable methods that each program will decide based on the academic needs of the program and the availability of sources. This is the same method that programs already use to allocate support in the fall and winter terms. Programs will have the additional block grant funding from Rackham available to be sure that all Ph.D. students in good academic standing and within their offers of admission receive spring/summer stipend support. 

Do students need to be in residence in Ann Arbor to receive spring/summer funding?

Programs naturally have expectations about where and how Ph.D. students perform their research, scholarship, and other duties, and these expectations can be maintained. For example, a GSRA appointment in the spring/summer may require time in the lab, and a study in the field may require international travel. Ph.D. students should receive 12-month support for their research and degree progress wherever it is conducted, and as consistent with the program’s curricular expectations and the faculty’s mentorship.

Do faculty need to change their summer availability in response to this decision?

The availability of faculty during the summer varies widely across campus and need not change in response to this decision. Ph.D. students already have an expectation of year-round academic progress, and they benefit from the processes and practices that programs have created for planning and mentoring. These can continue, but now with students receiving 12-months of funding to support their academic progress.

Search NYU Steinhardt

Funding Packages for Full-Time PhD Students

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student, you are eligible for our generous funding package, which includes a stipend, scholarship, and healthcare coverage. Information is below and on our doctoral funding website. 

Funding Opportunities

The Steinhardt Fellowship Program

The standard Steinhardt Fellowship package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance through your fifth year. The fellowship is reserved for full-time doctoral students. The 2024-2025 stipend is $33,867. Complete details are provided with each offer of admission.

Research Assistantships

Some doctoral students may be appointed to a Research Assistantship. Research Assistants are funded by external grants and work with a principal investigator on a funded research project. Unlike Steinhardt Fellows, Research Assistants agree to work 20 hours per week on an ongoing research project, typically with a team of faculty and other students. Research Assistants may not perform additional work assignments such as teaching or grading.

For the duration of the assistantship, Research Assistants receive funding that includes a stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance.

Other Expenses to Consider

Beyond what is covered by your Steinhardt Fellowship or Research Assistantship, you may have additional expenses that you should keep in mind as you plan your budget. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Late registration fees
• Tuition for undergraduate courses
• Tuition for graduate courses not applicable to your degree
• Tuition for courses in excess of the total point requirement for your degree
• Tuition for courses completed after the end of the fifth year
• Tuition for courses and fees used to maintain official enrollment for study leading to a degree after the end of the fifth year; see doctoral student policies for more information
• Student health insurance for students beyond the fifth year (note that students who are employed by NYU, such as Research Assistants or Adjunct Instructors, may receive health insurance as an employee benefit)

Graduate School

Ph.d. funding.

• Financing & Support

The Graduate School offers incoming doctoral students five years of guaranteed financial support, including a stipend, tuition remission, health-services fee, and health- and dental-insurance subsidies.

This support — which may take the form of a teaching assistantship, research assistantship, fellowship, or proctorship — helps to defray the cost of tuition, and also provides a stipend to assist with living expenses during the student’s program. 

Doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences are guaranteed six years of support. This support can come from a variety of Brown University resources--including Graduate School funds, departmental funds, and faculty research funds--and/or external funds, as applicable.

Stipends, Fellowships & Assistantships

Graduate students at Brown have a plethora of teaching, fellowship, and assistantship opportunities.

Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9)

All students entering the Graduate School with any form of financial support are required to complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9). Please note: The I-9 cannot be completed without a valid social security number or a receipt proving that a social security number has been applied for.

Learn More About the I-9

Additional Support

In addition to the support available through the University, applicants are urged to compete for national and foundation awards available for graduate study.

Learn about the Incentive Program for Doctoral Students

Funding Guarantee

External funding, internal funding & appointments, doctoral research travel grant, additional resources.

• Insurance Office
• Tax Information for International Students
• Doctoral Funding: Stipend Primer
• Deans’ Faculty Fellows Program
• Initiatives in Doctoral Education and Support at Brown

• Mission & Vision
• Academic Calendar
• Doctoral Exam Schedule
• Graduate Programs
• Financial Support
• Priority Deadlines
• Catalog and Handbook
• New Graduate Student Orientation
• Signature Events
• Degree Planning
• Embedded Counseling
• International Students
• Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
• Graduate Peer Mentoring
• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
• Graduate Assistantships Overview
• Graduate Student Support Plan
• Tuition, Fees and Other Resources
• Fellowships and Grants
• Goodnight Doctoral Fellowship
• University Fellowships Office
• Professional Development
• Five Competencies
• Teaching Programs
• Wellness Program
• Career Readiness Program for Non-Academic Careers
• Writing Program
• Leadership Program
• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
• Faculty & Staff
• Forms and Data
• GSC Resources
• ABGS Resources
• Resources for Student Funding
• Curriculum Development
• Program Assessment
• Recruiting Resources
• Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)
• Give Now 

Graduate Student Support Plan for Administrators

Gssp minimum stipend increase for fall 2024.

The Graduate Student Support Plan is a mission-critical program established in 1997 to attract top graduate students to NC State. The eligibility criteria have remained unchanged since the program’s inception. In FY 2023, the Graduate School and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost conducted an assessment of the program and its eligibility requirements. Based on that review and to accommodate inflationary increases, stipend guidelines were updated. These important changes are detailed below:

• Effective Fall 2024, the minimum stipend for Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP) increased to an annualized amount of $15,000 for Master’s students and $20,000 for Doctoral students to receive GSSP benefits. These minimum stipends are applicable to Graduate Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, combination Teaching and Research Assistant, and Extension Assistant appointments. Graduate Services Assistants continue to be ineligible for GSSP benefits and are not impacted by the change in minimum stipends. The GSSP benefits and eligibility criteria related to full-time enrollment and on-campus programs remains unchanged. 

The following table provides a breakdown of the GSSP minimum annual stipend and equivalents paid out based on the duration of appointment by semester and academic year:

Funding for GSSP Costs

 The GA or Fellowship stipend funding source (project number/type of funds) determines “who pays” for GSSP benefits. The GSSP funding structure establishes the funding criteria for these costs. The Graduate School has developed a GSSP Funding Structure tool as general guidance to assist departments to readily determine who will pay for the GSSP benefits.

*Please note that, if a student’s stipend source is split (salary or stipend distributed across more than one funding source/project), so too will “who pays” for GSSP benefits. In other words, GSSP benefits are distributed according to the salary or stipend distribution.

Graduate Student Health Insurance Benefit Rates

The following table provides current year and recent RA-TA health insurance benefit rates:

Learn about Summer health insurance for new graduate students.

For semester GSSP-related insurance and tuition journal information, please contact the GSSP Office ( [email protected] ).

GSSP Exception Requests

Departmental DGP’s can work in coordination with the student’s major advisor to submit exception requests with compelling justification for students who are deemed ineligible for GSSP benefits. Program Graduate Services Coordinators can also submit these requests for evaluation on the Director of Graduate Program’s behalf.

GSSP Exception Request Form

Guides & Instructions

Grad Support Roster Instructions

Fall 2024 timeline

VIDEO: RA-TA Insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield

VIDEO: BCBS Mental Health Resources for RA-TA Insurance Plan

Request to Waive Academic Load Policy (pdf) – Instructions for requesting a waiver of the academic course load policy on behalf of a graduate student.

GSSP Eligibility Summary (For Students )

Tuition, Fees, and Ph.D. Stipends

NOTE: All numbers below require annual approval by the Board of Trustees

Last updated July 2, 2024

PDF version

View full cost to attend . 

  * - Projected rates for tuition, fees, and stipends are tentative and subject to change.

** - For longer term projections, the tuition remission rate can be assumed to increase 0.7% per year.

*** - Teaching assistant and grader rates are established by the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.

• Dean of the Graduate School
• PhD Program Characteristics
• Graduate Events
• Graduate Degrees awarded at USC
• Childcare Subsidy for UAW-Rrepresented Graduate Student Workers
• Fellowships

Guidelines and Forms

• Short-Term Hardship Grant for UAW-Represented Gradiate Student Workers
• Student Resources
• Required Documents
• Submission Deadlines
• Guidelines to Submission
• Manuscript Formatting Guidelines
• Fellowships for PhD Students
• Scholarships for Masters Students
• Academic Support, Professional Development and Diversity Inclusion Programs

Guidelines and Forms​

• PhD Qualifying Exam and Dissertation Committees
• Master’s Thesis Committees
• Handbook for TAs, RAs, and ALs

Parental Leave for PhD Students

Requests & petitions.

• Minimum Total Stipends

PhD Qualifying Examination

The examination to determine a student’s candidacy for the PhD degree tests the student’s fitness to undertake independent research. It is comprehensive in nature and includes both written and oral parts.

If the student’s written examination is satisfactory, the student may proceed to the oral portion of the exam. If additional material is to be covered in the oral portion, the student should be notified of the content expectations in advance. The oral portion of the examination should be scheduled within a few days of the written portion of the qualifying exam. It should not be on the same day and it should be scheduled no more than 60 days after submission of the completed written portion to the qualifying exam committee.

PhD Qualifying Examination Committee

The qualifying exam committee is responsible for supervising the student’s preparation for the exam and its evaluation. The Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam Committee form is used to establish the qualifying exam committee. The form requires the signature of each member of the committee, the department chair or director, and the dean or dean’s designate. The completed form is filed in the student’s home department or program.

The qualifying exam committee is composed of five members. The committee chair and at least two additional members must have an official appointment in the student’s program.

Committee members may be tenured, tenure track and full-time RTPC (research, teaching, practice, clinical) USC faculty.

The committee may also include an “outside” member and/or an “external” member. A USC faculty member from outside the student’s home program is called the “outside member.” The “external member” may be a faculty member from an institution other than USC, or an individual whose professional profile demonstrates an impact on the field in significant, measurable ways. The CV of the external member must be uploaded by the program to the Graduate School as part of the Report on Qualifying Examination. Students should confer with their program about "outside" or "external" members.

Part-time adjunct faculty may serve on a PhD committee as “external members.” Permission from the Vice Provost for Academic Programs is needed if part-time adjunct faculty are to serve in a role other than “external member”. Programs should contact the Graduate School well in advance of the qualifying exam date to request a General Petition that will record the participation of part-time adjunct faculty in a role other than “external member”. The CV must be uploaded by the program to the Graduate School as part of the Report on Qualifying Examination.

Remote Participation during the Qualifying Exam

For the PhD qualifying examination, all committee members may participate remotely. Remote participation of committee members should be indicated in writing on the Report on Qualifying Examination.

PhD Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee is composed of at least three and no more than five members. The committee chair must have an appointment in the student’s program. All committees must have a majority of members from the student’s home program.

Dissertation committee members may be tenured, tenure track and full-time RTPC (research, teaching, practice, clinical) faculty. The committee may also include an “outside” member and/or an “external” member. A USC faculty member from outside the student’s home program is called the “outside member.” The “external member” may be a faculty member from an institution other than USC, or an individual whose professional profile demonstrates an impact on the field in significant, measurable ways. The CV of the external member must be uploaded with the Appointment of Committee form to Thesis Center.

Emeriti and Former USC Faculty

Emeriti faculty appointed to a qualifying exam committee when they were full-time faculty at USC may continue to serve on the dissertation committee until the student has graduated. Similarly, a former USC faculty member who was appointed to the qualifying exam committee while they were a full-time USC faculty member may continue to serve on the dissertation committee until the student has graduated.

Remote Participation during the Dissertation Defense

For the dissertation defense, the committee chair and the student must be present, unless the relevant dean and the Vice Provost for Academic Programs provide written permission for remote participation. Programs should contact the Graduate School well in advance of the defense date to request a General Petition that will record the remote participation of either the student or chair. Members who participate remotely will be noted on the dissertation Approval to Submit forms.

Dissertation Submission

PhD dissertation manuscripts must be submitted to Thesis Center .

Forms for Qualifying Exams and Dissertation Defense

These fillable PDF forms are best viewed using Adobe Reader. Download the free version  here.

• Prior to the qualifying examination, complete the  Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam form
• After passing the qualifying examination, the Appointment or Change of Dissertation Committee form  should be completed to reflect the dissertation committee

After downloading the form, obtain the signatures of the committee members and then submit the form to the department chair or program director. The form will be sent to the dean for review and approval. The original form is to be kept by the program and a signed copy provided to the student. If changes need to be made to the  Qualifying Examination  or  Dissertation Committee , the form should be completed and submitted to the department chair or program director as soon as possible.

Required Documents for Dissertation Filing

All of the documents required to submit a dissertation can be viewed or downloaded and printed. These fillable PDF forms are best viewed using Adobe Reader . 

PhD Students:

• This form is created digitally through the Thesis Center registration process. It is signed by committee members via email after the dissertation has been successfully defended. The student must initiate the email to their committee members in Thesis Center.
• Appointment/Change of Committee form
• Survey of Earned Doctorates (PhD students only)

Committee Participation for Master’s Thesis Committees

The student’s master’s committee directs the student’s program of study and thesis or comprehensive examination. The master’s committee consists of at least three and no more than five members. At least two of the members must be faculty in the student’s home program, and may be tenured, tenure track, full-time RTPC (research, teaching, practice, clinical) or part-time adjunct faculty. The committee chair must have an appointment in the student’s program. All committees must have a majority of members from the student’s home program.

The student’s thesis or master’s committee is responsible for the content, adherence to departmental formatting requirements, and bibliographical consistency of the thesis.

Remote Participation at Master's Thesis Defense

For the Master’s Thesis Defense, all committee members may participate remotely. Remote participation of a committee member should be indicated in writing on the Appointment of Master’s Committee or Change of Master’s Committee form.

Forms for Master’s Thesis Committees

These fillable PDF forms are best viewed using Adobe Reader. Download the free version here .

At least one semester before defending the master’s thesis, the  Appointment of Master's Committee  form should be completed.

After downloading the form, obtain the signatures of the committee members and then submit the form to the department chair or director. The form will be sent to the dean for review and approval, and a copy will remain in the department.

If changes need to be made to the Master's Committee, a  Change of Committee  form should be completed and submitted to the department chair or director as soon as possible.

All of the documents required to submit a thesis can be viewed or downloaded and printed. These fillable PDF forms are best viewed using Adobe Reader . 

Master's Students:

Handbook for teaching assistants (tas), research assistants (ras), and graduate assistant lecturers (als).

USC's Handbook for Teaching Assistants (TAs), Research Assistants (RAs), and Graduate Assistant Lecturers (ALs) is available to you as a PDF. The handbook has been prepared for teaching assistants, research assistants, and graduate assistant lecturers, for the faculty who work with them, and for staff departmental advisors.  Download handbook

Accessibility Training for Teaching Assistants at USC

View accessibility training and resources for teaching assistants on the USC Libraries Research Guide page

The Guidelines

PhD students who meet the following criteria are eligible for a one-semester parental leave:

• If they are pregnant or are the primary caregiver of their newborn child or adopted child under six years of age
• The student has completed at least one semester in their PhD program and is making good progress
• The student was admitted with an offer letter for a 4 or 5-year "package" consisting of support through any combination of teaching assistantship, research assistantship, and fellowship

Parental leave may be taken during the semester in which the child is born or adopted, or during the semester immediately following. A student on approved parental leave receives the base graduate assistant stipend from the Graduate School for one semester. Individual schools are expected to top off the base stipend to the level of the stipend stipulated in the student's offer letter and to cover the cost of the student's USC student health insurance and student health center fee. Students should enroll in GRSC 804 to ensure continued access to health insurance and the monthly stipend. While on parental leave, students are not eligible for federal financial aid. Students with loans should consult with the Office of Financial Aid before beginning parental leave. International students should discuss the parental leave with the Office of International Services to be sure there are no unforeseen issues related to their visa status.

The Process

A leave request should be submitted the semester before the leave will take place. The student should submit to the Graduate School the following:

• the Request for Parental Leave for PhD Students,
• a copy of the offer letter, 
• primary caregiver statement, and
• one of the following:
• a verification of pregnancy signed by a US doctor (available at USC Student Health Center) or
• a birth certificate for the infant child or
• a statement of adoption from an adoption agency

The Graduate School will process the leave request and inform the student and the staff graduate advisor in the student’s home department when a decision has been made. To begin the process, students should talk with the staff graduate advisor in their department or program.

Below are the most common requests and petitions that require the approval of the Graduate School. To initiate a request or petition, students should see the staff graduate advisor for the department or program.

Application for Readmission

This form is required for a student who wishes to return to their graduate program if the cumulative GPA is below 3.0, or if readmission is sought after more than two years of an unapproved absence.

Extension of Time

If a student exceeds the time limit to complete their degree, then the student must request permission for a time extension.

Leave of Absence

A student requests permission to take a leave of absence if the student does not wish to be enrolled in their degree program in a given semester.

Request for Approval of Graduate Assistant Appointment Over 50% or Less Than 25%

Many PhD students have a 50% appointment as a graduate assistant (RA or TA). Because of the potential risk to students' timely academic progress, the Graduate School typically will consider an average of five additional hours per week in a second appointment.

Request to Exceed GRSC 800 Enrollment Limit Form

After enrolling in GRSC 800A and GRSC 800B, this form is necessary when a student needs to register for  GRSC 800Z: Studies for the Qualifying Exam.

Reserve for Graduate Credit Coursework Taken as an Undergraduate - Exceptions:

During the last semester as a senior, an undergraduate may enroll in a limited amount of coursework at the 400 and 500 levels and request that it be reserved for graduate credit. Students should speak with their advisors for more information.

USC - UCLA Cross-Enrollment

This form is for USC graduate students who are interested in taking a graduate course at UCLA. View the  USC-UCLA Cross Enrollment Guidelines 2023

Minimum Total Stipends for USC Graduate Students

Minimum stipend for PhD students has been set for AY 2024. View the Revised Minimum Stipend for PhD Students memo of 01-04-2024 . This memo supersedes the previous memo of April 6, 2022.

Minimum stipend for graduate students has been set for AY 2023. View the Minimum Stipend memo of 12-13-2022. This supersedes the previous memo of April 6, 2022.

Revised minimum stipend for graduate students has been announced for AY 2022.  View the memo of April 6, 2022: < Minimum Stipend Memo 4-6-2022 > that supersedes the previous memo of November 11, 2021.

The Provost has approved increases to the USC minimum total stipend for graduate students for AY 2022.  Learn about the details in the November 2021 memo. View the memo: Minimum Stipend Memo 11-11-2021

PhD Stipends

Welcome to PhD Stipends!

The purpose of this site is to share information about what PhD students in many disciplines at universities all over the US are being paid (i.e. income from stipends, fellowships, research or teaching assistantships, internships, etc.).

Please fill out the survey below to help add to our database and then check out the answers that other PhD students have provided.

Enter Your Stipend Skip to the Data -->

or Skip to the Data

Thank you for contributing to the database and enjoy perusing the data! After you submit your data, please share this website through social media so that a greater number and variety of grad students can contribute.

• Education News

JRF, SRF, RA Fellowship 2023: Government increases stipend for PhD scholars, check increased stipend here

DesignationPrevious StipendIncreased StipendJunior Research FellowRs. 31,000Rs. 37,000Senior Research FellowRs. 35,000Rs. 42,000Research Associate IRs. 47,000Rs. 58,000Research Associate IIRs. 49,000Rs. 61,000Research Associate IIIRs. 54,000Rs. 67,000

Visual Stories

Links to external sources may no longer work as intended . The content may not represent the latest thinking in this area or the Society’s current position on the topic.

Costed grant extensions

Applications are now closed. For queries relating to the costed grant extensions, please contact [email protected] . At the end of June 2020, the UK Government, through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), announced a package of financial support to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on certain researchers funded through UKRI and the National Academies.  All researchers who are eligible for this funding have been contacted via email using the email address associated with the researcher’s Flexi-Grant account. If you have any questions about applying for a costed grant extension, please contact the Grants team via email  or phone on +44 (0)20 7451 2666. 

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for a costed grant extension.

Researchers whose end dates fall in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2022) and are supported through the following programmes: 

• University Research Fellowship
• GCRF-funded University Research Fellows are ineligible for these extensions.  
• Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
• GCRF-funded Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows are ineligible for these extensions.  
• Newton International Fellowship (including Royal Society – Kohn / Shooter / K C Wong / SBFT International Fellowships and certain Newton Fund supported Newton International Fellowships, excluding Royal Society – SERB Newton International Fellowships)
• Research Professorship
• Industry Fellowship
• Short Industry Fellowship
• PhD students or PDRAs either fully or partially funded by the Royal Society through:
• Wolfson Research Merit Awards  
• Wolfson Fellowships  
• Enhancement Awards or research expenses from University Research Fellowships, Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships or Research Professorships   
• Industry Fellowship PhD studentship programme   

Sir Henry Dale Fellows in need of additional financial support should contact the Wellcome Trust to enquire about additional funding. 

APEX Award holders and Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellows whose delivery of research has been compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic may apply to the Leverhulme Trust directly for a costed grant extension. Costs can be requested at the currently funded (i.e. 2020-21) levels for a teaching replacement salary and research expenses. Applications for an extension of up to three months, or exceptionally up to six months where research has been significantly affected, will be considered. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis. Email [email protected]  and copy in [email protected]  with the email subject 'FAO Academy Awards' for further details.

I am funded via the Newton Fund or Global Challenges Research Fund, am I eligible to apply for a costed grant extension? 

Newton Fund supported Newton International Fellows, excluding Royal Society – SERB Newton International Fellows, are eligible to apply for a costed grant extension up to 31 March 2021.

We are unfortunately unable to provide costed grant extensions to researchers who are supported through the UK Government’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) via Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). If you are currently funded through GCRF and have an urgent and genuine requirement for additional assistance, please contact the Grants team via email . 

I have a PhD student supported through a Royal Society grant, are they able to receive additional funding?

A costed extension can only be requested for those PhD students supported on your Royal Society grant who are currently in the final two years of their doctoral studies.

Priority will be given to those students who are due to end their PhD before 31 March 2022.

We recognise that there will be cases where the pandemic may have had a disproportionate impact on Royal Society supported PhD students who will not have completed their PhD by 31 March 2022 and/or are not in the final two years of their studies. We will support no-cost extensions for such cases and a request for costed extension can be submitted for consideration.

Please note that support is not guaranteed as priority consideration will be given to those whose salaries/stipends end by 31 March 2022.

Value and duration

What costs am i able to request as part of the costed grant extension .

The Society will support requests to extend grants at currently funded (i.e. 2020-21) levels for: 

• PI salary and on-costs for certain Research Fellowships with end dates which fall in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2022), in line with the guidance set out in the scheme notes of the relevant Research Fellowship. This will correspond to 80% of PI salary and on-costs for University Research Fellowships and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships; 100% PI salary and on-costs for Research Professorships; and 100% of the Society's contribution to the PI salary only (on-costs not provided for these Research Fellowships) for Industry Fellowships and Short Industry Fellowships. In the application form, enter the value you expect to receive as set out above.
• Where the Society entirely funds a PhD studentship, 100% of PhD stipend and fees for Royal Society-funded PhD students in the final two years of their project. The current PhD stipend and fees rates are £15,285 annual stipend and £4,407 annual fees. London weighting can be added where applicable and this is estimated at £2,000 per annum.
• Where the Society partially funds a PhD studentship, 100% of the agreed contribution to the PhD stipend and fees for Royal Society-funded PhD students in the final two years of their project. 
• 80% of salary and on-costs of Royal Society-funded PDRAs in the final two years of their contract. Extensions will be funded in line with the current funding level for the award. In the application form, please enter the 80% value you expect to receive.
• Newton International Fellows (including Royal Society – Kohn / Shooter / K C Wong / SBFT International Fellowships and certain Newton Fund supported Newton International Fellowships, excluding Royal Society – SERB Newton International Fellowships) with end dates which fall in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2022): 
• 100% of stipend for the Newton International Fellow.   
• 100% of visa renewal and immigration health surcharge costs for the Newton International Fellow and their dependents.   

Where posts are being currently supported on a part time basis, costs must be prorated on the same basis (e.g. a post held at 0.6FTE can request maximum costs equivalent to 0.6FTE). However, requests to increase the FTE of the fellow’s posts will be considered where justified but not guaranteed to be supported. 

Awards that will be extended into 2021-22 and 2022-23 will have annual indexation applied to salaries as part of the standard annual cycle. 

Where justified, we will also provide additional research expenses needed to replace resources critical to the research that were lost due to lockdown (for example, animal purchase and maintenance). However, we encourage award holders to utilise underspends that may be identified, for example from lower than expected travel costs incurred.   

Ineligible costs include other materials and consumable costs, equipment, travel, indirect and estate costs and other overheads, other directly allocated costs, and access costs. 

I need additional funding to cover costs which have been classed as ineligible. What can I do? 

Any research, travel or events costs that can no longer be used for their original purpose can be used for other research expenses on the basis that the change in expenditure remains within the funded aims and objectives of the research, and remains eligible in the context of the scheme. 

Where there are specific limits on consumable spend, these will be removed temporarily. You do not need our consent to make these changes. 

For programmes such as International Exchanges and Newton Mobility Grants where we have previously limited the amount that can be spent on research, we are currently waiving these limits as long as the funds are being used to support the original research aims outlined in your proposal. You do not need our consent to make these changes. 

Limits on the award holder's salaries, indirect costs, estate costs, management costs and equipment remain in place and changes may only be made with the Society's written agreement. 

How long can I request a costed grant extension for? 

A maximum of six months in additional costs will be provided for PIs, Newton International Fellows (including Royal Society – Kohn / Shooter / K C Wong / SBFT International Fellowships) and PDRAs, however a further no-cost extension may also be requested and is subject to approval.  

Newton Fund supported Newton International Fellows (excluding Royal Society – SERB Newton International Fellowships) are able to apply for a costed extension up to 31 March 2021.

Costed extensions of more than six months may be considered in exceptional circumstances where lockdown and COVID-19 can be proven to have exceptionally impacted the researcher and their work. 

A maximum of six months in additional costs will be provided for eligible PhD students. 

If you have received a no-cost extension since 1 April 2020 related to COVID-19, you can request costs back-dated to 1 April 2020. 

How do I apply for a costed grant extension? 

All researchers who are eligible for this funding have been contacted via email using the email address associated with the researcher’s Flexi-Grant account. If you believe you are eligible for this funding based on the eligibility criteria stated above, yet have not received an email, please contact the Grants team via email . 

All applications will have to be signed off by your institution’s research office. We have contacted all research offices with eligible researchers to make them aware of the process and we encourage you to reach out to them as soon as possible to make them aware of your intention to apply as well as to discuss the costs. 

We have written to university research offices to provide details of the eligible grants as well as the requirements to be met. At appropriate intervals, we will send a summary of the requests received from their organisation and the research office will need to confirm the details and costs as correct.  

In order to ensure that your request is considered in sufficient time, please submit your request no later than 31 October 2020. It is anticipated that no additional funding will be awarded after 31 December 2020. 

What will the application form entail? 

The application form has been designed to be to be as light touch as possible, recognising the challenges and pressures bought on by the pandemic for many individuals, whilst still ensuring we meet our duties as a funder to carry out our due diligence as necessary and to report back to BEIS. 

The application form will ask you to reflect on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on you, your research and your research group (if applicable). You will also be asked to consider what the impact will be on your research if you are not awarded additional funding. 

I have an additional Royal Society award associated with my primary award (e.g. Enhancement Award, Research Grant for Research Fellows), will that also be extended and do I have to submit multiple forms if so? 

You will have been told in your invite email which of your Royal Society awards are eligible for a costed extension including whether you have multiple eligible awards. 

It may be the case that the PhD studentship or PDRA costs included in your awards are eligible for extension rather than the entirety of the award. This will be indicated in your invite email e.g. ‘PhD - University Research Fellowship’ or ‘PhD, PDRA – Enhancement Award’. 

You only need to submit one form on Flexi-Grant which will allow you to input multiple eligible awards. 

When will I know whether my application has been successful?

In view of the large number of extensions we are expecting, we are prioritising those awards for which the time pressure is greatest. We are aiming for all eligible awards to extended by the end of the calendar year (i.e. by 31 December 2020). 

If you have more than one award eligible for a costed extension, the timeline is dependent on the award which finishes first. We will assess all of your eligible awards together. 

The provisional timetable below provides time frames and will be subject to change, based on the demand, to provide more time for award holders:

Awards ending 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2020 and Newton International Fellowships ending 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021	By 18 September 2020	By 30 September 2020
Awards ending 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021 and Newton International Fellowships ending 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022	By 30 September 2020	By 30 October 2020
Awards ending from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022	By 13 November 2020	By 30 November 2020

If you are unable to submit your request by the deadline outlined for your end date, it will be considered as part of the next group.  Please do not submit a request after 13 November 2020 as it may not be considered. 

Is the application process competitive? 

The additional funding available is limited and we want to ensure that additional costs are distributed with as much parity as possible.  Whilst the process is not competitive, the eligibility criteria must be met fully. Due to the limitations on the funds available, we cannot guarantee that you will be awarded the full value requested.  

Related content

The application and assessment process

Further information on eligibility and the application process for Royal Society grants.

Application dates

See all upcoming key dates of the Society’s funding schemes.

Training, mentoring and partnership schemes

We help promote excellence in science through funding, training, mentoring and building…

Email updates

We promote excellence in science so that, together, we can benefit humanity and tackle the biggest challenges of our time.

Subscribe to our newsletters to be updated with the latest news on innovation, events, articles and reports.

What subscription are you interested in receiving? (Choose at least one subject)

• PhD Salary in UK – Explained
• Funding a PhD

What Are PhD Salaries?

The average cost of undertaking a PhD in the UK is approximately £20,000 per academic year for UK students and £40,000 for international students. To help offset the cost of this, many students question whether undertaking a doctorate comes with a PhD salary.

The salary of a PhD student is governed by three factors: whether they’re assisting in undergraduate teaching, assisting in research, or have secured a PhD with a stipend. Depending on which of the three categories a student falls within, they will receive an income during their studies, however, the amount will differ by a substantial amount.

To help show you how you can fund your postgraduate degree and how much you can expect to earn whilst doing so, carry on reading below.

Types of PhD Salaries

There are three types of PhD degree salaries:

• Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) . In exchange for a salary, you’ll be required to assist in the delivery of one or more courses over a number of years. This includes, but is not limited to, marking student tutorials, supervising lab experiments and providing support to undergraduates during office hours. Besides this, you may have to teach a small section of the course itself. You can discover more about GTAs on King’s College London’s website.
• Research Assistantships (RAs) . In exchange for a salary, you assist a departmental professor with their research. In the ideal scenario, the professor you work with should also be your PhD supervisor and the research you’re asked to support with relates to your own doctoral project.
• Stipend via Studentship: A stipend is a non-repayable grant provided to doctoral students to help support their studies. A studentship covers a student’s tuition fees whilst a stipend covers a PhD student’s living costs. This includes outgoings such as rent, food, bills and basic travel. Unlike Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantships, stipends rarely have duties attached to them. The only expectation of receiving a stipend will be that you maintain continuous progress within your degree.

It’s worth noting these earning opportunities can be also be combined. For example, it’s possible to be a research assistant whilst also committing time to teach undergraduate students.

Average PhD Salary in UK

The average PhD student salary for teaching assistantships will vary depending on the level of responsibility you’re taking. However, to provide figures, past doctoral students have reported receiving approx. £10/hr for marking tutorials, £15/hr for leading laboratory sessions and up to £20/hr for leading undergraduate classes and tutorials.

The actual amount you can earn from teaching assistance will depend on the rate your department offers and the hours you can realistically take on. If you’re on a Graduate Teaching Assistantship programme, they will require you to dedicate a set number of hours per week. If you’re not on a GTA but would still like to earn an income through this scheme, you will likely need to commit several hours per week consistently. Although this can be a great way to earn whilst you study, you need to make sure you manage your time effectively as to not become overwhelmed by taking on an additional commitment.

The average salary for research assistantships will vary depending on the field of the doctoral degree you are enrolled in. Usually, these positions pay between £25,000 to £30,000 per year, however, it’s possible to come across positions which sit slightly outside of this. As a general rule of thumb, STEM assistors are paid more than non-STEM assistors.

In the UK, PhD students can receive a stipend which varies between £15,000 and £18,000 per annum. As part of the studentship your stipend is provided under, your tuition fees will also be paid for. UK tuition fees will vary between universities but are approximately £4,500 per year for doctoral courses starting in 2021/22 as per the UKRI recommendations .

Although £15,000 to £18,000 per year is the typical range for a stipend, some can be far greater than this. For example, Wellcome Trust , a research-charity based in London, offers an annual stipend of up to £23,300 and £26,000 for doctoral students located outside and within London, respectively.

Are PhD Salaries Taxed?

PhD stipends are tax free. Therefore, you don’t need to pay any income tax nor do you need to make any national insurance contributions. This means you’ll keep all the money you receive from an annual stipend. However, this is not the case for Research Assistants.

In the UK, Research Assistants are employed as university staff members and are paid a direct salary as opposed to a stipend. As a result, it will require you to pay tax on your earnings and make national insurance contributions.

To put this into perspective, for the 2019/20 UK tax year, you’re required to pay a 20% tax on any income above £12,500 but less than £50,000. You’re also required to make national insurance contributions of 12% of your weekly earnings over £166 but less than £962. This means that an annual Research Assistantship salary of £30,000 will equate to a take-home salary of £23,938 per year.

How to Get a PhD Stipend

To find research positions which offer stipends, we recommend you search our PhD database and filter by ‘funded’ positions.

Besides this, you can also secure a studentship from UK Research Councils or directly from your university as a scholarship. Independent organisations, such as charities and research trusts, and innovative firms within your industry also offer funding. You can read our PhD studentship guide to see how these work or our Where to find a PhD guide for further ideas.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

How to Get a Research Assistantship PhD

Unfortunately, research assistantships opportunities aren’t as common to come across compared to PhD stipends. Besides this, when they are available, they’re predominantly in STEM subjects such as computer science and engineering. The reason for this is these subjects usually have access to greater research grants and have a greater volume of practical work available.

To find a research assistantship, we recommend that you contact the university departments who host the courses you’re interested in directly. This is because research assistantships help professors with their research, and while they may require help, they may not be openly advertising for it. They may, therefore, be able to create a role for you within their department or put you into contact with one of their colleagues who already has an open position.

International Students

It’s worth noting that international students will have a harder time securing a funded PhD position than UK ‘home’ students will. This is largely because there are usually fewer funding opportunities available to international students, which as a result also attract significant competition.

Besides this, if you’re an international student studying in the UK you will most likely than not be on a Tier 4 visa. Although a Tier 4 visa will allow you to work to earn an additional income alongside any studentship you may have, there will be certain restrictions on what you can and can’t do. For example, during term-time, you won’t be allowed to work more than 20 hours per week. For a full list of restrictions, please refer to the government website.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

How much are phd stipends taxed in the US?

You’ve just received news that you’ve been accepted into a PhD program. The excitement is at its peak as visions of groundbreaking research and intellectual pursuits dance through your mind. But behind that, one question comes to your mind: how much are phd stipends taxed in the US ? 

Table of Contents

1. what is a phd stipend, and how does it work in the us.

A PhD stipend is a monetary handout and a lifeline that sustains graduate students throughout their arduous academic journey. While it may be seen as financial assistance, it also represents recognition of the student’s potential and contribution to the research community. Think about it – without these stipends, many talented students could not pursue advanced degrees and contribute valuable insights to their respective fields.

PhD students face expensive tuition and living costs, causing stress and uncertainty. Limited funding options require them to find extra income. Uncertainty makes planning hard and stresses academic life. PhD students have a lot of work, including research, data analysis, writing, and teaching.

2. Taxation Basics Every International PhD Student Should Kno w

Taxable vs. Non-Taxable Income: Given below, I have discussed taxable and non-taxable income. If you want a list of this Income, it is available in Publication 525 .

3. Federal income tax for international PhD students

Disclaimer: Tax laws can be complex and subject to change, so consult a tax professional specializing in international PhD student taxes or seek guidance from your university’s international student office. 

4. State income tax for international PhD students

5. social security and medicare taxes.

Social Security and Medicare taxes, also called FICA taxes, are taken out of paychecks to support important social welfare programs in the US. Employees contribute a percentage of their earnings to Social Security and Medicare. The current rates are around 6.2 for Social Security and approximately 1.45 for Medicare , but higher earners may pay more for Medicare.

6. Tax Filing Deadlines and Requirements

These include your W-2 form from your employer, which shows how much money you earned during the year. Any 1099 forms if you have additional income like freelancing or investments and any receipts or documentation of deductible expenses.

Tax Preparation Resources

	TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, TaxSlayer, Credit Karma Tax
	Check with your university for available workshops
	Local tax professionals or firms specializing in international student taxation
	VITA programs in your area
	IRS publications on international student taxes
	Local community centers, libraries, or tax preparation events
	Search YouTube for channels providing tax preparation tips
	,
	Consult your university’s international student office for specific forms

I hope you understand how much are PhD stipends taxed in the US, by staying informed and proactive, students can confidently navigate the tax landscape and ensure they are making the most of their stipend earnings. So don’t let taxes stress you out – take control of your financial situation and make the most of your PhD journey!

FAQs: PhD Student Tax in the US

Can you live off a phd stipend in the usa, is a phd stipend taxable in the us, are there any tax deductions or credits available for phd students.

Yes, there are tax deductions and credits that may be available to PhD students, such as the Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Tax Credit . For detailed information and guidance consult a tax professional.

• Student Services Online
• Class search
• Student email
• Change my password
• MyCDES+ (job board)
• Course outlines
• Learning essentials
• Libraries and Learning Services
• Forms, policies and guidelines
• Campus Card
• Enrol in courses
• Postgraduate students
• Summer school
• AskAuckland
• Student Hubs
• Student IT Hub
• Student Health and Counselling
• Harassment, bullying, sexual assault and other violence
• Complaints and incidents
• Career Development and Employability Services (CDES)
• Ratonga Hauātanga Tauira | Student Disability Services (SDS)
• Rainbow support
• Covid-19 information for our community
• Emergency information
• Report concerns, incidents and hazards
• Health and safety topics
• Staff email
• Staff intranet
• ResearchHub
• PeopleSoft HR
• Forms register
• Careers at the University
• Education Office
• Early childhood centres
• University Calendar
• Opportunities
• Update your details
• Make a donation
• Publications
• Photo galleries
• Video and audio
• Career services
• Virtual Book Club
• Library services
• Alumni benefits
• Office contact details
• Alumni and friends on social media
• No events scheduled for today You have no more events scheduled for today
• Next event:
• Show {0} earlier events Show {0} earlier event
• Event_Time Event_Name Event_Description
• My Library Account
• Change Password
• Edit Profile
• My GPA Grade Point Average About your GPA GPA not available Why can't I see my GPA?
• My Progress
• Points Required Completed points My Progress Progress not available All done!
• Student hubs
• Health and counselling
• All support
• Health, safety and well-being

Breadcrumbs List.

• Ngā akoranga | Study
• Scholarships and awards
• Types of scholarships
• Postgraduate scholarships
• University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships
• You are currently on: University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension

University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension

Find information on the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension, including how to apply.

The eligibility criteria for the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension have changed.

Key changes include requirements for a student to:

• hold a doctoral scholarship worth at least 75%, rather than at least 80%, of the value of the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship
• hold a doctoral scholarship of 36 months' duration (full-time equivalent) [rather than 24-36 months]
• be due to have completed no more than 42 months of full-time equivalent enrolment by the conclusion of a doctoral scholarship extension

Additional eligibility requirements apply; please consult the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension Regulations for full details.

Any student whose doctoral scholarship expires no later than 30 June 2024 and who would have been eligible under the old scheme to apply for a scholarship extension up to and including 31 March 2024 may be considered for a doctoral scholarship extension under eligibility, selection and duration conditions consistent with the old scheme provided they apply no later than 31 March 2024 and satisfy the eligibility criteria of the old scheme on the date of application.

Current holders of University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extensions are not affected by the changes.

If you hold a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship or if you have been receiving external funding, you may be eligible to apply for a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension.

This Extension is for up to 6 months and is paid at the same rate as a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship, i.e. $33,825 p.a. stipend in 2024 plus full fees and international health insurance, if applicable.

Foreign government/agency funding is not eligible for a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension.

You can apply from around 3 months before the end date of your current funding.

Please read the University of Auckland Doctoral Extension Regulations below for full eligibility requirements and selection criteria.

Endorsements of your progress and date and timeline to submission of your thesis will be required from both your supervisor and your Academic Head.

For more information, read the University of Auckland Doctoral Extension Regulations .

If you are a full-time PhD student beginning your fourth and final year of enrolment, you can apply to have your enrolment split into two six-month blocks. For more information, visit Split enrolment for doctoral candidates .

How to apply for a Doctoral Scholarship Extension

Applications for extensions can be made at University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension .

• Submitted applications will be collected for review every two weeks. Our office will liaise with the School of Graduate Studies to add a copy of your most recent annual report. 
• Please allow 3-4 weeks for processing and review. All applicants will be notified of the outcome via email.
• Applications are considered by the Scholarships Committee.

If you have any questions that are not covered in the guidelines, please contact our Student Support Team .

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the information we have supplied is correct and up to date. However, the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension regulations take precedence over all other material.

You are strongly advised to read the scholarship regulations for complete information, to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for scholarship consideration, and that you understand the implications of any regulations, awarding value and selection criteria.