Graduate Student Funding

(Programs can use this section to provide information on how students might be funded in each year of the program. This could be with accordions, a timeline, table, etc. as long as the information is presented in an accessible way. Specific language should be used here to indicate that this is just an example funding schedule and that changes could be made on an individual basis.)

Program Stipend/Salary Rate

<Program should insert fellowship stipend and salary information here>

Please note that it is Stanford's practice for students to be paid the research assistantship salary rate of the department they are working in, which may not be their home department. For example, a student who has been admitted to the Physics PhD program chooses to work in an Electrical Engineering lab. The student will be paid the Electrical Engineering department's RA salary rate rather than the Physic Department's RA salary rate.

All graduate students receiving financial support should sign up for Direct Deposit via Axess as soon as possible to ensure you receive any anticipated aid.

Check out the interactive checklist below to learn more about graduate funding:

5 Simple Ways to Manage Your Graduate Funding

Salary Payments

Students on Research, Teaching or Course Assistantships are paid a bi-monthly salary on the 7th and 22nd  of each month (see below for fall timeline). Students who are paid via RA/TAship are encouraged to sign up for payroll deduction, which is an option for graduate students holding RA/TAships to deduct a portion of their bi-monthly salaries for the purpose of paying housing and fees. The deadline to enroll in payroll deduction for fall quarter is October 15. Students must elect to enroll in payroll deduction every year.

Employment Verification

Students who will be holding an assistantship position (either research or teaching) must complete the I-9 Employment Eligibility form. 

Payroll Deduction Plans

The Payroll Deduction Plan provides an option for graduate students with an assistantship to pay the university bill over time rather than in one lump sum at the start of the quarter. The plan automatically deducts from your bimonthly salary to pay quarterly charges. Graduate students are eligible to enroll in a deduction plan if they have an assistantship during the given academic quarter, they have a minimum of $500 in charges for the selected payroll deduction option, and enrollment in a plan is completed before the enrollment deadline for that quarter. Students may enroll for one full academic year or for one quarter at a time. 

Fellowship Stipend Payments

Fellowship stipend payments are disbursed in a lump sum at the beginning of each quarter. Campus housing fees and additional university fees are automatically deducted from stipend payments. The remaining amount is returned as a refund. 

Additional Funding Opportunities

(Programs should include additional funding opportunities if relevant)

External Fellowship Funding

Students in <program name> are encouraged to apply for funding from outside agencies or from within Stanford, even during their first years in the program. External agencies could include <list external fellowships that students in your program could be eligible for ex. NSF, NDSEG, etc.>. Internal Stanford fellowships that students may apply for include <list internal fellowships that students in your program could be eligible for ex. Knight-Hennessy, SIGF, etc.>. 

Students who receive funding from an external source must notify the program student services staff as soon as possible. The program will work with the student to establish a plan for use of the fellowship that is in alignment with the funding agencies policies. Students are expected to use their external funding first before using any Stanford funding unless agreed upon as part of the plan for use of the fellowship. This includes both incoming first years with external funding and students who receive an award after beginning the program. Some external awards allow recipients to place their funding on reserve or “defer” it to a future quarter. Students should contact the student services staff prior to placing their funding on reserve if this was not previously agreed upon.

Some external fellowships do not provide funding that meets the minimum program funding rates for stipends and/or tuition funding. In these cases, the program will provide top-up funding in the form of a/an <fellowship or assistantship, pick based on program> to complete a student’s funding package. The amount and duration of top-up funding a student will receive will be determined as part of the plan for use of the fellowship.

<If your program provides incentives to students who obtain external fellowships, please detail that information here.>

Cardinal Care Subsidy

Cardinal Care is a comprehensive health plan specifically designed for Stanford students. Coverage includes medical, dental, mental health care, hospitalization, emergency care, and pharmaceuticals. Coverage is annual and begins on September 1 and ends on August 31. Additional details regarding the full coverage of Cardinal Care can be found on Vaden Health Services. The Stanford Financial Aid Office administers an automatic University-wide subsidy program that covers up to the full cost of the annual plan for graduate students receiving financial support. Information and eligibility requirements regarding the Cardinal Care Subsidy can be found on the Financial Aid Website here. 

Financial Support Programs

The University has created several programs specifically for graduate students dealing with challenging financial situations. Information on these programs and how to apply can be found on the Financial Aid website.

Student Bills

Learn more about viewing and paying your bill here. You may add and drop units prior to the Final Study List deadline but please note that your tuition charges will change based on your enrolled units. Final tuition charges are assessed based on your units as of the final study list deadline. 

Tuition Charges

Tuition rate information can be found on the Student Services website. (Programs should include any other relevant tuition information such as how many units students should enroll in)

Quarterly Fees

All graduate students are charged quarterly fees in addition to any charges for housing, meal plans, etc. These fees can be found on the Student Services website. Students who are funded by a fellowship stipend will have fees automatically deducted from their stipend payments and the remaining amount will be disbursed as a refund. Students who are funded on an Assistantship must enroll in a payroll deduction plan if they wish to have these fees automatically deducted from their bi-monthly paychecks.

Taxes

We recommend that all students review the Student Financial Services website for more information about Tax resources. If you have questions about what counts as taxable income, please see Other Tax Forms and Taxable Income resources. Student services staff are unable to provide tax guidance to students.