Section One
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES
PROCEDURES FOR REGISTRATION:
FINANCES
This section includes discussion of:
Financial Aid Office
First floor, Montag Hall
355 Galvez Street
723-3058 or (888) 326-3773
financialaid@stanford.edu
http://financialaid.stanford.edu
The central Financial Aid Office provides information about federal and private loan programs for graduate students, except those in the Schools of Law, Business, and Medicine (M.D. program). These schools/programs have their own financial aid offices.
First floor, Montag Hall
355 Galvez Street
723-9541
financialaid@stanford.edu
http://financialaid.stanford.edu
This section of the Financial Aid Office provides information about the administration of fellowships and account billing from agencies or organizations outside the University. In addition, each academic department also provides information regarding the fellowships and assistantships that they administer, including any Federal Work-Study funds.
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Stanford Financial Awards
Academic departments generally determine eligibility for Stanford's fellowships and assistantships, available primarily for doctoral study; academic merit, program, and the availability of funds are the primary considerations. The availability of funds and the types of support vary considerably by academic program; few students in terminal master's programs will be considered for fellowships or assistantships. Federal Work-Study funding is based on the recommendation of the academic department and demonstration of federal financial need. Eligibility for loans is based on demonstrated financial need.
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Enrollment
Enrollment is normally required each quarter in which financial aid is received. Students are expected to be in residence at Stanford unless the student's department approves in absentia registration.
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Academic Progress
Continuation of an award through the degree program is conditional on satisfactory academic progress, as determined by University regulations and departmental review.
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Taxes
The Controller's Office at Stanford University maintains a web site with tax information for students - http://co.stanford.edu/students/sar/taxinfo.html. This site contains questions and answers, links to tax forms, and other current resources.
U.S. regulations for taxation of graduate student funding include:
- For degree-seeking students, the tuition portion of fellowships and assistantships is exempt from tax. Non-matriculated students are subject to tax on any tuition support received.
- Fellowship stipends and assistantship salaries are subject to tax. The amount of tax varies according to the student's total income, dependency status, treaty status for international students, and individual circumstances.
- Assistantship salaries are subject to tax withholding.
- Tax is not normally withheld from fellowship stipends paid to US citizens and Permanent Residents. Students are responsible for making any estimated tax payments.
- Fellowship stipends paid to international students are subject to a 14% withholding, regardless of the number of dependents.
- International students may be eligible for tax exemption on fellowship stipends and/or assistantship salaries if their country of residence has an existing tax treaty with the US.
- Fellowship funds used to pay for tuition, books, and fees which are required for enrollment may be excluded from the income reported. Money used to pay for these items may not be subtracted from wage income.
- Students will receive a W-2 form covering Stanford salaries, including assistantships. They will not receive a tax statement of fellowship stipends. The check stubs are the student's record of these payments.
Important Note: This brief discussion of tax items (and that below) is not to be considered tax advice. Please refer to the IRS publications listed above. Where needed, students should seek competent tax counsel or contact the IRS directly via their website.
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Assistantships
Teaching and research assistantships are an integral part of the education and training process for many graduate students, particularly those in doctoral degree programs. Most teaching and research assistantships are 50% appointments providing salary for 20 hours per week of work. Some students hold several concurrent assistantships for a total 50% appointment. Larger appointments or concurrent appointments totaling more than 50% during an academic quarter require prior approval from the student's adviser, Department Chair and School Dean's office, and will subsequently reduce the amount of tuition available. Summer appointments can be made for up to 90% time without prior approval.
Assistantship appointments involve work directly relevant to the student's degree, and they therefore provide a tuition allowance in addition to salary. These appointments include Course Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Mentor Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Teaching Affiliates. Research Assistant and Predoctoral Research Affiliate appointments are funded by University-supported research projects. Coterminal students with these types of appointments are eligible for tuition allowance only after completion of 180 units.
Assistantship appointments are always made for full quarters. The percentage of time of an appointment (number of hours paid per week) determines the amount of tuition provided. The maximum tuition allowance for a 50% appointment is 8-9-10 units per quarter. The tuition allowance is usable only for tuition charges for the student holding the appointment. During Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters, students with assistantships, except those registered TGR or in their Graduation Quarter, must register for 8, 9, or 10 units in each quarter of their appointment. All tuition adjustments for students on assistantships must be arranged with the student's department. Registration for more than 10 units while holding a 50% appointment requires prior approval from the student's adviser, Department Chair and School Dean's office. Tuition allowance may not be carried carried over into quarters in which it was not earned.
Stanford policy requires that any tuition support to which a student has access be used to the full extent before tuition allowance is claimed on an assistantship. Acceptance of a Stanford assistantship appointment obliges students to inform the department of any other aid received.
During Summer Quarter, when students are not required to enroll for 8, 9, or 10 units, assistantships for more than 50% are allowed. Starting in 2004, Summer Quarter assistantships are capped at 90% and require enrollment in three units. See the May 2004 announcement regarding full-time employment and FICA (Social Security withholding) .
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Eligibility to Work: I-9 Requirement
ALL students receiving salary compensation through Stanford's Payroll Department (i.e., all RAs and TAs) must have on file in Payroll a correctly completed I-9 form prior to commencement of work. In addition, international students who are not US permanent residents must have a valid passport with either a current I-94 card or a valid I-20 (student I.D. card) in order to be able to file an I-9. Questions about expired passports or employment authorization for international students should be referred to the Bechtel International Center, although final decisions are made by the student's department.
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Additional Earnings While On Stanford Support
Financial awards that provide tuition and a salary or stipend are given so that students may focus on their studies. Concurrent employment is therefore limited.
US students on full assistantships (50% appointments, for 20 hours of work per week) are limited to an additional eight hours of employment. Students on full fellowships (i.e., equivalent to the minimum level of support provided for a 50% assistantship) may be paid for an additional eight hours of hourly employment, or may hold a concurrent "supplemental" assistantship appointment up to a maximum of 25% with NO additional hourly employment.
Exceptions, which are rarely made, must be approved by the department. International students on F and J visas who have Stanford assistantships may not work more than 20 hours per week, including the time required for their assistantship appointment.
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Loans
Federal and private loan programs are administered through the Financial Aid Office on the first floor of Montag Hall (355 Galvez Street), or by the financial aid offices of the Schools of Business, Law, and Medicine (M.D. program).
Several loan programs are available to graduate students at Stanford. Typically these loans carry lower rates of interest and more flexible repayment provisions than personal loans. Deferred payment while the student is enrolled at least half-time (6 units) with repayment after degree completion or withdrawal are some of the options available.
Loans may be used to cover educational expenses including basic living expenses of the student and his or her dependents and reasonable dissertation expenses. Federal loans to help meet the cost of education are generally not available to cover such expenses as consumer debt, relocation, job search, or car or insurance costs greater than the transportation allowance included in the student's financial aid budget.
The Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford and Perkins Loan Programs, as well as the private GATE loan, are the major sources of loans for graduate students. These loans provide for repayment after completion of graduate study if continuous registration is maintained. Eligibility is based on:
- financial need, as determined by Federal Methodology (FM), defined as the difference between the standard Stanford graduate budget and the student's resources (the GATE loan may be excepted from this requirement)
- a favorable credit record
- a reasonable debt level
- satisfactory academic progress as defined by the University
- US citizenship or eligible non-citizen status
- enrollment for at least 6 units.
Loan applications and information are available from the Financial Aid Office or on the Internet (http://financialaid.stanford.edu). Students in the Schools of Business, Law, and Medicine (M.D. program) should contact their school's financial aid office.
Students must notify the Financial Aid Office upon receipt of any outside award made after the original offer.
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Procedures for Paying Students
Stanford Financial Support
The tuition portion of a fellowship or assistantship appears as a credit on the University Bill. If a student receives a fellowship stipend, the other University Bill charges (rent, student fees) may be deducted from the fellowship check. It is possible to receive the fellowship check for the entire amount and pay the other charges with personal funds if arrangements are made with the student's academic department by August 1.
Graduate students with assistantship appointments or fellowships that provide at least $1000 per quarter in stipend support will be eligible for a subsidy to pay part of their Cardinal Care health insurance premium. The applicable subsidy will be applied directly to the student's bill. Students will be responsible for paying the balance of their Cardinal Care premium to the Cashier's office, unless the department or an outside source of funds makes that payment on the student's behalf. (See the Cardinal Care website for more information about this subsidy.)
Fellowship stipend checks are paid quarterly and are mailed to the MAILING ADDRESS in Axess at the start of each quarter. Students should check to see that this address is correct.
Assistantship checks are paid semi-monthly through the department in which the appointment is held, beginning two or three weeks after the start of the quarter. Students can arrange to have their assistantship checks deposited directly into their bank accounts by contacting the Payroll Department.
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Non-University Financial Awards
If an external fellowship is paid through the University, upon receipt of funds the tuition grant is automatically applied to the tuition charges on the student's University Bill. Students receiving a fellowship stipend will have their other University Bill charges (rent, student fees) deducted from the fellowship check.
Students with externally-funded fellowship awards where the terms of the fellowship include the full payment of the student's health insurance will not receive a Cardinal Care subsidy from Stanford.
If an outside agency requires a separate invoice for billed for charges, this is known as a Third Party Contract. Student Financial Services must receive a letter from the agency with the Third Party Contract Invoicing Information form completed, signed and dated by the agency's representative. The Invoicing form is available on line [pdf file from the Stanford Controller's Office]. This invoicing form must be completed for each student annually. Students will need to visit the Student Financial Services office to sign an information release form prior to the agency being invoiced for the term. Third Party Contract credits will be applied to the appropriate charges on the University Bill, and the funding agency will be invoiced by Student Financial Services after the Add/Drop deadline.
For additional billing information, please refer to Billing Policy, section on Third Party Contracts located at: www.co.stanford.edu
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Procedures for Billing Students
Student Financial Services
632 Serra Street,Room 160
(650) 723-2181
http://co.stanford.edu/students/
- Billing and collection of University Bills
- Preparation and disbursement of stipends and refund checks
- Loan exit interviews
- Loan deferments for enrollment in graduate programs and other qualifying activities
- Preparation of Annual Tuition Statement (Form 1098-T)
Cashier's Office
632 Serra Street, Room 150
(650) 723-1676
http://co.stanford.edu/students/
- Payments for University Bills (as of Autumn 2006 includes cable TV and other IT charges), the Stanford Card Plan, and other monies owed the University
- Pick up of outside scholarship checks, outside loan checks, cash advances, and other checks needing to be picked up
- Receipt of deposits made to the University by departments and other organizations
Student Financial Services and the Cashier's Office bills and processes payments for tuition, room, board, insurance, ASSU and other fees. Its staff provides counseling to students on meeting financial obligations in a timely and realistic manner. Beginning with the 2006/2007 academic year, Stanford will change from a quarterly to a monthly billing schedule and introduce Stanford ePay, an online billing and payment service to students and their authorized payers. Charges for tuition, room and board will be billed prior to the beginning of each academic quarter, and will be due by the 15th of the following month. All other charges will be billed monthly as they are incurred.
New bills are not issued when charges change, e.g. approval of a tuition adjustment does not result in a special billing. The charge will be shown on the next monthly bill. Current balances can also be viewed online through Axess (http://AXESS.stanford.edu). Aid that has been approved but not yet disbursed to the bill (prior to enrollment) will appear as "Anticipated Aid."
Most sources of financial aid (internal, external, fellowships, tuition remission, money on deposit, loans) appear as credits on bills. Questions about Stanford departmental awards should be directed to the source department. Questions about funding from agencies or organizations outside the University should be directed to the Financial Aid Office. Most loan proceeds are credited to the bill within 10 days of the beginning of each quarter.
Current updates regarding University Bill financial issues can be found on the finances page of Axess or can be viewed on the Student Financial Services web page at http://co.stanford.edu/students/.
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