Following are some of the policies and issues related to providing financial support to GSBS students:

The Financial Consequences of Mentorship

The ability to provide long-term financial support is one of the factors a faculty member must consider when deciding whether or not to take on a student. It is the expectation of the Graduate School that a faculty member who agrees to supervise a student’s research assumes the responsibility to provide the support for the student for the duration of his/her studies.

GSBS Emergency Support

Each year the GSBS administration reserves some funds to provide emergency assistance to students. These funds are generally used to bridge a gap in the advisor’s funding or to facilitate the transfer of a student from one lab to another. Accordingly, such funding is normally available for a few months and not longer than a semester. Faculty mentors in need of emergency support may petition the Dean for assistance after all other sources (including departmental) have been exhausted.

Stipend

For academic year 2007-2008 , the standard stipend provided to a GSBS student will be $23,000 per annum.

Tuition and Required Fees

Effective with the Fall Semester of 2003, the faculty member or organization that provides the stipend for a student also pays the student’s tuition and required fees. The payment of tuition and fees is accomplished through an on-line Sponsorship Authorization Form available on the Website of the UTHSCH Registrar’s Office. NIH guidelines permit the payment of tuition for a student supported on a research grant as long as such payment is a standard practice that applies to all students in the institution. The other funding agencies contacted by GSBS apply the same policy. However, the faculty member should check with his or her granting agency to confirm its policy on tuition payment.

Future Increases

Over the past two years, tuition for a full-time GSBS student has remained stable at about $2,000 for a 12- month period. Required fees have increased only periodically and then by small amounts. Whether the standard stipend level will be increased in the future, and by how much, will be determined by the GSBS Faculty and the Dean. In order to remain financially competitive, the GSBS has had to increase its stipend from time to time. In their planning, faculty members should consider that future increases are possible.

Supplementation

According to GSBS policy, students who apply directly to funding agencies outside the University and are awarded fellowships may also receive Graduate Research Assistantships as long as the combination of payments from the outside fellowship and GRA does not exceed 130% of the recommended levels ($29,900 in 2007-2008). This policy also applies to full-stipend fellowships awarded by the GSBS. Note that some fellowships (such as the Rosalie B. Hite Fellowship) prohibit supplementation. However, if the amount of the outside fellowship is, by itself, greater than the 130% limit, the student is permitted to accept and use the fellowship regardless of the amount provided. In such a case, the outside fellowship will not be supplemented by other funds.