Frequently Asked Questions

Minimum Graduate Student Stipend Increase

Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum stipend required to qualify for tuition remission awards and in-state tuition awards will be increased to $16,000 per nine-month service period for students in master’s programs and $20,000 per nine-month service period for students in doctoral programs. Funding support for students currently funded by state sources who are at the minimum will come from central finance. These minimum stipends will apply to students who are serving as research assistants, teaching assistants, or fellows/trainees.

Policy Questions

Should students receive the new minimum stipends in their entirety for the 2022-2023 academic year, or should they receive half of the new Academic Year stipend amount for spring 2023?: Students should receive half of the new Academic Year stipend amount for the spring 2023 semester.
How much of the increase will be covered by central finance? How will they know the amount to cover if new student actions are not yet in the system?: Increased funds will be provided by central finance for state funded TAs and RAs for the amount needed to increase stipends for the spring 2023 semester only. State funds were already provided for fall 2022, and since the increase is effective spring 2023, no additional funds for fall 2022 will be provided. The logistics will be shared by campus finance leads in January 2023. For the purposes of timely processing, please process appointments as you normally would. Additional information will be available soon.
Will students funded by school-based tuition (SBT) qualify for the center allocation?: No, center allocation funds will not be provided for students funded by SBT.
If a 12-month grant-funded stipend, prorated for the 9-month academic year, is below the 9-month recommended minimum, are departments required to increase the stipend?: Yes. For example, if the NIH 12-month stipend is $26,352, the prorated 9-month stipend is $19,764, or $9,882 per semester. The department would increase the stipend by $118 for the spring 2023 semester, and $236 for the next academic year to meet the new minimum stipend. If the new campus minimum exceeds a federal sponsor’s maximum, the additional amount must be covered by a non-federal source(s). This guidance applies to any training grant stipend or fellowship funded by sponsored research.
Will programs that already pay the minimum also receive funds to keep stipends competitive?: No, they will not receive funds from central finance, but if the school/program wishes to pay more than the minimum you can do so with existing funds.
Does the new minimum apply to all funding sources?: Yes.

GradStar Entry Questions

If a department uses a separate fund to make up the difference for students who are under the minimum stipend, does it matter if the increase is processed via payroll or via GradStar? For example, if an RA is funded through payroll should the student receive stipend increase via payroll or can that amount be awarded as a fellowship in 2232 GradStar?: You should apply the increase in the same way the original payment for Spring 2023 was processed. If the original Spring payment was in payroll, then the increase should be processed in payroll. If the original Spring payment was in GradStar, then the increase should be processed in GradStar. In addition, if the original source cannot be used, you may use a different source to pay the amount of the increase.
How does GradStar pull in HR data?: GradStar pulls in what is entered in the HR payroll system. The stipend calculator assists in determining what salary to enter on the ePAR form, but the flat rate will vary based on the inputs including the date range that is entered. With the $10,980 actual payment amount from 8/1/22 to 12/31/22 the flat rate is $2,196. If those date inputs change to 8/17/22 to 12/9/22 the flat rate changes to $2,909.; Stipend Calculator; 2232 GradStar will not reflect the new min stipends so the main point would be to ensure that your students are receiving the new minimum stipend beginning in Spring 2023.
Will 2232 GradStar reflect the new required minimum stipend amount?: 2232 GradStar will not reflect the new minimum stipend amount. Minimum stipends reflected in GradStar are entered into the system by Aid Year rather than by term. Any change to the 2232 stipend minimums would carry over into 2229 GradStar and may interfere with 2229 awards that need to be entered in the 2232 term. Departments must ensure that your students are receiving the new minimum stipend beginning in Spring 2023.
Will GradStar calculate the new stipend on a semester basis, making the new minimums $8,000/$10,000? Or will GS be pulling previous semesters data to get a combined amount?: GradStar reflects the stipend on a semester basis. We may not be able to have 2232 GradStar reflect the new minimum stipend amount, but you would want to ensure that your student is receiving it.
What CFS should be used for the increase for the students currently paid on state funds?: No CFS change is needed to pay for the increase. The same CFS can be used.

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