4.2 Graduate Assistantships, Fellowships, Traineeships, and Diversity Grants

Chapter 4
Financing Graduate Education

4.2 Graduate Assistantships, Fellowships, Traineeships, and Diversity Grants

A. Eligibility

In order to be eligible for graduate assistantships and fellowships (traineeships), students must be admitted into the Graduate School in full graduate standing and be enrolled in the fall and spring semesters. Students must also be in good academic standing (with a 3.00 grade point average or higher), unless granted an exception by the Graduate School. Some fellowships (traineeships) have additional eligibility requirements, e.g., a GPA higher than 3.00 or a specific research focus. It is the responsibility of the student to consult the Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) for information on specific eligibility requirements.

The position of the Graduate School is that any graduate student holding a graduate research, teaching, or extension assistantship requiring 20 hours of work per week or more (i.e. half-time or greater) must, as a condition of such assistantship, maintain his/her status as a full-time student, and therefore, should not be otherwise employed. The reason for this position is to encourage students to work on their degrees rather than part-time jobs and to ensure that additional employment is approved by the student's department. If a department wishes to increase a graduate assistant's financial support, the stipend should be increased. If additional time is required, the student's FTE should be adjusted accordingly. International graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas are limited to 20 hours of service work per week.

B. Definitions

The following definitions have been recommended by the Administrative Board of the Graduate School and approved by the Graduate School. Graduate departments and programs have the responsibility of determining whether or not the assignments given to their graduate student assistants are in direct or general support of the teaching, research or extension missions of the university.

1. Graduate Teaching Assistant

A student who is appointed in an academic department or program and

directly participates in the teaching mission of the unit as instructor of record, lab instructor, recitation leader, lab or lecture assistant, or who has responsibilities in direct support of classroom instruction in the unit, such as setting up labs or working in an instructional computer lab; or
provides general support to the teaching mission of the department or program.

2. Graduate Research Assistant

A student who is appointed in an academic department or program and

directly participates in the research mission of the unit, or an on-campus or off-campus organization that is affiliated with the unit, in the design of experiments, data collection, analysis, or reporting of research results in the student's field of study, where research may, but is not required to, contribute directly to the student's thesis or dissertation; or
provides general support to the research mission of the unit or discipline.

3. Graduate Extension Assistant

A student who is appointed in an academic department or program and

directly participates in the extension, outreach and engagement mission of the unit, or an on-campus or off-campus organization that is affiliated with the unit, in the design of projects, data collection, analysis, application, or reporting of results in the student's field of study, where these activities may, but are not required to, contribute directly to the student's thesis or dissertation; or
supports the extension, outreach and engagement mission of the unit or discipline, including substantive interaction with individuals or groups beyond the university.

4. Graduate Services Assistant

A student who is appointed to a position that serves the university outside of an academic department or program's teaching or research mission.

5. Graduate Fellow (Trainee)

A student who is provided a stipend that has no corresponding service obligation. Stipends from graduate fellowships (traineeships) are based on academic scholarship and/or financial need criteria. Students may contact the DGP for information on fellowships (traineeships) that may also provide tuition, fees and/or educational expense allowances.

C. Responsibilities

1. Graduate Teaching Assistants

A 1/2-time Graduate Teaching Assistant is required to spend approximately 20 hours per week fulfilling assigned teaching responsibilities associated with the stipend. These duties may be independent of teaching activities that contribute to the requirements of the degree program. Time commitment for students whose appointment is less than or greater than 1/2-time are in the same proportion to a 40-hour week as that of the 1/2-time appointment, i.e., 10 hours for a 1/4-time appointment and 30 hours for a 3/4-time appointment.

a. Orientation to Teaching for New Graduate Teaching Assistants. All new Graduate Teaching Assistants and other graduate students with newly assigned teaching responsibilities are required to attend a University-wide Teaching Orientation, which has traditionally been held each August, shortly before classes start. The Orientation is sponsored by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and the Graduate School.

b. International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Screening. All International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) whose responsibilities include significant interaction with undergraduates in a classroom or laboratory must be screened for oral English proficiency before they are permitted to assume these responsibilities. If the screening process indicates that an ITA needs to improve his or her spoken English significantly in order to communicate effectively with his or her students, he or she must take FLE 400 (American English Pronunciation for International Students) or FLE 401 (Oral Communication and Teaching Skills for International Teaching Assistants) before being re-screened.

Screening Process. Screening sessions for new and continuing ITAs are held each August, November, January, and April. DGPs and graduate secretaries will receive a request that they sign up students online for the SPEAK test six to eight weeks prior to each screening. It is the responsibility of the DGPs or graduate secretaries to notify the students of their test date, time, and location.

The Spoken English Assessment Test (SPEAK), an institutional version of the Educational Testing Service's Test of Spoken English, screens ITAs for proficiency in oral English. Administered in the Foreign Language Laboratory and rated by specialists in English as a Second Language, the SPEAK test consists of a series of prompts for which each student's responses are recorded. No special preparation is necessary. After each student's test is graded, scores are posted on a secure website for departmental access. The score will determine what responsibilities each ITA may assume.

Depending on their scores, ITAs may be cleared for either lead teaching responsibility in a classroom or lab or for limited teaching responsibility in settings where a faculty member or experienced TA has primary teaching responsibility. If an ITA is cleared only for limited teaching responsibility, before being assigned full responsibility for a class, lab, discussion section, etc., he or she must take FLE 400 or FLE 401, be re-screened, and achieve the score appropriate for full teaching responsibility. ITAs whose scores indicate that their spoken English must improve before they can assume even limited teaching responsibilities should not be assigned any duties that require significant verbal interaction with undergraduates. If their departments wish them to assume either limited or full teaching responsibilities, these students must first take FLE 400 and/or 401 and then be re-screened and achieve the appropriate score for either limited or full responsibility.

2. Graduate Research Assistants

A 1/2-time Graduate Research Assistant is required to spend approximately 20 hours per week fulfilling the assigned research responsibilities associated with the stipend. These duties may be independent of research activities that contribute to the requirements of the degree program. Time commitment for students whose appointment is less than or greater than 1/2-time are in the same proportion to a 40-hour week as that of the 1/2-time appointment, i.e., 10 hours for a 1/4-time appointment and 30 hours for a 3/4-time appointment.

3. Graduate Extension Assistants

A 1/2-time Graduate Extension Assistant is required to spend approximately 20 hours per week fulfilling his/her assigned extension, outreach and engagement responsibilities associated with the stipend. This may be independent of time spent in research or teaching or extension, outreach and engagement activities that are part of the academic requirements of the degree program. Time commitment for students whose appointment is less than or greater than 1/2-time are in the same proportion to a 40-hour week as that of the 1/2-time appointment, i.e. 10 hours for a 1/4-time appointment and 30 hours for a 3/4-time appointment.

4. Graduate Services Assistants

A 1/2-time Graduate Services Assistant is required to spend approximately 20 hours per week fulfilling assigned responsibilities associated with the stipend. Commonly, the duties are independent of time spent in research or teaching activities contributing to the requirements of the degree program. Time commitment for students whose appointment is less than or greater than half-time are in the same proportion to a 40-hour week as that of the 1/2-time appointment, i.e., 10 hours for a 1/4-time appointment and 30 hours for a 3/4-time appointment.

5. Graduate Fellows (Trainees)

Graduate fellows (trainees) have no service obligation. However, they must fulfill all research and teaching requirements of their degree programs and, in many cases, additional requirements stipulated by their fellowship (traineeship) programs.

D. Terms and Conditions of Assistantship Appointments

When appointing students to graduate research/teaching/extension assistantships, the terms and conditions for the appointment must be presented in writing to the student. The Terms and Conditions for Appointment statement may be used as a stand-alone document. If the department chooses to send its own letter of appointment, the Conditions for Appointment statement must be attached. Also, a checklist, Items to be Included in Letters of Offer Along With Generic Form of Conditions for Appointment, is provided to ensure that departments include all necessary information in their assistantship offer letters.

The "Terms and Conditions" document must be used to make clear the expectations the University has for Teaching, Research and Extension Assistantships and for the individual on these appointments to know the conditions upon which they are appointed and the benefits they are entitled to in exchange for their performance.

Procedures

1. Initial Graduate Assistantship Appointment

Each student who is offered a Graduate Research/Teaching/Extension Assistantship will be notified in writing of the terms and conditions of their appointment. The following documentation is required for all new or initial Graduate Research/Teaching/Extension Assistantship appointments:

Completed and signed Terms and Conditions for Appointment document OR the Conditions for Appointment document, along with a letter of offer stating the "terms" of appointment
Original, completed I-9 Form
(Optional) Graduate Data Form (right click link, select "save target as" or "save link as")

The department submits completed and signed documents attached to the HR System Personnel Action Form (PAF) to the Graduate School. No assistantship is in effect until (a) all documentation is submitted and approved by the Graduate School, and (b) the appointment has been entered into the Human Resources (HR) System. The information in the HR System must match the terms and conditions document. The appointment end date from the terms and conditions document represents the last day the student will be paid, and the date is entered in the HR System as both the appointment end date and the “planned exit date”. Graduate assistant and fellowship assignments are systematically terminated in the HR System based on the planned exit date.

2. Extension of Graduate Assistantship appointment or additional Graduate appointment

A change to the appointment such as an extension of the current appointment that is not reflected in the initial "Terms and Conditions" document or the initial "Conditions for Appointment" document and letter of offer requires the student to sign a new document reflecting the change. Both the student and the DGP must be in agreement to change the terms and conditions of appointment.

For example, if the initial Terms and Conditions of the Graduate Assistantship indicated support for a three (3) year appointment, the initial document would cover continuous payments for that three-year period of time unless changes were made to the terms of the appointment. If the initial "Terms and Conditions" document reflected support for a one (1) year Graduate Assistantship, this initial document would cover continuous payments as a Graduate Assistant for the one-year term only.

Any appointment not covered in the initial Terms and Conditions requires a new "Terms and Conditions" document. A "Conditions" document and new letter of offer is required if changes have been made to the original terms; otherwise, a signed letter of offer is sufficient. Assignments that are extended will have appropriate Terms and Conditions completed and signed and payroll action processed in the HR System at least three weeks prior to the planned exit date to insure that continuous pay is not disrupted. The department submits completed and signed documents attached to the HR System Personnel Action Form (PAF) to the Graduate School. No reappointment is in effect until (a) all documentation is submitted and approved by the Graduate School, and (b) the appointment has been entered into the Human Resources (HR) System.

3. Termination of Graduate Assistantship prior to the end of the contract

If a graduate assistant resigns prior to the end of the contract stated in his/her "Terms and Conditions" document, a letter of resignation or a memorandum documenting the resignation is required. A copy of the required back-up documentation in #8 of the "Terms and Conditions" document attached to the HR System Personnel Action Form (PAF) must be forwarded to the Graduate School once the termination action has been entered and approved in the HR System.

If a department terminates a graduate assistant prior to the end of the contract stated in the"Terms and Conditions" document, a copy of the required back-up documentation in #8 of the "Terms and Conditions" document attached to the HR System Personnel Action Form (PAF) must be forwarded to the Graduate School once the termination action has been entered and approved in the HR System.

4. Reinstatement of Assistantship

Students who have their assistantship terminated due to academic difficulty must have their DGP submit a separate request for reinstatement to Dr. Rebeca Rufty, Associate Dean of the Graduate School.

5. HR System

Data entry in the HR System must reflect the current appointment(s). This includes title, compensation rate, FTE, and dates of appointment, as reflected in the "Terms and Conditions" document.

6. Terms and Conditions for Self-Supporting Students

Self-supporting students enrolling at NC State may be asked by their department to complete the Terms and Conditions for Self-supporting Students document when they enter a graduate program. This document outlines their academic obligations, but in no way obligates the University to any financial responsibility for the student.

E. Appointing Students to Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

All GTAs, GRAs, GSAs, and Fellows (trainees) are appointed in the University's HR System and are paid on the University's biweekly payroll cycle.

Graduate students who are paid on a temporary/hourly basis may not be given the title Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Extension Assistant, Graduate Services Assistant, Graduate Fellow (Trainee). Temporary appointees may be referred to as student assistants.

Graduate Teaching Assistants: Appointed in the University HR system under Job Code A138, A178, A438/Employee Class 6, Department ID from 11#### -20####.

Graduate Research Assistants: Appointed in the University HR System under Job Code A148, A178, A448/Employee Class 6, Department ID from 11#### -20####.

Graduate Extension Assistants: Appointed in the University HR System under Job Code A428, A438, A448, A478/Employee Class 6, Department ID from 11#### -20####.

Graduate Services Assistants: Appointed in the University HR System under Job Code A198/Employee Class 6.

Graduate Fellows (Trainees): Appointment in the University HR System under Job Code B156, B158, B256, and B258/Employee Class 7 unless cleared by a specific exception granted through the Graduate School.

PROCEDURES FOR PAYING GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP STIPENDS
NC State University, effective July 1, 1997 (updated July 1, 2006)

1. Determining the Primary or Supplemental Status of a Fellowship

A primary fellowship is one that pays an annualized stipend (monthly value times 12) of $8,000 or more. Health insurance benefits, in-state tuition awards, and tuition remission (if applicable) must be provided under the terms and conditions of the Graduate Student Support Plan, if the student meets the Plan's registration requirements. A primary fellowship is responsible for the total cost of the health insurance benefits and in-state tuition. Health insurance coverage remains in force only as long as the fellowship appointment remains in effect. If any part of the benefits package (where applicable) cannot be paid by the fellowship funds, the college must cover it from other sources of funds. Primary fellowships should be coded in the HR System with a job code of B156 or B158.

A supplemental fellowship is one that pays an annualized stipend (monthly value times 12) less than $8,000 over a 12-month period, or is a lump sum in payment method. Supplemental fellowships are not used to determine eligibility for health insurance, in-state tuition awards, or tuition remission. Recipients of supplemental fellowships will not be eligible for health insurance and tuition remission unless they have other stipends that pay an aggregate annualized total (monthly value of $666.67 or greater times 12) of at least $8,000. Supplemental fellowships should be coded in the HR System with a job code of B256 or B258.

2. Fellowship Assignment Guidelines

The following guidelines apply to fellowships in order to distinguish them from assistantships and retain their "exempt from withholding" status:

All fellowship assignments will be entered in the HR System with an annualized (monthly value times 12) stipend. The actual amount of the stipend payable for the semester or year will be determined by the fellowship begin/end dates indicating over how many months the stipend value will be paid. Departments will designate the fellowship as primary or supplemental by use of the job codes described above. Examples are:
1. If a student will be paid a graduate fellowship of $14,000 in equal installments over the period August 2006 through July 2007, the stipend entered into the HR System should be $14,000. The effective date will be 8/1/2006 and the appointment end and planned exit date will be 7/31/2007. This is a primary fellowship and should be coded B156 or B158.
2. If a student will be paid $2,500 in August 2006, and $2,500 in January 2007, there should be two separate assignments in the HR System. The first assignment would have an annualized stipend of $65,000 ($2,500 times 26). The effective date and appointment end and planned exit dates should coincide with the begin and end dates of the appropriate payroll cycle. The second assignment would have an annualized stipend of $65,000 ($2,500 times 26). The effective date and appointment end and planned exit dates should coincide wiht the begin and end dates of the appropriate payroll cycle. Since payments are not continuous, this is a supplemental fellowship and should be coded B256 or B258 by the department putting the action on the HR System. Keep in mind that in order to qualify for continuous health insurance benefits throughout the academic year, the student must be receiving continuous biweekly primary fellowship payments.
As previously stated, primary fellowships will use a job code of B156 or B158.
1. The edits to determine a graduate student's eligibility for health insurance benefits, in-state tuition, and tuition remission, will read this assignment in the same way it reads a graduate assistantship. If the country of legal residence is the U.S., the job code B158 should be used. Eligibility for graduate student support will be determined on the value of the primary fellowship appointment stipend alone.
2. If the country of legal residence is not the US, the job code should be B156. Tax treaty information is housed within the HR System, and taxes will be withheld, or not, based on the country of residence.
As previously stated, supplemental fellowships will use job codes B256 and B258.
1. If the country of legal residence is the U.S., the job code B258.
2. If the country of legal residence is not the U.S., the job code should be B256. Tax treaty information is housed within the HR System, and taxes will be withheld, or not, based on the country of residence.

A copy of the graduate fellowship award letter attached to the Personnel Action Form (PAF) must be forwarded to the Graduate School for all HR System transactions.

In addition to the stipend, many fellowships include the cost of education and/or educational enhancement funds. These funds may be used to pay the fellow's tuition, fees, books, supplies, travel, and other costs that directly support the student's educational program. These funds will be managed by the fellow's department or college and in some cases, the Graduate School. Expenditure of these funds will continue to be processed through Accounts Payable as it has in the past. Cost of education and educational enhancement funds will not be used to determine eligibility for the health insurance benefits, in-state tuition awards, or tuition remission.

F. Assistantship Course Load Restrictions

Students appointed to assistantships are restricted in the number of credit hours for which they can register in any given fall or spring semester as well as in their external employment obligations. These restrictions are listed below.

Assistantship Classification	Maximum Credit Hours
Full time 3/4 time 1/2 time 1/4 time	9 9 9 12

With advance written permission from the Graduate School, a student may take more than the maximum semester course load during a particular semester if the total credit hours do not exceed the maximum for the term of the appointment.

G. Benefits Associated with Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships (Traineeships)

Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Extension Assistants, and Graduate Fellows (Trainees) are provided health insurance through the Graduate Student Health Insurance (GSHI) Plan under the conditions specified in the Graduate Student Support Plan.

Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Extension Assistants, and Graduate Fellows (Trainees) are provided in-state tuition and tuition remission as specified in the Graduate Student Support Plan.
The Graduate Student Support Plan excludes the participation of Graduate Services Assistants in health insurance, instate tuition and tuition remission benefits.
Student assistants, i.e., biweekly appointees, will under no conditions be eligible for the health insurance plan or the tuition benefits of the Graduate Student Support Plan.
Many fellowships and traineeships include "cost-of-education" (COE) or "educational enhancement" funds in addition to funds for stipends, tuition, and health insurance. The Graduate School processes all expenditures of these funds. By the first of September, the Graduate School Fellowship Office sends each department/program a list of all its current Fellows (Trainees) who have access to COE funds. These funds may be used for research- and course-related books, supplies, equipment, and travel. Fellows are informed of this support in their award letters and are provided instructions as to making expenditures.

H. Offers of Financial Support to Graduate Students: Council of Graduate Schools Resolution

The Graduate School subscribes to the Council of Graduate Schools' August 15, 1990, resolution that states:

Acceptance of an offer of financial support (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties.

Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at anytime through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowships, traineeship, and assistantship offer. [Recommended by the Administrative Board of the Graduate School and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School on 10/4/90.]

I. Graduate Teaching Assistantships: Guidelines and Resources

1. Guidelines

In December, 1993, the Graduate School approved new Guidelines for the Utilization of Graduate Teaching Assistants at NC State University to better govern graduate student teaching at the university. Departments should consult this document for guidelines as to the employment, training, and supervision of Graduate Student Teaching Assistants.

2. NC State Online Resources

NC State teaching resources online include the Handbook for Advising and Teaching, the Graduate Teaching Assistants' Handbook, Dr. Richard Felder's "Resources in Science and Engineering Education", and the website of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

3. Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning

A wide variety of workshops and other resources are available through the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL), whose mission is "to enhance student learning by promoting faculty growth and development in knowledge, techniques, and skills related to teaching and learning." Graduate Teaching Assistants should consult the FCTL website for a list of activities, resources, and services.

4. Preparing the Professoriate

Doctoral students who wish to pursue academic careers may apply, in partnership with full-time, tenure-track faculty mentors, to participate in the Graduate School's Preparing the Professoriate program. For this highly selective program, each student-and-faculty-mentor pair develops a year-long plan for a substantive teaching experience, including one semester of teaching observation/preparation and one semester of mentored teaching. In addition, participants attend at least four monthly seminars on effective teaching and faculty careers, and the student participants prepare and submit teaching portfolios. Once the portfolios have been submitted and approved, students' participation in the program is noted on their official transcripts. The competition for this program is held each spring, usually in early to mid-April. Application forms and details are available on the Preparing the Professoriate website.

5. TA Awards

In addition to the TA awards offered by many colleges and departments, the University Graduate Student Association presents awards to outstanding Teaching Assistants each spring. Graduate programs are invited to nominate their best TAs, all of whom are recognized with a certificate. Some TAs are selected from all those nominated to receive cash awards provided by the Alumni Association. The call for nominations is usually sent to the DGP. DGPs are asked either to submit the nominations themselves or to forward the nomination materials to the faculty member who directs the TA program for that department.

J. Generating and Managing Fellowships, Traineeships, and Grants

In addition to fellowships and traineeships administered by individual colleges and departments, the Graduate School administers a number of fellowships (traineeships) and grants. These include:

"Portable" fellowships awarded by foundations and government agencies, which individual students "bring" to the university and which the Graduate School is asked to administer;
Federally funded fellowships (traineeships) awarded to the university as a result of grant proposals, which are often used to recruit students to specific interdisciplinary programs of study and research;
Institutional fellowships funded with income from university fellowship endowments;
Grants to support graduate student diversity (see below).
Regarding university-awarded fellowships, in most cases students are nominated by their graduate programs or colleges rather than applying directly for the fellowships. Recipients are selected either by the Credentials and Awards Committee of the Administrative Board of the Graduate School or by a selections committee of faculty who help direct a specific training program.

1. Fellowship Information and Nominations Procedures

Graduate School Fellowship Information on the Graduate School Website provides an overview of types of funding available for graduate education, descriptions of selected NC State fellowships administered by the Graduate School, and searchable databases for nationally competitive fellowships and other funding opportunities. Both campus-based and national fellowship competitions are routinely announced in the NC State Official Bulletin. For university-wide fellowships, calls for nominations are sent to DGPs and/or Associate Deans, depending on the selections process. For training grants, which are much narrower in scope, calls for nominations are e-mailed to the training faculty identified in the grant proposal or to DGPs whose programs are eligible to nominate trainees. To nominate students for diversity grants, DGPs should contact the Graduate School. Further information on all funding opportunities is available by contacting the Assistant Dean of the the Graduate School.

2. Generating Fellowship (Traineeship) Programs

Researching opportunities and submitting proposals for new fellowship (traineeship) programs is a coordinated effort among the NC State Graduate School, faculty, and the Proposal Development Unit (PDU), which is part of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. The PDU provides support for faculty producing large-scale proposals for graduate fellowships with a goal of enhancing competitiveness for research and graduate fellowship funding. In most cases, funded fellowship proposals are administered by the Graduate School.

3. Managing Fellowship (Traineeships) and Diversity Grants: The Role of the Graduate School

For all fellowships (traineeships) and grants administered by the Graduate School, the Graduate School appoints the students through the HR System and sets up their accounts. If their award qualifies them for the Graduate Student Support Plan, the Graduate School also pays their tuition, health insurance, and any other fees covered by the fellowship or traineeship, as well as the monthly stipend.

For fellowships and grants with a need-based stipend, the Graduate School also calculates the appropriate stipend level. If the fellowship brings with it an educational enhancement allowance for books, supplies, professional travel, etc., the Graduate School sets up an account for these funds and monitors their disbursement. Finally, the Graduate School monitors the academic progress of students receiving funding from fellowships, traineeships, and grants to ensure that they are meeting the academic requirements of their funding.

For institutionally awarded fellowship and traineeship programs and for diversity grants, the Graduate School, in consultation with the training faculty, has some or all of the following additional responsibilities:

Sending out calls for nominations and collecting nomination/application materials
Coordinating the selections process for the faculty selections committee
Sending out award letters
Coordinating arrangements for orientation of new fellows and trainees
Coordinating the annual evaluation of fellows (trainees) and the training programs themselves
Coordinating competitions to fill any traineeship vacancies
Monitoring trainees' participation in required professional development programs
Coordinating related professional development activities such as seminars and mini-grant competitions for which the Graduate School is responsible
Submitting reports to the funding agency

5. Managing Graduate Fellowships (Traineeships) and Grants: The Role of Directors of Graduate Programs and Other Graduate Faculty

Depending on the requirements of the fellowships (traineeships) or grants of students in their programs, Directors of Graduate Programs and training faculty have one or more of the following responsibilities:

Mentoring fellows (trainees) and grant recipients to ensure that they are effectively integrated into their graduate programs, that they understand and fulfill the conditions of their awards, and that they make satisfactory progress toward the degree.
Notifying the Graduate School if the department or program does not receive the student's stipend check on time.
Submitting annual evaluations of fellows (trainees) who are their advisees and seeing that these advisees submit annual activity reports to the Graduate School on time.
Notifying the Graduate School of any student whose fellowship (traineeship) or grant should be terminated because
Working with department heads to ensure that the department or program honors any financial commitments associated with accepting students with a specific financial award, such as the following:

6. Diversity Grants for Students from Underrepresented Groups

Diversity Enhancement Grants are funded by the State of North Carolina for students who are accepted in Master's or Ph.D. programs at NC State. Criteria for selection include: academic record, character, creativity, educational and economic background, race and ethnicity, gender, exceptional personal talents, unique work or service experience, and leadership potential. Applicants must add to the goal of increasing diversity in graduate education at North Carolina State University. Recipients are awarded stipends based on financial need for the academic year, with an option of additional support for study in the summer session.

J. Taxation of Fellowships and Assistantships

All scholarship and fellowship payments are reportable on the recipient's income tax returns. This includes the amount of any tuition remission a student may have received, which is treated as a fellowship for tax purposes.

All assistantship payments are considered wages and will be paid and reported by the University payroll system. They will be subject to tax withholding.

The University Payroll Office can answer questions concerning current tax issues. Also refer to the Internal Revenue Service and/or NC Department of Revenue.

Printer Friendly Section