Parental Accommodations for Full-Time Funded Graduate Students

Effective January 1, 2026

This parental accommodation policy is available to eligible full-time and certified full-time PhD and master’s students (students) for childbirth or adoption. Students are eligible to receive up to 14 weeks of: 

• extensions for academic coursework and other academic requirements; 
• relief from employment responsibilities; 
• continuation of stipend or salary support and access to other student status and/or graduate worker status-related benefits during the period of accommodation.  

Eligibility 

Full-time or certified full-time PhD and master’s students in good academic standing with fully funded non-service stipends or holding salaried graduate student employment roles are eligible for the parental accommodations, including academic accommodations, financial support, and relief from employment responsibilities (as applicable), provided by this policy.  

Full-time or certified full-time PhD and master’s students in good academic standing and without fully funded non-service stipends or not holding salaried graduate employment roles are eligible for the academic accommodations provided by this policy. 

Parental accommodations must be taken within the 12 months after the birth or adoption of a child, and are available to eligible students: 

• who are the birthing parent;  
• whose partner has given birth to a child or children; or  
• who adopt a child or children under the age of 18 (or a child or children under the age of 23 if the child/children are mentally or physically disabled).  

If both parents are eligible students at Boston University, the accommodation is available to both, but the periods of accommodation may not overlap. 

The length of a multiyear funding commitment made at the time of admission will generally not be extended by the period of accommodation. 

Accommodation Types

Parental accommodations provided under this policy take different forms depending on a student’s academic and service status and are described below. 

Academic Accommodations

The student will be excused from all course requirements during the period of accommodation, including assignments and exams. The student should make arrangements with each instructor to complete any assignments or exams missed. 

Other requirements outside of formal coursework, such as qualifying or comprehensive examinations, publication, and fieldwork, should be rescheduled as appropriate to provide reasonable time for preparation and completion. 

The period of parental accommodation is not counted as part of the time allowed for completion of degree requirements. 

Financial Support

A student holding salaried graduate student employment, receiving a non-service award, or receiving a fully funded non-service stipend will continue to receive their salary, award, or financial support (as applicable) during the parental accommodation period. Scholarships and credits for tuition, mandatory fees, and student health insurance plan (SHIP) charges will continue. 

If a student’s non-service stipend or salaried graduate student employment is scheduled to expire during the period of the parental accommodation, the financial support is not extended past the scheduled expiration date, while the academic accommodation may continue.  

Temporary Relief from Employment Responsibilities

If the student is serving or was to serve in an employment role during the term of the accommodation, the student will be relieved of any responsibilities related to the employment during the period of accommodation. Students whose accommodation period concludes mid-term may not be able to return to their original, unmodified assignment at the conclusion of the accommodation period, but will be provided with a modified assignment, as appropriate. 

Duration of Accommodation

The maximum period of parental accommodation is fourteen (14) consecutive weeks. A student may elect a shorter period of accommodation, at their sole discretion, which should be communicated in writing to the relevant department chair (or program director) in the accommodation application or as soon as practicable. 

A student will remain registered as a full-time or certified full-time graduate student during the period of parental accommodation. 

Summer I and Summer II terms will be considered a single term for the purpose of this policy.  

Application Process

A student seeking to take an accommodation due to the birth of a child must complete the parental accommodation request form and notify the relevant department chair (or program director) in writing no later than 30 days prior to the start of the term during which the accommodation is expected. In the case of adoption, notification should be made once the student becomes reasonably certain of the expected date of the adoption. The notification should indicate the start and end dates of the accommodation consistent with the allowable time frame of 14 weeks, and the nature of accommodations sought (e.g., academic, financial support, and/or relief from employment responsibilities). The department chair (or program director) shall acknowledge receipt in writing. Forms for this purpose are available from the student’s school or college dean’s office. 

Appeals

Students may contact the Office of the Associate Provost of Graduate Affairs if they wish to appeal an accommodation request which has been denied, or if they have concerns about the manner in which their accommodation is being administered and have been unable to resolve the concerns with their chair and dean (or their designee) of their school or college.