PhD & MFA: Fellowship Aid

The purpose of fully supporting our graduate students is to allow them to engage wholly in their scholarly work and to devote the attention necessary to complete their studies in a timely fashion.  We expect that our students will not be employed outside of Boston University.  University policy limits the amount of work that may be assigned to graduate students in any semester when they are appointed to a Teaching, Graduate Research, or Training Fellowship.  For this reason, we expect students with fellowships to devote no more than 20 hours per week to their assigned activity.  Please refer to “Are graduate workers allowed to work more than 20 hours per week?” on the provost’s website.

All students at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty.  It is each student’s responsibility to be aware of the content of the GRS Academic Conduct Code, which can be found on the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences website.  Please note, the GRS Academic Conduct Code is distinct from Good Academic Standing (Master’s, PhD) requirements and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  Please see the relevant Bulletin pages for additional information about those policies.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences requires graduate students to maintain Good Academic Standing in order to remain enrolled in their graduate program and/or to retain GRS scholarship and/or fellowship support.  The GRS criteria for Good Academic Standing are as follows:

• Have no more than two failing or W grades.
• Meet all milestones of the degree, such as comprehensive exams, qualifying exams, and dissertation prospectus, on the schedule specified by the program.
• Meet all milestones of the degree with sufficient quality of work as specified by the program.
• Satisfactorily fulfill all service fellowship obligations, as specified by the program.

Please note: Good Academic Standing is distinct from Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and the GRS Academic Conduct Code.  Please see the relevant Bulletin pages for additional information about those policies.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences follows a uniform refund policy for all institutional aid.  A PhD or MFA student who receives scholarship aid and withdraws or takes a leave of absence after the beginning of classes will retain the scholarship aid for that semester.  This includes but is not limited to Teaching Fellowships, Research Fellowships, Training Fellowships, and Graduate Scholarships.  Federal financial aid is adjusted in accordance with federal regulations.

Boston University requires PhD students and MFA students with fellowship support to be present on campus unless their research or fieldwork requires them to be elsewhere.  This requirement is in place to ensure that students can focus on their full-time studies and regularly engage with faculty members.  Those pursuing a PhD or MFA with fellowship support from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences must live in the Boston region in a commutable distance from campus during the semester(s) in which they receive GRS support, and they are expected to participate in departmental and University activities.  Students who leave the Boston region outside of required research or fieldwork during their first five years may forfeit their guaranteed fellowship funding.  We understand that students may have personal reasons to leave the area, but such arrangements often violate policies and laws that prohibit payments.  PhD students beyond their fifth year of study who leave the Boston region will not be eligible for fellowship, unless required to be elsewhere for their research or fieldwork.  All teaching fellows must be in residence.

Fellowships will continue for the duration of the five-year commitment if the student is making satisfactory academic progress each year, confirmed by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The GRS minimum standard for Satisfactory Academic Progress is:

• Maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher
• Have no more than 2 failing grades (lower than B- or an incomplete grade older than 12 months) and/or W grades
• Pass all milestones of degree, such as comprehensive exams, qualifying exams and dissertation prospectus, on the schedule specified by the program
• Pass all milestones on the degree with sufficient quality of work as specified by the program
• Satisfactorily fulfill their service fellowship obligations as specified by the program

Boston University employees are not eligible for GRS financial aid.

The University’s policy is that all PhD students receiving stipend support are entitled to paid vacation time.  Please refer to the University’s Policies page.  International students who want to travel internationally should contact Boston University’s International Students and Scholar’s Office (ISSO) to make sure they are able to leave and return to the U.S. without problems.

Boston University’s policy is to withhold all diplomas, degrees, official transcripts, and other official recognition of work done at the University from students with respect to whom there are any outstanding overdue debts to the University, including, but not limited to amounts owed in satisfaction of tuition, loan agreements, fees, and charges, as well as monies owed for occupancy in University-owned or -operated residences and for dining service.  No student may withdraw from the University in good standing or graduate from the University unless all current obligations to the University are paid in full.

For information regarding cost of attendance, please visit our Cost of Attendance (COA) page.

Students have the option to purchase Dental Care through the University, which is not included in the fellowship award.

For information regarding the Sports Pass, please visit our Sports Pass page.

For information regarding your stipend payments, please visit our Stipends FAQ page.

For information regarding Student Health Insurance, please visit our Medical Insurance page.

For information regarding your stipend and taxes, please visit our Tax Information FAQ page.

For information regarding tuition scholarships, please visit our Scholarships page.