Helpful Dates & Funding Information
THE SEMESTER AT A GLANCE
Conditions of Admission and Assignment Responsibility>
| Week 1 | By the first day of the semester, you should have registered. Registering activates your student account, which is necessary for processing stipends, health insurance, and maintaining access to university/campus services. If you do not register before the semester begins, you may experience delays and/or interruptions with any or all of the above. Please take the time to arrange and/or update direct deposit. If you wish to opt into or out of NUSHP (Northeastern University Student Health Plan), make sure to do so now. Only students on SGAs (Stipended Graduate Assistantships including Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants) and those enrolled in at least six credits that includes one on-campus course are eligible for NUSHP. Full-time enrollment otherwise requires a minimum of 8 semester hours. Thesis Continuation, Dissertation, Dissertation Continuation, Doctoral Research and Qualifying Examination Preparation are also considered full-time registration. |
| Week 2 | By the end of the second week, your course load/registration should be finalized and your health insurance processed (if applicable); both should be reflected on your student bill. Deadlines for payment on your tuition and/or late fees may not apply if you are supported through the university or a partnership. If you need proof of health insurance, you can print out a verification letter by logging into myNortheastern, clicking on the ‘Services & Links’ tab, scrolling to ‘UHCS’, selecting ‘NUSHP’, and then from the Gallagher home page, click on ‘Account Home’ on the left toolbar and, after that page opens, selecting ‘Verification Letter’ under ‘Coverage History’. If you already have health insurance and would like to opt out of NUSHP, please submit the waiver by the end of this week. |
| Week 3 | By the end of the third week, students who have not registered will no longer be able to do so without going through the late registration process. Students on fellowships or SGAs should have received their first stipend disbursement. |
| Week 4 | At this point in the semester, the tuition charges on your student bill may drop off if you have tuition remission or other tuition credits. Please note that the tuition waiver generally covers tuition for courses that fulfill departmental degree requirements. If you have a Diversity Fellowship Award or other scholarships, these will start to apply, as will vouchers and other awards. Deadlines for payment on your tuition and/or late fees may not apply if you are supported through the university or a partnership. |
| Week 5 | International students who have just arrived and don’t have a Social Security Number should apply for one. Instructions on how to apply and the documents needed can be found here. Once you have received your Social Security Number, you will need to update your personal information with the University Registrar. |
| Week 10 | If you plan to graduate this semester, please be sure to confirm your status and requirements with your graduate office to facilitate timely processing. |
| Week 12 | Relevant funding information for the next semester will begin to go out. Please coordinate with your graduate office to make sure assignment letters are signed and received, if applicable. In particular, note the duration of the award, generally from the beginning of the term through the final exam period, including Spring Break at the discretion of your supervisor. |
Most Northeastern PhD students are supported on SGAs (Stipended Graduate Assistantships). SGAs include coverage for tuition and the Northeastern University Student Health Plan (NUSHP). Rates for spouses or dependents are available at the NUSHP website and these additional costs are the responsibility of the student. PhD students who enroll in NUSHP are required to pay the University Health and Counseling Services fee. SGAs carry a 20/hr per week commitment, may require that a student be on campus unless instructed otherwise. Students on SGAs are generally ineligible for on-campus employment.
The stipend portion of the SGA is dispersed in semi-monthly installments and will have taxes withheld (you will receive a W2 the following January). The first installment for each semester is September 15 (fall), January 15 (Spring), May 15 (Summer). Domestic students can update their withholding on the MyNortheastern portal. International Students must complete the paper Form W-4. Withholding needs to be designated as “Single” & “NRA” for Northeastern to ensure students are taxed correctly and any treaties with other countries are properly designated. The W-4 form can be found here. NUID # & “NRA” should be written in on the top of each form.
The tuition waiver portion of the award is considered a scholarship and therefore is not considered taxable.
If you wish to have your stipend disperse via Direct Deposit, please set up Direct Deposit via the MyNorthestern portal. Instructions can be found here.
SGAs are entitled to a 10% discount on books and a 15% discount on other merchandise at the bookstore. To receive these discounts, present a valid Husky card with an SGA sticker (available from your department) for the current academic year.
Student Graduate Assistant W-2 Information:
Graduate Students on Assistantships access your W-2 here!
Many Northeastern PhD students during the course of their studies receive external fellowships to support their studies. Fellowships managed by Northeastern may be funded by internal or external funds and provide a stipend at the level of an SGA or higher and cover tuition and Northeastern University Student Health Plan (NUSHP) costs. The conditions for each fellowship varies and is based on the funder’s requirements. Students on Northeastern managed fellowships include coverage for tuition and the Northeastern University Student Health Plan (NUSHP). Rates for spouses or dependents are available at the NUSHP website and are the responsibility of the student. PhD students who enroll in NUSHP are required to pay the University Health and Counseling Services fee.
The stipend portion of the Fellowship is dispersed twice a semester and will not have taxes withheld. Fellowship disbursements are as follows:
- Fall term: 50% of semester stipend on September 15 and November 1
- Spring term: 50% of semester stipend on January 15 and March 1
- Summer term: 50% of semester stipend on May 15 and July 15
It is the student’s responsibility to file taxes and to disclose the Fellowship stipends received. The tuition waiver portion of the award is considered a scholarship and therefore will not be taxed.
Please set up Direct Deposit via the MyNorthestern portal so that your stipend posts to your bank account. Instructions can be found here.
Note that it is possible that a PhD student will receive a combination of SGA funds and Fellowship funds during the course of the calendar year and, therefore receive a W2 for a portion of their total stipend. Fellowships are awards that do not require a 20/hr per week commitment. Some students may receive Fellowships from their colleges with a service expectation and in those cases these Fellows will be appointed as SGAs. Please consult the SGA section above for more information about Stipended Graduate Assistantships and W-2s.
Information for college administrators on fellowship and award processing can be found here.
Northeastern University notifies students at the point of admission and in assignment letters of the following conditions and responsibilities of PhD support.