Office of Financial Aid
Stipend Payments
Minimum fellowship stipends for doctoral students during 2009-2010 academic year will range from $25,500 to $29,600 for twelve months, depending on the student’s discipline.
Fellowship stipends are distributed on the 15th and the last day of the month (or the business day preceding these dates if they fall on a weekend or holiday) during the calendar period for which they are awarded. In most cases, the award is disbursed for a twelve-month period beginning September 1 and ending August 31. The first check of the semester will be issued on September 15. To determine the amount of each of semi-monthly check, students should divide the amount of their stipends by the number of months for which it is awarded (usually twelve months) and then divide again by two (as stipends are distributed twice each month). A $25,500 stipend, for example, will be distributed in 24 equal installments of $1,062.50 each, beginning on September 15 and ending on August 31.
The September 15 check for all first-year students is directed to the department and may be obtained from the departmental registrar. The Office of Financial Aid encourages students to arrange for the direct deposit of their stipend checks to a bank account. Once students have arrived in New Haven and established such an account, they may complete the direct deposit enrollment form and return it in person to a financial aid officer in HGS 129. Until the Office of Financial Aid receives notice from a student of alternative plans, that student’s checks will continue to be directed to his or her departmental address.
Please note that check addresses may be changed only at the Financial Aid Office of the Graduate School in HGS 129. The FAS Registrar's Office, which maintains records for all other types of mailing addresses, cannot record changes to check addresses.
The Graduate School encourages students to arrive in New Haven with sufficient cash available to cover the initial costs of apartment deposits (usually one month's rent), utility connections, food, transportation, and other basic maintenance costs until the first stipend checks are distributed in mid-September. In the event of urgent need, students should contact the Financial Aid Office in HGS 129 no earlier than the first day of new student orientation.
