Parental Support and Relief Policy for
Graduate Students in Ph.D. Programs

New parenthood at the birth or adoption of a child substantially affects the ability of doctoral students to meet academic and professional obligations. The constraints introduced by becoming a parent while enrolled in a Ph.D. program also have long-term career effects. Recognizing this fact, the policies described below support the intersecting personal and professional lives of graduate students at Yale.

Ph.D. students in years one through six who wish to modify their academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child may request parental support and relief during or following the semester in which the birth or adoption occurs. For the whole of the semester in which the support and relief are requested, the student’s academic clock stops, effectively adding an additional semester to the total time to degree. During this period, students remain registered, receive the full financial aid package as specified in their letter of admission, and will have departmental academic expectations modified to best suit the specific situation. The precise nature of the academic responsibilities undertaken or modified during this period should be a matter of consultation between the advisor, the student, and the Graduate School, with the understanding that students are entitled to full relief for at least an eight-week period. Students who take only eight weeks of relief during the semester in or just after which the birth event occurs will receive an additional eight weeks of stipend funded by the Graduate School at the end of the fifth year. To arrange for parental relief, contact the appropriate associate dean four months prior to the birth or adoption.