Fellowships and Stipends

For processing purposes, Graduate Fellowships can be broken down into two categories:  EXTRNAL to the department and INTERNAL to the department. 

External fellowships (e.g., STEM, University, etc.) are awarded and processed through the Graduate Awards unit after nomination by Department Committee.  The financial transactions for those awards are not accessible to department personnel.  These awards almost always include tuition support as well as stipend support.

INTERNAL fellowships are funds awarded under the direction of Department faculty or committee.  These funds are usually sponsored awards (trainees or participants separately budgeted in the award budget), gift/donor funds used to supplement other funding or support students during funding gaps, and may or may not include tuition support.  

Some internal "fellowships" are actually sponsored or non-sponsored awards that support or enhance the WORK of a graduate student on a particular project.  The beneficiary in these cases is the sponsor or University project, not the student's training or education.  Although the title of these awards may include the word "fellowship," the stipends are processed through the payroll system and include applicable fringe benefit and Facilities and Administrative Cost and are generally subject to payroll taxes, minimum wage policies, etc.

Other internal/department awards are not considered "employment," but rather support for students during their education.  These can be full or partial and do not necessarily follow payroll dates or terms.  These award payments are processed through the SU Disbursements Office (after department budget approval and other applicable units (e.g., sponsored/restricted accounting) via a "Stipend Payment Request" form.  https://bfas.syr.edu/comptroller/forms/

Steps for completion of the Internal Stipend Request Form:

Budget Administrator, Research Coordinator, or Budget Manager receives the funding request for a stipend or fellowship from the Faculty member or the faculty member's request forwarded by the Academic Support Coordinator.  The Budget Administrator or Research Coordinator completes the Stipend Payment request as follows:

• Use the “Stipend Payment Request” form located here.
• Check the project/program to ensure the fellowship/stipend meets any restrictions.
• Check the project/program that there is adequate funding to cover the stipend/fellowship
• Fill out the form with all of the necessary information.  
  • Under Stipend chartstring, put the whole chartstring
  • Under Requested by, Put name of person filling out the form
  • The authorized signer is the Physics Budget Manager
  • The authorized Sponsored Award Signer  is the Associate Director of Sponsored Accounting
  • Under,  If Sponsored Reason for Payment, put the name of the Fellowship or program (internship, workshop participation, etc.)
  • For section on recipient required to perform services for stipend, it is typically no, since it is a fellowship, traineeship, internship, workshop participation, etc.
  • Fill in the (SU ID, Last name  First name, work requirement, status, monthly amount, # of payments, payment month ) for every month the fellow is receiving a stipend
  • Add your name and contact information as person filling out the form.
  • After you get Physics Budget Manager signature, save a copy of the signed PDF   Where save?  
  • Email to:  
    • Sponsored Accounting (contacct@syr.edu) if sponsor-funded, restricted accounting (if restricted funding used) (email address), or disbursements (if unrestricted funds used)  (add email address)
    • Copy: 
      • Phyadmin for logging
      • Graduate Award <gradawd@syr.edu>
      •  Academic Support <phyacademics@syr.edu>
• *NOTE:  If a student/fellow is on a stipend, and is taking fewer than nine credits in a semester,   in addition to the Stipend Sheet, you may have to fill out a  Full Time Status Form (send to )and/or Syracuse University Graduate Scholarship Form  (send to A&S for approval.)