Grad Awards

Owned by Juliette Rawda
Last updated: Feb 27, 2020
4 min read

Graduate Award Process – Notes

 

phyacademics@syr.edu

    • All offer letters are sent out, returned through this account
    • All tuition remission forms are sent out through this account


 Important Contacts:

      • Graduate Awards general inbox: gradawd@syr.edu
      • ALL signed TA letters and their corresponding tuition remission forms get sent to this email address for processing
      • ALL signed RA letters on DEPARTMENTAL accounts and their corresponding tuition remission forms get sent to this email address for processing
      • Sponsored Accounting general inbox: contacct@syr.edu
      • ALL signed RA letters on SPONSORED accounts and their corresponding tuition remission forms get sent to this email address AND gradawd@syr.edu for processing
      • Marrika Flowers-Dorsey: mdflower@syr.edu; x2298 (Graduate Awards Coordinator)
      • Ellen Hobbs: ejhobbs@syr.edu, x1701 (Graduate Awards manager)

 TA Award Process

Prof. Ross confirms TA offers and terms of support:

    • All potential offers must go through the College first for approval before any offers can be sent to applicants.
    • All info is entered into the hiring sheet spreadsheet
    • Once a TA is approved, the process is:
  1. List it in spreadsheet
  2. Add data into mail-merge list, if using. If not, skip to 3.
  3. Generate TA letter filling in all required fields. Adjust as needed if not using mail merge file.
  4. Print TA letter to PDF.
  5. Send in email from PGA account with due date clearly listed in body of email. Include attachments related to GA benefits and responsibilities, EVS document, and insurance info (last one only once available). See prior emails sent from pga mailbox for samples.
  6. When student returns, note it in the department spreadsheet. Then:
    1. Generate tuition remission form to match support info from PI and BM.
    2. Send copy of signed page + tuition remission form to gradawd@syr.edu
  • Planning letters:
    • AY20-21salary info
      • If it is a full-TA for full academic year: $26,010.00 (Aug 16-May 15) = 18 semi-pays of $1,445.00
      • only one term: Salary = $13,005.00 = 9 Semi-Pays of $1,445.00
  • you can even have half-TAs for one semester, which would mean 10 hrs/wk for 9 semi-pays ($722.50 per pay = $6502.50)


*NOTES*

  • Full-TAS will work 20hrs/week
  • Half- TAs will work 10hrs/week
  • Start & end dates:
    • Full AY: Aug 16 – May 15
    • Fall only: Aug 16 – Dec 31
    • Spring only: Jan 1 – May 15
  • PAYROLL Start & end dates, in terms listing when checks will be received in letters
    • Full AY: Aug 31 – May 15
    • Fall only: Aug 31 – Dec 31
    • Spring only: Jan 15 – May 15
    • Number of pays per term: 9, full AY = 18
  • Response Date required for any TA, RA offer (technically): offer date + 15 days

  

 

 

  • Preparing TA Tuition remission forms


  1. Fill in date, name, SUID, salary, tuition amount (spring and summer) and hours on the form
  2. In comments:
  • List any details that would be relevant to processor, ie, specify clearly if it is a fall or spring only award, if it is a half TA instead of a full, if there is no tuition – I always list it. No exact rules, just whatever might be helpful to Marrika for processing.
  1. Save.
  • I recommend you save in WORD and PDF form. The PDF will be the one you submit, but in case you need to make adjustments I found it easy to have both handy.

 

 

Submitting award to Graduate Awards office for processing:

AFTER student returns the signed letter, email gradawd@syr.edu:

  • Attach signature page in pdf form + PDF form of corresponding sponsored tuition remission form (AKA “rec”)
  • Subject: AY20-21 Returning TA Acceptance: Name
  • Simple message in the email body is all that is needed, but Marrika asked to include name, SUID, and brief summary of award. See samples from phyacademics mailbox if you want more guidance.

 

 

 

 

RA Award Process

RA awards get confirmed by faculty/PI who plan on supporting the students. They need to confirm, through the hiring form, the following:

  1. Project
  2. Duration of support (Fall and/or spring, full or half TA, etc).
  3. Location of support
    • Hiring form sent to phybudget (cc: phyacademics)
    •  Budget Manager needs to give the okay to process. They check to make sure there is enough funding on the project they are funding from.
      • If the project end date is BEFORE the end of the support term, put the project on salary holding (11-00014) before proceeding.
      • Planning for letters:
        • Process is same as TAs, once you have support dates+hours from faculty.

 

Mailing the RA offers out to students:

    • Same as TAs, basically. View samples in phyacademics mailbox for guidance as needed. The sent folder is broken down into TA, RA offer folders.

 

 

 

      • Use sponsored template.
      • Make sure drop down at top has correct year, update obvious name, date fields
      • Check offer type as applicable for case
      • Nominating Dept and location code is same for all RAs
      • Specify original or not. Most cases are yes (hopefully)
      • Almost always federal funds. Sponsored chart string table in Expenditures folder on g-drive has project end dates.
      • Enter salary, chartstring info by term, and number of hours in table.
      • Make sure tuition is entered in, if applicable. 


  • Tuition is rare on sponsored RA awards, since usually they are 3rd year+ grad students, but make sure to double check. 

  

 

  • AFTER student returns their signed RA letter, email:
    • ONLY gradawd@syr.edu for RAs on DEPARTMENTAL accounts
    • BOTH gradawd@syr.edu & contacct@syr.edu for RAs on SPONSORED accounts
    • For both emails:
      • Attach signature page in pdf form + PDF form of corresponding sponsored tuition remission form (aka “rec”)
      • Subject: AY18-19 Returning TA Acceptance: Name
      • Just like the TAs, a simple email message is all that is needed. Make sure the name, type of award in general and the name of the signed RA letter file is included.

 

  

 

 

Process for changing/reallocating tuition:

  • For TAs or RAs on departmental funds: A “reconfigure form” needs to be submitted to CAS, requesting the reallocation. Then once it is approved, CAS should forward the approval to Grad Awards and they will make the update.

 <<< directions to access site, password = gradawd

 

Under “Documents for Scholarships or Reconfigurations” – click “reconfigure form”

 

 For RAs on sponsored funds: a revised sponsored tuition remission form is all that is needed to reallocate, increase, or decrease tuition. Form must be re-sent to both graduate awards and OSA

  • Note the revision on the form by increasing the “Revision” number, and describe in the comments what the revision is so it is obvious to those processing.