Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Financial Commitments to Institutional Training Grants and Nationally Competitive Graduate Fellowships

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Title: Financial Commitments to Institutional Training Grants and Nationally Competitive Graduate Fellowships
Policy Owner: Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School
Applies to: Faculty and Graduate Students
Campus Applicability: All campuses, including master’s and PhD programs at UConn Health, and excluding the UConn School of Law
Approval Date: June 28, 2024
Effective Date: July 1, 2024
For More Information, Contact Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School
Contact Information: (860) 486-3167
Official Website: http://grad.uconn.edu/

 

BACKGROUND

Institutional Training Grants and Nationally Competitive Fellowships provide essential financial support for graduate students, including Stipends and partial coverage of tuition and health insurance costs. The Institutional Allowance associated with these grants and fellowships for tuition and health insurance often falls short of the total cost. This gap in funding can place a financial burden on students. The University's commitment to providing additional subsidies aims to bridge this funding gap, ensuring that graduate students can pursue their studies without financial hardship.

PURPOSE

To outline the financial commitments from the University that help ensure students supported on Institutional Training Grants or Nationally Competitive Fellowships are not responsible for tuition payments to the University and that they receive a health insurance subsidy equivalent to the subsidy available to graduate students who hold graduate assistantships.

APPLIES TO

This policy applies to all graduate students supported on an Institutional Training Grant or Nationally Competitive Fellowship and to faculty teams to whom an Institutional Training Grant is awarded.

DEFINITIONS

Institutional Allowance: Funds provided by an Institutional Training Grant or Nationally Competitive Fellowship to defray a portion of the tuition for full-time enrollment and the cost of health insurance.

Institutional Training Grant: A competitively awarded grant from an external organization or agency provided to teams of faculty for the purpose of training graduate students in specific disciplines, which often complements faculty research. These grants offer important financial support for graduate students, including Stipends.

Nationally Competitive Fellowship: A fellowship available to U.S. graduate students that is awarded by a federal agency or other external organization to individual graduate students who apply and who are selected by a review panel overseen by the awarding agency or organization.

Stipend: A Stipend is an allowance provided by either an Institutional Training Grant or a Nationally Competitive Fellowship intended to support living expenses of the graduate student supported by the award.

POLICY STATEMENT

The University may provide tuition and health insurance subsidies to bridge the gap between an Institutional Allowance associated with Institutional Training Grants or Nationally Competitive Fellowships and a graduate student’s total cost of tuition and health insurance. To qualify for the tuition and health insurance subsidies available under this policy the following conditions apply:

  1. Institutional Training Grants: Students supported on the Institutional Training Grants listed below will receive subsidies for tuition and health insurance if the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School has approved the Institutional Allowance in the budget request associated with the grant proposal before the grant has been submitted. The faculty member or team must apply for the maximum Institutional Allowance available under the award. Graduate students supported on Institutional Training Grants not listed below may receive subsidies at the discretion of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School provided the Institutional Allowance associated with the grant covers a substantial fraction of the total cost of tuition and health insurance and the faculty applied for the maximum Institutional Allowance available under the award.
    • Department of Education – Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need
    • National Institutes of Health – Ruth L. Kirschtein Institutional Awards (T32, )
    • National Science Foundation – National Research Traineeship
    • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) – Training Grants
    • Department of Agriculture – National Needs
  1. Nationally Competitive Fellowships: Students supported on the Nationally Competitive Fellowships listed below will receive subsidies for tuition and health insurance. Students supported on other nationally competitive fellowships may receive subsidies at the discretion of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School provided the fellowship offers an annual Stipend equal to or greater than Level I graduate assistantship (9-month) Stipend as well as an Institutional Allowance determined to be adequate by the VP and Dean.
    • National Defense Science & Engineering Grad Fellowships (NDSEG)
    • National Institutes of Health - Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
    • National Science Foundation – Graduate Research Fellowship
  1. Notification Requirement: Faculty teams leading an Institutional Training Grant and the home departments of students holding a Nationally Competitive Fellowship must notify the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School of all supported students at least six weeks before the beginning of each semester.
  2. Graduate Students: Graduate students receiving subsidies must register as full-time students. They are responsible for mandatory fees associated with enrollment unless the award specifically mandates that the Institutional Allowance is intended to cover fees as well as tuition. Graduate students must also pay a portion of the health insurance premium equivalent to that charged to graduate assistants in similar circumstances.

ENFORCEMENT

Violations of this policy may result in appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with University By-Laws, General Rules of Conduct for All University Employees, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and the University of Connecticut Student Code.

POLICY HISTORY

Policy created:   06/27/2024 Approved by the Senior Policy Council and the President

Revisions:                         

Replaces:  Policy on Competitive Federal Graduate Fellowship Awards; Policy on Competitive Non-Federal Graduate Fellowship Awards

The Provost’s Professional Internship Program for Public Outreach, Service, and Engagement

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Title: The Provost’s Professional Internship Program for Public Outreach, Service, and Engagement
Policy Owner: The Graduate School
Applies to: Graduate Students
Campus Applicability:
Effective Date: January 9, 2013
For More Information, Contact Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean
Contact Information: 860-486-3617
Official Website: http://grad.uconn.edu/

Graduate students are often supported by a graduate assistantship awarded for performing research or teaching functions at the University. The University covers tuition expenses for those students. In addition, the University may cover tuition expenses of students who are funded by a grant that does not cover the cost of the student’s tuition.

The University recognizes the value of supporting graduate student professional development activities that extend beyond on-campus research and teaching. The Provost may determine that the University will cover tuition expenses for graduate students engaged in other activities directly related to the University’s mission and directly aligned to a student’s academic program of study. The circumstances under which the University will cover tuition expenses and provide a health insurance subsidy for such students are very limited and based on compelling evidence that the activity supports important academic objectives, such as professional internships required as an integral component of a graduate educational program. The Provost will evaluate such activities on a case-by-case basis using the following criteria:

  • The substantive focus of the graduate internship must serve a clear public service, public outreach, or engagement purpose.
  • The graduate internship’s objectives must support the academic mission of the University and align directly with the goals of the University’s Academic Plan.
  • The graduate internship must be established as a required component of the academic program in which the participating students are enrolled.
  • It must be demonstrated that the viability of the internship program is threatened if tuition is not covered.
  • The graduate internship must be credit-bearing, be directed by an instructor of record, and must require students to produce an academic work product.
  • The paid internship experience for the student must include compensation equivalent to or higher than that of a Level I graduate assistant for the academic year.
  • The graduate student interns must be placed in a sponsoring organization that provides at least partial support for the graduate student, including paying the student’s stipend and benefits.
  • The graduate students participating in the internship must serve their internships in public or nonprofit organizations with a clear public service mission.
  • The term of tuition coverage associated with a graduate internship will not exceed four semesters per student.
  • The graduate students participating in the internship must be in good academic standing.

For student tuition to be covered and for a health insurance subsidy to be provided by the University under this program, the Dean of the School or College that houses the internship program must present appropriate justification to the Provost.

The academic programs currently included in this program are available here.

UConn Degrees Earned by Faculty

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Title: UConn Degrees Earned by Faculty, Policy on
Policy Owner: Office of the Provost
Applies to: Faculty
Campus Applicability: All Campuses, Schools and Colleges except the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Law
Approval Date: February 27, 2024
Effective Date: February 29, 2024
For More Information, Contact Office of the Provost
Contact Information: 860-486-4037
provost@uconn.edu
Official Website: https://provost.uconn.edu

PURPOSE

University of Connecticut faculty may occasionally seek to earn a degree from the University. This policy aims to ensure that their role as a faculty member does not conflict with their role as a student.

POLICY STATEMENT

University of Connecticut faculty members who hold tenure, or a rank higher than instructor leading to tenure, ordinarily may not earn a graduate degree at this institution. Exceptions to this policy may be made on a case-by-case basis and require approval of the Unit Head and the Dean of the School or College of the department home (encompassing both primary and secondary department for faculty with joint appointments) of the faculty member, as well as the Provost. All parties must be satisfied that the intended program is in the best interests of the University. The faculty member may not seek to earn a degree in their primary (or secondary) department home. Should the faculty member seek a graduate degree in their primary School or College, the Unit Head and Dean must implement a plan to mitigate conflicts of interest should any arise.

ENFORCEMENT

Violations of this policy may result in appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with University By-Laws, General Rules of Conduct for All University Employees, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

POLICY HISTORY

Policy created: August 28, 1987

Revisions:

May 29, 2007
February 27, 2024 (Approved by the Senior Policy Council and the President)