Award Process for IISF Grantees

The following details information about the award administration process.

Step 1: Read your award letter carefully.

The award letter you receive is the final notification for all awards you selected in your II Student Fellowships (IISF) Application.

Should you be offered multiple awards, this will be detailed in the award letter.

The award letter will provide details about the award and amount you are being offered. Additional details may also be provided about your award (e.g., required letter to the donor, reporting requirements).

Award funds are processed by the Office of Financial Aid and disbursed through the U-M Financial Aid System. All IISF awards are considered as financial resources when determining need-based aid eligibility. For students who qualify for need-based financial aid (including the child care subsidy), IISF awards may reduce the original loan amount or subsidy. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid before accepting an IISF award to verify that it will not impact their financial aid package.

Step 2: Formally accept or decline your nomination or award.

Students must formally accept or decline their award by the date specified in their individual award letter.

To accept your award, you will complete the Grantee Contract form found in your online IISF application.

FIRST: make certain that you indicate ALL of the awards you were offered by checking the boxes for each award on the first page of the contract. Because of the situation with COVID-19, the awards served by the II Student Fellowships application have slightly different requirements. By checking the boxes next to the awards offered to you, we can ensure that you fill out all of the relevant contracts for each award.

Once you have completed the form and electronically signed it, click SAVE to submit your contract.

Only after you have signed and submitted your contract will your award processing begin.

Step 3: Submit a Grantee Adjustment Form (if required).

After you sign and save your contract form, the Grantee Adjustment Form will appear near the top of your application .

If there are any changes to your submitted application including but not limited to changes in travel dates, location, project expenses or total project costs, you must complete and submit the Grantee Adjustment Form. All changes to your submitted application must be reviewed and approved by the funding agency before your award is finalized.

If necessary, the II Fellowships & Grants office will contact you for clarifications or with questions about your submitted Grantee Adjustment Form.

You will receive an email notification from the II Fellowships & Grants office once the Form has been approved.

Step 4: Complete the U-M LSA International Travel Requirements.


  • The II Fellowships & Grants office will send your contact information to the LSA International Travel office.

  • You will then receive an email from the LSA International Travel office detailing the actions you must take in order to fulfill the University International Travel requirements. Please visit the Global Michigan COVID-19 information page for up-to-date information about U-M's COVID-related travel requirements/restrictions.

  • The LSA International Travel office will notify you and the International Institute Fellowships & Grants office when all requirements are complete, and once you are cleared for award disbursement.

While staff work to expedite the compliance and disbursement process to the best of our abilities, students cannot bypass any of the university mandated protocols and processes for international travel. Students whose travel dates begin on/soon after May 1 are given priority in both compliance clearance from LSA International Travel and payment processing. However, it is reasonable to assume that the disbursement of funds will not begin until on or after May 1. Payment is dependent upon your completion of travel requirements and final approval by the LSA International Travel office.

After completing these steps, your payment will be cleared for disbursement.

You will receive an email from the II Fellowships & Grants office to notify you when your award has been forwarded to the Office of Financial Aid for processing and disbursement.

Award funds are processed by the Office of Financial Aid and disbursed through the U-M Financial Aid System. Your award will be deposited directly into the bank account associated with your U-M student account. You should log-in through Wolverine Access to set up direct deposit or to make sure that your account information is up to date and correct (found under the "Self-Service" tab).

If you do not have direct deposit enabled, a (paper) check will be mailed to the address listed as "current" in Wolverine Access. If this is the case, please ensure that you will be physically present at your "current" address to receive a check.

We are unable to provide an exact timeline or date for when payments will be made. Note that award disbursement typically happens within 14 days of your award being sent to the Office of Financial Aid for processing.

Post-award Reporting Requirements

All grantees will be required to provide a brief report outlining the experience within one month of their return to the United States.

All grantees are also encouraged to write an article or submit photographs (or both) to be considered for publication in International Institute materials, and for award consideration to the II Photo Contest. Please visit www.ii.umich.edu for more information.

Additional requirements may apply for those receiving certain funding from II centers. These requirements may include, but is not limited to, letters to award donors.

Please contact an II Fellowships advisor with questions.