Funding and Financials

When awarded funding in an academic term, it is assigned an appointment fraction. These fractions come with associated work hour expectations of the student. A fully funded term would see a student awarded a 50% (or .50) appointment. The other half of the student’s time is expected to be used for pursuing personal research, academic study, or managing life commitments. 

Students may be appointed at a 25%, 35%, or 50% fraction in any type of funding. If one source of funding is not equal to 50%, then it will be combined with another source until reaching that fraction. For example, you can have a 25% GSI position and a 25% GSRA position to equal a full term appointment.

Fraction and Approximate Hours of Work Expected

• 50% (or .50) = 20 hours a week

• 35% (or .35) = 14 hours a week

• 25% (or .25) = 10 hours a week

The tuition for attending the University of Michigan can be found here on the Office of the Registrar website.  

A tuition waiver is issued when either the department, the College, or another UM unit agrees to pay a student's tuition for the semester. The waiver excuses the student from paying the bill and only, in most cases, requires them to pay the fees associated with registration. A tuition waiver for up to ten (10) terms is included in Physics PhD student guaranteed funding packages as long as the student remains in good academic standing and is making satisfactory progress toward their degree. PhD students only enroll during Fall and Winter term; tuition is covered in these terms by your GSRA, GSI, or fellowship appointment. Students do not enroll in Spring/Summer Term, therefore tuition is not paid during that time. The only time a student will enroll during Spring/Summer Term is if they are defending, and they must have the permission of their faculty advisor. 

When receiving a stipend from a fellowship or GSI/GSRA/GSSA appointment, students are paid monthly. Fellowships issued by the Physics Department disburse during the last week of the month; if a fellowship is issued by another unit, check with them as stipend disbursement can vary. GSI/GSRA/GSSA appointments disburse on the last business day of the month; this can sometimes be altered during months where holidays conflict with pay dates. 

Graduate students can earn supplemental income and apply for loans if they choose to. Students wanting to earn a supplemental income should consult first with the Graduate Program Coordinator, as certain types of employment or fellowships can have restrictions. Also, international students on an F-1 or J-1 visa should be aware of work restrictions imposed on them and speak with the International Center before taking on additional work. 

Faculty, staff, and students who are travelling for university-related purposes (domestic or international) are asked to register their travel via Global Michigan. (See also the University's International Travel Policy here.) 

If  your faculty advisor is reimbursing for travel related to your research (example: attending a conference to present a paper or visit a lab to conduct research), you can fill out a travel reimbursement form here and return the form, with applicable receipts, to Physics-BusinessOffice@umich.edu. The Physics Business Office handles all student reimbursements. Please note receipts must show form of payment. 

Parkinson Travel Fund

The Parkinson Travel Fund is for Physics Graduate Students to provide students the opportunity to attend conferences, present posters, give talks and participate in other research-related travel opportunities. 

• Students can request up to $500 per academic year (September - August) if also awarded a Rackham Grant, and up to $750 per academic year if not awarded a Rackham Grant

• Students must also apply to Rackham Conference Travel Grant or Rackham Research Grant

• Students must also request funding from their advisor

• Please note the Department of Physics cannot guarantee funding for all expenses

• Awards are provided on a rolling basis

• Applicants must be PhD students enrolled in the Physics Department and must be in good academic standing

• Funds should be requested ahead of the conference. No application will be considered for funding retroactively. 

• Funds should be requested ahead of attending the conference. No application will be considered for funding retroactively

Please apply through this link or speak with the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Rackham Conference Travel Grant

Students can apply directly to the Rackham Conference Travel Grant on their own, without department permission. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Awards are between $800 to $1,300 depending on you destination. Students can receive one travel grant per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

Other Rackham Grants

Remote work:

International remote work for GSRAs is not allowed, absent a compelling business reason. Assuming a compelling business reason exists, there may be university-level tax and legal compliance issues.  All students planning to conduct GSRA work outside of Ann Arbor (including within the US) should let the Physics Graduate Program Coordinator know well in advance when possible by emailing physics.sso@umich.edu. These rules apply to all students uniformly; however, each individual’s circumstances will be reviewed and generally, no two situations are identical. 

Vacation:

GSRA appointments do not include vacation time. GSRAs who intend to stop/pause working during their appointment must be placed on an unpaid work break. If you intend to stop/pause work, please notify the Graduate Program Coordinator well in advance when possible. Work breaks do not impact I-20 or F-1 status, though international students should be in contact with the International Center when traveling either for work or vacation. 

Sick Leave:

GSRAs qualify for paid sick leave. More information can be found on the HR website.

The Physics Department has funds available for social or community-building events for students enrolled in the PhD program. Physics Grad Council is also allocated funds at the start of each academic year for social functions. 

• To request funds for social events, please submit your request to Physics Student Services (physics.sso@umich.edu) with a detailed description of your event and the anticipated budget. 

• Funds can pay for things such as food, room rentals, and event fees. Note that things such as prizes have strict limitations. There are funding maximums, especially for food, that are set by the university and we are required to follow. 

• Anything the department funds must be open to all Physics graduate students; restrictions on the funds do not allow them to be used for students outside of the program or for subsets of graduate students (i.e. only theory students). 

• There is specific funding available for undergrads if Physics graduate students want to partner with SPS, for example, on an event.

• Department funded and/or sponsored events (for both current and prospective students) cannot include alcohol. You can view the University of Michigan's Drug and Alcohol policies in the Standard Practice Guide. You can view LSA's Alcohol Policies here. 

• Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant - The Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant is designed to support Rackham graduate students who need assistance to carry out research that advances their progress toward their degree.

• Rackham Professional Development Grants - A Rackham Professional Development Grant is intended to support Rackham doctoral students seeking careers both within and outside academia. This funding is to support short-term experiences that promote the development of professional skills which will further a student’s career goals. The Rackham Professional Development Grant cannot be combined with the Rackham Conference Travel Grant or Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant.

• Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program - The Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program allows doctoral students to pursue a fully supported and funded internship during their graduate training (spring/summer, fall, or winter). Students may apply to ready-made internships Rackham has set up with host organizations or for funding to support an internship they have secured with an organization.

Rackham Emergency Fund - The Rackham Graduate Student Emergency Fund is intended to help meet the financial needs of Rackham graduate students who encounter an emergency situation or one-time, unusual, or unforeseen expenses during their degree program. Examples include:

• Medical, dental, or mental health emergencies for the student or, in some circumstances, for immediate family members who live with the student

• Major accidents and events such as fire and natural disasters

• Expenses related to the death of an immediate family member

Physics Department Emergency Fund - Students must request and receive the Rackham Emergency Grant before applying. Students can receive up to $1000 for emergency funds from the department only one time throughout their time in the Ph.D. program and are not required to provide documentation. Email physics-ssm@umich.edu with any questions or to request funds.