Cost Sharing by Rackham Graduate School for Graduate Fellowships and Awards

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Cost Sharing by Rackham Graduate School for Graduate Fellowships and Awards

Information for Graduate Students
Information for Faculty and Staff in Graduate Programs
- Types of Cost Sharing
Listing of Eligible Tier 1, 2, and 3 Awards
Contact Information

Information for Graduate Students

Introduction

Graduate students are strongly encouraged to seek funding from sources external to the University of Michigan. In the graduate school context, cost sharing is the use of institutional funds to supplement graduate student support (stipend, tuition, GradCare, dental insurance and/or summer support) that is covered by an external sponsor. Cost sharing acts as an incentive for graduate students and program faculty to do soseek external funding and supports the ability of students to complete their programs of study. The Rackham Graduate School partners with graduate programs to provide cost sharing to ensure that students who compete successfully for selected external awards are better off than would be the case without the external award.

Student Eligibility

Rackham cost sharing support is available only for admitted Rackham students in good academic standing.

Deadline

Ongoing

Award Description

Application Procedure

In almost all cases, cost sharing is arranged by having the graduate chair or graduate coordinator contact Rackham on the studentâ€™s behalf. Students should notify their programs when they receive an external award, so the faculty and staff can work with Rackham to furnish the student with the best possible funding package.

Information for Faculty and Staff in Graduate Programs

Types of Cost Sharing

Rackham provides cost sharing in several categories. The details of stipend, tuition, GradCare, dental insurance and/or summer support coverage differ for each category depending on the specifics of the support offered by the external award. In almost all cases, cost sharing is arranged by having the graduate chair or graduate coordinator contact Rackham on the studentâ€™s behalf. Students should notify their programs when they receive an external award, so the faculty and staff can work with Rackham to furnish the student with the best possible funding package.

I. Federal training grants

When faculty or graduate programs compete successfully for federal grants like the National Institutes of Health [NIH] training grants, Department of Education [DoE] Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need [GAANN], or National Science Foundation [NSF] Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship [IGERT] grants, Rackham cost sharing is designed to partner with graduate programs to ensure that students receive full funding packages.

Generally, Rackham provides half the shortfall between the cost of tuition, GradCare and dental insurance and the allowance provided by the federal government for a research traineeship awarded to a student enrolled in a Rackham doctoral program. The balance of the shortfall is committed by the home unit of the student or other source of funding. For students enrolled in Rackham interdepartmental programs, Rackham contributes 75% of the shortfall. The shortfall calculation follows the appropriate formula of the federal funding agency. These commitments allow DRDA to certify that the University will meet funding requirements for these grants. Rackham also works with faculty principal investigators (PIs) to help develop strategies that meet federal requirements for participation of underrepresented students on training grants, and to ensure a diverse pool of students who can be considered for trainee appointments. For more information, please contact Assistant Dean John Godfrey.

II. FLAS fellowships

In addition to a stipend of $15,000, an academic-year Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) award provides $12,000 in tuition support. For FLAS awards to students in Rackham doctoral programs, Rackham provides the entire shortfall between the $12,000 and actual tuition. For students enrolled only in a masterâ€™s degree in area studies, Rackham provides half the tuition shortfall; the area center and/or the International Institute contributes the balance. For students enrolled in a joint masterâ€™s degree in area studies and another Rackham program, Rackham and the studentâ€™s home unit each provide 25% of the tuition shortfall, with the area center and/or the International Institute contributing the balance. For students enrolled in a joint masterâ€™s degree in area studies and a non-Rackham degree program, the non-Rackham program and the International Institute determine how the shortfall is covered. Rackham makes no contribution. GradCare health insurance and dental coverage are provided by the studentâ€™s home program. Rackhamâ€™s total annual FLAS tuition shortfall is capped under an agreement with the International Institute. For more information, please contact Assistant Dean John Godfrey.

III. External fellowships awarded directly to individual students

Rackham provides cost sharing on selected external fellowships awarded to Rackham students. The following criteria determine which fellowships are eligible:

The fellowship is awarded directly to a Rackham student and not to a program, department or faculty member;
The fellowship is awarded from outside the University of Michigan;
The student is registered and working full time toward completion of his or her degree during the full award period. Employment during the award period of more than 10 hours a week makes the student ineligible for cost sharing support.

The goal of this cost sharing is to provide students with full support during the award period, where full support is defined as two semesters of tuition per year, 12 months of GradCare insurance, and 12 months of dental insurance at the level of Option 1. For more information, please contact the Fellowships Office.

A. Tier 1 Awards

Tier 1 fellowships are nationally competitive, prestigious, and open to students in multiple fields of study. They provide significant funding, often multi-year funding, for students. For students who receive these awards, Rackham will provide 100% of the shortfall between the award amount and a Rackham full funding package. In addition, Rackham will ensure that the student receives an annual stipend of at least $24,000. The list of eligible Tier 1 fellowships is available below.

When a student receives a Tier 1 award, the student should notify the graduate program, so the program can contact the Fellowships Office to request Rackham support.

B. Tier 2 Awards

Tier 2 fellowships are competitive and prestigious. Some are limited to single fields of study. These awards provide the student with at least 40% of the total cost of the full funding package as described above. For students who receive these awards, Rackham will provide 50% of the shortfall between the award amount and a Rackham full funding package. The graduate program is expected to contribute the other 50% of the shortfall amount unless other arrangements have been made. A list of Tier 2 awards is available below. Since this list is not comprehensive, we welcome learning about additional awards that meet the criteria.

When a student receives a Tier 2 award, the student should notify the graduate program, so the program can contact the Fellowships Office to request Rackham support.

C. Tier 3 Awards

Tier 3 fellowships are nationally competitive and prestigious. They provide a stipend only, and are intended to support students who will spend the entire award period conducting research outside the United States. For students who receive these awards, Rackham will provide up to two semesters of tuition. A list of Tier 3 awards is available below. Since this list is not comprehensive, we welcome learning about additional awards that meet the criteria.

When a student receives a Tier 3 award, the student should notify the graduate program, so the program can contact the Fellowships Office to request Rackham support.

IV. External fellowships awarded to students currently supported by Rackham fellowships

Students supported by a Rackham fellowship who also receive an external award should be better off than if they had not received the external award. To be fair and responsible in distributing University resources among students, external awards must be taken into account in making fellowship award decisions. Students and graduate programs must notify the Fellowships Office if a Rackham award recipient receives stipend or tuition support from any other source. Rackham support will be adjusted when students receive external awards. For more information, please contact Assistant Dean Shelly Martinez.

A. Rackham Merit Fellowships

Under many circumstances (awards up to $20,000), Rackham Merit Fellows may receive both an external award and a Rackham Merit Fellowship (RMF) simultaneously. This section applies to Rackham Merit Fellowships with a five-year funding arrangement. (Rackham Engineering Awards, Rackham Science Awards, and PIBS-RMF are covered in section III-B.)

If a RMF Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $3,000 or less per academic year, the student may keep both the external award and the full amount of the RMF award.
If a RMF Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $3,001 to $20,000, the student may accept the external award. However, the RMF stipend will be reduced based on the following formula: Reduction = (External Award - $3,000) x 0.67. For example, if a RMF student receives an external award of $6,000, R = ($6,000 - $3,000) x 0.67 = $2,000. Thus the student keeps the $6,000 external award, but the RMF stipend is reduced by $2,000. The student is better off by $4,000.
If a RMF Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $20,001 or more, Rackham will top-up the stipend to a minimum of $24,000. Other support may apply to ensure adequate student support:
1. Some external fellowships at this level will be eligible for Rackham cost sharing under section III of this policy; if so the graduate program may request cost sharing that will cover the student's tuition and insurance costs. In this situation, the student may defer all of his or her remaining RMF funding to a subsequent academic year.
2. If the external award is not eligible for cost sharing, the student may receive the external stipend, and request tuition and insurance from the RMF to supplement the stipend. If the student draws RMF funding for tuition and insurance, that amount is not available for use in a subsequent year. If the student does not receive an RMF stipend, he or she may request that the stipend funding from the RMF be paid in a subsequent year.
3. The student may defer the entire package of RMF funding to a subsequent year.
If a RMF Fellow receives a GEM award (Ph.D. and Master's), the situation is handled differently. Please contact the Fellowships Office for details.

B. Rackham Engineering Award (REA), Rackham Science Awards (RSA), and PIBS-RMF

Under some circumstances (awards up to $20,000), REA, RSA and PIBS-RMF students may receive both an external award and a Rackham award.

If a REA/RSA/PIBS Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $3,000 or less per academic year, the student may keep both the external award and the full amount of the REA, RSA award, or the RMF for PIBS students will be transferred to the graduate program.
If a REA/RSA/PIBS Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend between $3,001 and $20,000 per academic year, the student may accept the external award. However, the department transfer will be reduced based on the following formula: Reduction = (External Award - $3,000) x 0.67. For example, if a RMF student receives an external award of $6,000, R = ($6,000 - $3,000) x 0.67 = $2,000. Thus the student keeps the $6,000 external award, but the RMF transfer is reduced by $2,000.
If a REA/RSA/PIBS Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $20,001 or more, Rackham will top-up the stipend to a minimum of $24,000. Other support may apply to ensure adequate student support:
1. Some external fellowships at this level will be eligible for Rackham cost sharing under section III of this policy; if so the graduate program may request cost sharing that will cover the student's tuition and insurance costs. In this situation, the program may defer the student's Rackham transfer to a subsequent academic year.
2. If the external award is not eligible for cost sharing, the student may receive the external stipend, and request tuition and insurance to supplement the external stipend. The student's Rackham transfer amount will be reduced by the amount of tuition and insurance paid by the Graduate School.
3. The program may defer the student's Rackham transfer to a subsequent academic year.
If a REA/RSA/PIBS Fellow also receives a GEM award (Ph.D. and Master's), the situation is handled differently. Please contact the Fellowships Office for details.

C. Rackham Predoctoral Fellowships:

Under many circumstances recipients of Rackham-funded fellowships may receive both an external award and a Predoctoral Fellowship.

If a Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $3,000 or less, the student may keep both the external stipend and the full amount of the Rackham Fellowship.
If the Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend of $3,001 to $20,000, the student may accept the external award. However the Rackham Predoctoral fellowship stipend will be reduced according to the following formula: Reduction = (External Award - $3,000) x 0.67. Thus, if a Rackham Predoctoral Fellow gets an external award of $6,000, the Predoctoral Fellowship stipend will be reduced by R = ($6,000 - $3,000) x 0.67 = $2,000. Thus the student keeps the $6,000 award from the outside, but the Predoctoral Fellowship stipend is reduced by $2,000. The student is better off by $4,000.
If the Predoctoral Fellow receives an external fellowship that has a stipend greater than $20,000, Rackham will top-up the stipend to a minimum of $24,000 and the academic year stipend for the Rackham award will be eliminated.