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Awards
Applying | Accepting
A fellowship or traineeship is an award to a graduate student
that covers tuition partially, or fully, and also provides
a stipend to help defray living expenses. A scholarship is
an award that provides partial or full tuition. Most awards
are made on the basis of merit, but in some circumstances
can be based on financial need. Awards are made only to individuals
enrolled in a graduate degree program.
A full fellowship covers the full cost of a student's education for a prescribed period of time, which includes tuition and a monthly stipend; many fellowships also pay for student health insurance. Unlike the teaching or research assistant, the fellowship recipient generally does not have formal teaching or research obligations to a sponsored research grant. Nevertheless, students should cultivate collaborations that further their research interests. For example, it is important for the student to foster a strong relationship with his or her advisor in order to develop a research project and agree on degree milestones.
A partial fellowship covers some costs for the student. Often, the department supplements the fellowship with a research or teaching assistantship. In such cases, the student's research or teaching obligations should be scaled proportionately by the department.
The Institute receives funds from individual donors and corporations
for fellowships and scholarships. In addition, government
agencies and foundations offer fellowships that they award
either directly to outstanding students for use at institutions
of their choice or, in a few cases, to institutions to administer
on behalf of students.
Applying
Applicants to MIT graduate programs who seek financial support
from any of the fellowships, traineeships, or scholarships
administered by MIT, including those granted by national agencies
and foundations, should check the appropriate items on the
regular Graduate Application for Admission and Financial Aid.
After admission to an advanced degree program, applicants
are considered for any awards for which they are eligible.
Currently enrolled graduate students who seek financial support
should consult with the appropriate department.
Applications for fellowship aid from resources internal to
MIT and scheduled for distribution beginning in June or September
must be filed by the previous January 15. Applications filed
after this date are considered only as funds are available.
Applications for aid from prospective students will not be
considered unless they have been accepted into a graduate
program. Final decisions on financial aid are usually made
by departments at the end of March when the announcement of
awards by the national agencies and foundations is also made.
A student who wins a fellowship through a national competition
is not usually also considered for an award by MIT. Occasionally
a student who holds a fellowship or scholarship award from
a non-MIT source may receive a supplementary stipend from
MIT. Normally the amount of the combined stipends should not
exceed the "take home" stipend of a full time research
assistant.
Under Section 117 of the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
that portion of such grants which exceeds tuition and direct
educational expenses is subject to income tax. Stipends received
by legal residents of Massachusetts are subject to state income
tax.
Accepting
MIT is a signatory, with most other graduate schools in the
United States, to the following Resolution
Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Graduate
Assistants:
"Acceptance of an offer of financial support (such
as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship)
for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled
graduate student completes an agreement that both student
and graduate school expect to honor. In those instances
in which a student accepts an offer before April 15 and
subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student
may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at
any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given
or left in force after April 15 commits the student not
to accept another offer without first obtaining a written
release from the institution to which a commitment has been
made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April
15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the
written release from any previously accepted offer. It is
further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing
to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution should
accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and
assistantship offer."
Every student holding a fellowship, traineeship, or scholarship
for graduate study at the Institute must register as a full
time resident graduate student for the period of the award.
The award is relinquished if registration is discontinued
(e.g., by withdrawal or early completion of thesis) before
tenure of the award expires. A reimbursement to MIT will be
in order if a stipend or tuition payment has been made in
excess of actual tenure.
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