national physical science consortium (graduate fellowships in the physical sciences)

Unique Features

About Tuition, Fees and Allowance

Tuition and Fees

When the university department accepts a student as an NPSC Fellow, that department assumes the responsibility for the Fellow's tuition and fees. The graduate department is encouraged to augment the NPSC allowance if it is not equal to the amount that other graduate students in the department receive, and many departments do. NSPC Fellows should ask their advisor or department chair about the possibility of augmenting the allowance. The procedures for covering or waiving the NPSC Fellow(s) tuition and fees are the business of the university or department.

Allowance

The Allowance is provided by the NPSC member employer through the NPSC Headquarters office. Allowances are sent in quarterly payments to the university financial point of contact person, who distributes the allowance in accordance with the university's regular graduate practices, on a bimonthly or monthly schedule. The first quarterly payment is automatic to the campus, subsequent quarterly payments are distributed after the NPSC Headquarters office receives an NPSC Progress form and invoice from the campus financial point of contact person.

Most universities do not take out Income Taxes, so it will be the fellow's responsibility to ensure Income Taxes are set aside and paid.

Allowance Amount

The annual allowance to the student currently is $16,000; NPSC charges an overhead fee of $5,000 per fellow supported per year. Including the allowance, tuition, fees, and salary for two summers of internship, the value of an NPSC fellowship to the student exceeds $200,000.

Federal and State Taxes, frequently asked questions:

Is my allowance taxable? To obtain an answer to this question, you should consult a tax advisor. Allowance income is generally considered taxable; however, each individual's situation is unique with regard to overall tax liability. NPSC staff are not qualified to advise students on tax issues. On February 21, 2002, an IRS agent advised NPSC that a student should obtain IRS Publication 520, Scholarships and Fellowships, and review the document, especially page 2, 2nd column. This publication addresses what is taxable. Allowances used for living expenses and not used for tuition, fees, books, or required items for a course are taxable.
Does NPSC or my NPSC sponsoring employer or university automatically withhold taxes from my allowance? NPSC and your NPSC sponsoring employer do not withhold taxes from your allowance. Each university has its own policies regarding tax withholding from allowance payments. If taxes are not being withheld from your allowance, you should consult a tax advisor to ensure compliance with IRS rules. Remember, you are responsible for paying your taxes.
Who should I contact to obtain a W-2 or 1099? Contact the financial representative at your university who is responsible for your allowance payments. Since the university pays your allowance, they generally issue a W-2 or 1099. By law, these documents must be issued by January 31st for the previous payroll year.

If you have further questions, please contact Ms. Joretta Joseph at the NPSC Headquarters office, (213) 821-2409 or email npschq@npsc.org.

Summer Employment

For students in the Traditional Program, the two summers of paid research experience employment normally take place during the summer prior to the start of graduate studies, and the following summer. The summer employer will select a staff member in the fellow's discipline or technical program to serve as the fellow's mentor. The mentor should maintain close contact with the fellow during the academic year as well.

For all internees, each summer period is approximately twelve weeks. Small variations are possible by mutual agreement between the fellow and the employer. Fellows are paid based on the average paid other employees doing similar work. The employer reimburses each fellow for round-trip travel from school or home to the employer's work site.


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Fellowship Information Disciplines Unique Features Featured Fellows FAQ Selection Requirements Apply Now! Additional Resources	Unique Features Unique Features NPSC's Renewable Fellowships About Tuition, Fees and Allowance About Tuition, Fees and Allowance Tuition and Fees When the university department accepts a student as an NPSC Fellow, that department assumes the responsibility for the Fellow's tuition and fees. The graduate department is encouraged to augment the NPSC allowance if it is not equal to the amount that other graduate students in the department receive, and many departments do. NSPC Fellows should ask their advisor or department chair about the possibility of augmenting the allowance. The procedures for covering or waiving the NPSC Fellow(s) tuition and fees are the business of the university or department. Allowance The Allowance is provided by the NPSC member employer through the NPSC Headquarters office. Allowances are sent in quarterly payments to the university financial point of contact person, who distributes the allowance in accordance with the university's regular graduate practices, on a bimonthly or monthly schedule. The first quarterly payment is automatic to the campus, subsequent quarterly payments are distributed after the NPSC Headquarters office receives an NPSC Progress form and invoice from the campus financial point of contact person. Most universities do not take out Income Taxes, so it will be the fellow's responsibility to ensure Income Taxes are set aside and paid. Allowance Amount The annual allowance to the student currently is $16,000; NPSC charges an overhead fee of $5,000 per fellow supported per year. Including the allowance, tuition, fees, and salary for two summers of internship, the value of an NPSC fellowship to the student exceeds $200,000. Federal and State Taxes, frequently asked questions: Is my allowance taxable? To obtain an answer to this question, you should consult a tax advisor. Allowance income is generally considered taxable; however, each individual's situation is unique with regard to overall tax liability. NPSC staff are not qualified to advise students on tax issues. On February 21, 2002, an IRS agent advised NPSC that a student should obtain IRS Publication 520, Scholarships and Fellowships, and review the document, especially page 2, 2nd column. This publication addresses what is taxable. Allowances used for living expenses and not used for tuition, fees, books, or required items for a course are taxable. Does NPSC or my NPSC sponsoring employer or university automatically withhold taxes from my allowance? NPSC and your NPSC sponsoring employer do not withhold taxes from your allowance. Each university has its own policies regarding tax withholding from allowance payments. If taxes are not being withheld from your allowance, you should consult a tax advisor to ensure compliance with IRS rules. Remember, you are responsible for paying your taxes. Who should I contact to obtain a W-2 or 1099? Contact the financial representative at your university who is responsible for your allowance payments. Since the university pays your allowance, they generally issue a W-2 or 1099. By law, these documents must be issued by January 31st for the previous payroll year. If you have further questions, please contact Ms. Joretta Joseph at the NPSC Headquarters office, (213) 821-2409 or email npschq@npsc.org. Summer Employment For students in the Traditional Program, the two summers of paid research experience employment normally take place during the summer prior to the start of graduate studies, and the following summer. The summer employer will select a staff member in the fellow's discipline or technical program to serve as the fellow's mentor. The mentor should maintain close contact with the fellow during the academic year as well. For all internees, each summer period is approximately twelve weeks. Small variations are possible by mutual agreement between the fellow and the employer. Fellows are paid based on the average paid other employees doing similar work. The employer reimburses each fellow for round-trip travel from school or home to the employer's work site. © Copyright 2004, National Physical Science Consortium.