Graduate students may receive fellowships or scholarships from their department or school. Fellowships and scholarships are unearned aid (no work or repayment requirement). Although some use the terms “scholarship” and “fellowship” interchangeably, the University does make a distinction:
Scholarships are awarded to students in the Darden School of Business, the McIntire School of Commerce, the School of Law, or the School of Medicine and are often named (e.g., The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship).
Fellowships are awarded to graduate students in all other schools.
Fellowships and scholarships may be awarded in the form of direct aid that is provided directly to the student or indirect aid that is awarded on the student’s behalf to cover education costs or both.
Fellowships or scholarships awarded as direct aid are usually in the form of a stipend. Stipends are an amount given directly to a student to support the pursuit of study or training. Stipend awards can be a one-time only award, but are usually provided monthly over a period of time.
- Students who are receiving stipends from their departments can see the amount and disbursement dates of the stipends in the Student Information System (SIS). Detailed instructions are below.
- Signing up for direct deposit is a safe and easy way to receive your refunds more quickly!
- International students not claiming Treaty Benefits will have 14% deducted for taxes prior to refund generation.
- Withholding for tax purposes is not done for U.S. students and green card holders
The University WILL NOT issue any tax documents related to stipends paid to students. For all questions, refer to IRS Publication 970.
Fellowships and scholarships awarded as indirect aid can be in the form of tuition or health insurance awards. Tuition and fee charges can vary based on your academic level and/or your enrollment. For more information on Tuition and Fees, please click the link in the left-hand column.
Tuition & Fees 100% - an award that covers all tuition and fees charged to your account.
Tuition & Fees Limited – an award that covers a portion of tuition and fees in an amount specified by your department.
Health Insurance Subsidy – a payment made by a school or unit of the University to the University on behalf of a graduate student. A graduate student must be offered the health insurance subsidy if he or she receives at least $5,000 in wages as a GTA or GRA over the course of the fiscal year. For additional information on the health insurance subsidy, please click the Health Insurance Subsidy link in the left-hand column.
1. Log in to SIS through the student portal at: www.virginia.edu/sis.
2. Click the "Financials" drop-down menu on the left side of your screen
3. Click "View Financial Aid"
4. Click the appropriate aid year
5. You will see your financial aid information for the year. Scroll to the term you wish to view, and click "View Scheduled Disbursement Dates."
This page indicates the dates your stipend will be credited to your student account in SIS. The credit will process to our Accounts Payable department as a refund the next business day after the date displayed. If you have direct deposit set up with the University for your student payments, you should expect to receive an email within a day from the date it goes to Accounts Payable to indicate what date your refund will deposit to your bank account. If you do not have direct deposit, your refund will process as a check, and be sent to your local mailing address as it appears in SIS.