GENERAL INFORMATION

For Graduate Students in the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program

Financial Support

Mary Michael-Woolman, our Administrative Officer, will handle almost all of the administrative work that allows you to receive your stipend each month and pays for your health insurance and fees. She will occasionally have paperwork that you will need to complete and/or sign to keep you as a "current" graduate student in the system. It is important to comply with such requests at your earliest convenience; otherwise, your next paycheck may be delayed.

Stipends

• Stipends are awarded to all students, contingent on satisfactory academic performance. Levels for stipends are set by a Steering Committee in consultation with the department chairs. Stipends for the 2004-2005 academic year will be $22,000. Financial support may be withdrawn from a student whose performance is deemed inadequate.
• Molecular Track: The first two semesters of support (if students are IGP) are provided by the BRET office. Students are then eligible to compete for positions on various training grants and in the Vanderbilt Brain Institute. Additional sources of support could include faculty research grants, faculty non-federal funds and individual fellowships from extramural sources. Other competitive funding opportunities include the Harold Sterling Vanderbilt Graduate Scholarships (a topping-up award) and the Vanderbilt Dean's Fellows Program, both of which are assigned during the recruitment phase. The latter provides competitive fellowships targeted to individuals underrepresented in the basic sciences. Once training grant support and other competitive awards are completed, financial support is the responsibility of the thesis advisor.
• Integrative Track: Students in the Integrative Track are supported by Teaching Assistantships (from Arts and Sciences or Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience) or training grants for the first two years, and perhaps one additional year. Financial support is then the responsibility of the thesis advisor.
• MSTP: Students who have completed the first two years of Medical School, will be supported for one additional year on MSTP/Medical School Funds. The financial support is then the responsibility of the thesis advisor.
• Because of the different sources of funding there are two mechanisms of stipend payment. Some students will be paid through the stipend system (mainly those in the first two years of funding) where there are no taxes withheld. These students are responsible for determining their own taxable status and filing appropriate documents with the IRS. Other students will be paid via the payroll system. This mechanism is most commonly used after all 72 hours have been reached. These students will have taxes withheld based on their W-4 form. Stipend checks will be available for pickup in the office of Mary Michael-Woolman (6133 MRB III) on the last working day of each month. Please sign the appropriate Check Signature sheet when you pick up your check.

Tuition

• All tuition expenses for approved courses will be covered. Tuition will be directly paid for those students in their first two years of training. There are other mechanisms for payment of tuition after this point. Mary Michael-Woolman will discuss with the students on a case by case basis.

Health Insurance

• All graduate students, unless they sign an insurance waiver, are covered by health insurance through Vanderbilt University. Health insurance fee for 2004-2005 will be $1511. If insurance is waived, please notify Mary Michael-Woolman each year. Coverage runs from August 12th of one year to August 12th of the next. This premium is paid by the Neuroscience Ph.D. program through the various funding mechanisms that cover the stipends. Spouses and other dependents can be covered by this insurance but guidelines for paying such coverage vary. For information please consult Mary Michael-Woolman. For additional information about student health insurance, or to request the insurance waiver, please contact the Student Health Center at 343-4688.

Activity Fees

• All graduate students must pay a Student Activity Fee, whether they wish to or not, and this fee plus your student identification badge gives you free access to the excellent facilities at the Student Recreation Center. The fee for Fall 2004 will be $148. Because of the different payment mechanisms, some students will have this fee paid for them and some will be responsible for paying this fee themselves. It is a very complicated issue determined by what source your stipend comes from. For clarification about your particular circumstance, please contact Mary Michael-Woolman. Spouses, domestic partners and dependents may also use the facilities for an additional fee that is not covered by the Neuroscience Ph.D. program.

Transcript Fees

• First time students at Vanderbilt: All new incoming students entering in 2003 Fall will be accessed a $30 one-time transcript fee. This fee will be paid by the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program through various funding mechanisms. Once a new student pays the one-time fee, a fee for each transcript will no longer be charged. Other special handling fees (FedEx, UPS, etc) may be charged and this will be the responsibility of the student.
• Returning Vanderbilt Students: Returning students will continue to pay a "per transcript fee" until they have paid a total of $30. These fees will be paid by the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program through various funding mechanisms. If transcripts are ordered on-line, the fee will be charged to your student accounts bill. Please bring a copy of this bill to Mary Michael-Woolman for payment. Other special handling fees (FedEx, UPS, etc) may be charged and this will be the responsibility of the student.

Student Accounts Bills

• Tuition, insurance and fees are pre-billed, so don't panic if you receive a bill for several thousand dollars. If the next bill you receive still shows a balance, please bring this bill to Mary Michael-Woolman so that any problems can be resolved and no late fees are charged. Note: you are responsible for traffic violations, pharmacy bills, housing, etc. that are charged to your student account and any associated late fees. Any student with a balance on their student account going into the Fall or Spring semester will not be allowed to register.