Graduate funding is considered taxable income. Taxes are your responsibility. Do not put off thinking about them until early April, or you might incur fines and other legal penalties.

If you are receiving an assistantship from the University or one that is administered by the University, state and federal income taxes should be withheld. Check your August pay stub or deposit advice to see that and the withholding amounts are “in the ballpark.” If you are receiving a fellowship from the University, no taxes should be withheld and you will have to file quarterly Estimated Tax Returns with the IRS and the State of Missouri. Forms and instructions for estimated tax returns may be obtained from the Internal Revenue Service. If you have questions about Federal Income Tax Information call 1-800-829-1040. Visit their web site for forms and to see if you are eligible to file online. 

Please review the key tax information For Fellowship Stipend Recipients on the Financial Services page of the Washington University website.

No. The University’s policy is to withhold on graduate assistantships, for which students provide services to others part of the time while spending most of their time on their own work, and not to withhold on fellowships, which require only that students progress full-time in their work. This distinction reflects federal law and therefore cannot be changed by Washington University.

Review the Key Tax Issues for Fellowship Stipend Recipients presentation.

Do not report them on your tax forms. Every tuition scholarship in the Office of Graduate Studies meets the current IRS criteria for tax exemption.

As a full-time student, you are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA). This exemption is dependent on your full-time student status and may not apply in the summer. If you are not taking classes in the summer but you are working at an on-campus job, you will have FICA taxes withheld.

You are responsible for paying your taxes and should consult the IRS about payment options and more accurate estimation in the future. While some may be able to obtain a short-term loan from the Office of Graduate Studies, be aware that Office of Graduate Studies loan funds are extremely limited: first come, first served.

Every case is different. Go to the Office of International Students and Scholars for advice.

Requests for refund of tuition paid by a student who is withdrawing from a degree program should be made by submitting a Withdrawal Form to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students receiving financial assistance from the Office of Graduate Studies (fellowships, assistantships, etc.) are required to maintain fulltime student status.

Requests for refund of tuition paid by a student who is withdrawing from a specific course should be submitted in writing to the Office of Graduate Studies Registrar. The last date of class attendance is ordinarily used in determining the amount that can be refunded. Students withdrawing within the first two weeks of classes will receive a full refund; those withdrawing before the end of the fourth week pay 20 percent; those withdrawing before the end of the eighth week pay 40 percent. Students who have had their full tuition remitted for them by the Office of Graduate Studies or by a third party will not receive any refund.

The mandatory student health and wellness fee is designed to improve the health and wellness of the entire Washington University community. The fee is billed to the student tuition statement each semester. Eligible graduate students will also receive a subsidy towards the health fee.

Washington University requires all full-time Danforth Campus students to have health insurance and offers an injury and sickness insurance plan underwritten by United Health Care Company. Domestic students may waive the University plan if they can prove adequate coverage through another plan.  International students must be covered by the University health insurance plan. Information about the waiver process is available at the Student Health Services website. 

Many graduate students receive subsidized assistance in payment of their insurance premiums and student health fees. These subsidies vary by program and school:

Full-time eligible graduate students in Arts & Sciences funded programs on Danforth campus will receive a health fee subsidy provided by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Engineering PhD students will normally receive subsidized insurance through the School of Engineering and may contact Johanna Sengheiser at jsengheiser@wustl.edu with any questions.

Social Work and Public Health PhD students do not receive the Arts & Sciences subsidy but normally receive a matching benefit from the School of Social Work. For more information please contact Marissa Hardwrict at hardwrictm@wustl.edu.

Graduate students in programs housed on the Medical Campus should contact their program for information on health fee coverage.

Washington University’s student health insurance plan is underwritten by United Healthcare Insurance Company (UHC) and administered by United Healthcare Student Resources. All full-time graduate Arts & Sciences students on the Danforth Campus are required to have adequate insurance coverage. Domestic students may choose to waive WashU coverage if they can document that they have adequate coverage through another plan. The University plan is mandatory for international students. Annual coverage runs from August 1 through July 31. The insurance premium is billed annually and will appear on the fall billing statement.

Washington University assesses a student health and wellness fee designed to improve the health and wellness of the entire Washington University community. This fee is billed to students’ tuition statements each semester.

For details about the insurance plan and other available health and wellness services please visit the Student Health Services website at http://shs.wustl.edu/Insurance

Eligibility for the Office of Graduate Studies subsidy: Full-time graduate students in Arts & Sciences disciplines on the Danforth Campus who are fully funded and receiving full tuition remission are eligible for the Office of Graduate Studies 90% subsidy for the University’s basic insurance plan, dental insurance plan, and the student health fee.

Attention Engineering students: PhD students in Engineering programs are not covered under the Arts & Sciences subsidy but may receive subsidized insurance through the School of Engineering. Contact Johanna Sengheiser at jsengheiser@wustl.edu for more information.

Attention Social Work and Public Health Sciences students: PhD students in Social Work and Public Health Sciences are not covered under the Arts & Sciences subsidy but may receive subsidy benefit through the School of Social Work. Contact Marissa Hardwrict at hardwrictm@wustl.edu for more information.

Attention Medical Campus students: Arts & Sciences graduate students in programs housed on the Medical Campus should contact their program for information on health fee coverage.

All questions regarding Student Health Insurance and the Student Health & Wellness fee may be directed to Student Health Services at 314-935-6666.

For questions regarding the Office of Graduate Studies subsidy, contact Angela Wilson at angela.wilson@wustl.edu.

THE STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN 

Goes into effect on: August 1* through July 31

* To use your student health insurance prior to September 5, you must be registered for Fall courses full-time, and visit the UHC website at:  studentcenter.uhcsr.com

Deadline to make changes to the plan (enroll dependents, purchase additional coverage or opt out):  September 5

The carrier for student health insurance is United Healthcare and the annual cost appears in full on the fall billing statement. Domestic students have the option to waive coverage if they can document that they have adequate coverage through another plan. Eligible graduate students will receive an insurance subsidy but only the University plan will be subsidized. For additional information visit student health services at http://shs.wustl.edu/Insurance

The carrier for the dental insurance is United Healthcare and the annual cost appears in full on the fall billing statement.  Dental Insurance is available to all students enrolled in the health insurance plan; however, it is not required for WashU students on the Danforth campus. Students have the option to waive coverage by emailing studentinsurance@wustl.edu.  Eligible graduate students will receive an insurance subsidy but only the University plan will be subsidized.  For additional information visit student health services at http://shs.wustl.edu/Insurance/Pages/default.aspx

Please note: If you waive the student health insurance, you will not be eligible to remain on the dental insurance plan.