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This chapter covers the administrative and financial policies for the ISMMS Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Students can find the following information in this chapter.
This section applies only to students in the PhD program in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience, and to students in the MD/PhD program.
Students in the PhD and MD/PhD in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience programs will receive a comprehensive funding package, which includes direct compensation, tuition remission, and a student health insurance plan. (Note that this direct compensation is sometimes referred to informally as a “stipend.”)
Exceptions to this financial support package occur when a student has an external award in place that provides for such fundings, in which case funds from the external source may replace part or all of the institutionally-provided financial package.
Continuation of the financial package is contingent upon maintaining satisfactory progress in the program at all times. The absence of such progress may result in discontinuation of financial support and dismissal from the program.
For PhD program students, direct compensation will end on the day the student’s dissertation is deposited, and health insurance coverage will end on the last day of the term in which the student deposits. For MD/PhD students, direct compensation will end on the day the student receives their final degree.
In the case of a research mentor change requiring a new rotation (as outlined in Part II, Chapter 1 “PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience"), the mentee will receive up to 3 months of stipend support from the GSBS to pursue rotations prior to selecting a new laboratory.
During a student’s early training, during which time students are completing general program requirements and selecting a research mentor and Multidisciplinary Training Area, the student’s funding package is supported through general Graduate School funds. (The Graduate School funds 100% of the package during the student’s first year and 75% during the second year, unless the student is supported by a training grant or individual fellowship.)
For the remainder of the student’s time in the PhD program, the student’s research mentor (PI) is responsible for identifying the funding source(s) of the student’s funding package. Research mentors who encounter unexpected difficulty in supporting a trainee’s funding package may contact the Graduate School at gs-admin@mssm.edu about its bridge funding policy.
Students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their research mentor to identify such funding, especially by applying for individual fellowships from extramural sources.
Students who apply for and receive an NIH “F” grant, or who receive a federal or non-federal fellowship of comparable stature (e.g. AHA, HHMI, , will receive from the Graduate School an additional $2,000 annually, for the period the award is in effect.
Research mentors are encouraged to match this $2,000 with an additional $2,000 if lab funding allows. (Matching funds from research mentors must come from a funding source that permits such payments.)
Students who receive such fellowships should email the Graduate School at gs-admin@mssm.edu to request such payment, attaching the notification of the award and cc-ing their faculty research mentor.
Students in the PhD and MD/PhD in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience programs receive a comprehensive funding package as a component of the admission offer, which includes tuition remission. (Details about this funding package can be found in the .)
Tuition rates for these programs are established on a per-credit basis. Although students in these programs are not billed directly for tuition, these rates may be used to calculate tuition charged to fellowships, grants, or other third-party funding sources that cover tuition.
Students in these programs may occasionally be billed by the Bursar’s Office for other fees and are responsible for satisfying any outstanding balances.
Information on program costs and payment terms is available on the website of the .
The Bursar’s Office, which is a part of the Office of Student Financial Services, maintains student account balances and collects payments for tuition and fees.
All financial obligations must be met by payment deadlines. An outstanding balance will result in a financial hold, which restricts access to future course registration, as well as to other services available to enrolled students, and may result to limitations to access to transcripts and/or diplomas to the extent permitted by law.
Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice by the Board of Trustees.
With the exception of the MS in Genetic Counseling, these programs charge for tuition on a per-credit-hour basis at the current published rate. The MS in Genetic Counseling program charges a flat tuition rate for the program.
Students who withdraw from a course and/or from the program after the end of the drop-add registration period will receive a tuition refund based on the . Tuition refunds will be calculated based on the date that the Registrar’s Office approves the course withdrawal, leave of absence request, or program withdrawal request. Retroactive requests are not permissible.
Note that dropping course registration may result in an enrollment status change from full-time to part-time. Students may not withdraw from a course after 2/3 of the course is complete. Changing the enrollment status or the number of registered credit hours in a program may have significant academic, immigration, and/or financial consequences. It is recommended that students consult the Office of Student Financial Services and their program advisor before making any changes to their schedule. International students are required to meet with the Office of International Personnel prior to making any enrollment changes. International students risk their F-1 Visa status if not fully compliant with their full-time enrollment requirement while at ISMMS.
For students receiving federal financial aid, the percentage of the period completed, based on class days, will be calculated. The federal government mandates that students who withdraw may only keep the financial aid they have ‘earned’ up until the time of withdrawal. Title IV funds in excess of this amount must be returned by ISMMS and/or the student to the federal government.
No tuition refunds will be granted to students who have been academically and/or administratively dismissed or suspended from the institution.
Financial Aid is managed by the Office of Student Financial Services, and information on the financial aid application process is found on this office’s website.
Admission to ISMMS is need-blind and not contingent upon a student’s financial profile.
Degree-seeking students who wish to apply for federal loans to cover the cost of attendance must complete the Institutional Application for Graduate School Students as well as the FAFSA. Applications are required annually.
Throughout the student’s education, the Office of Student Financial Services is available to discuss indebtedness, budgeting, and financial management. Graduating students should be aware of the requirements of the various external student loan programs in which they may have participated. It is important to maintain contact with ISMMS and the appropriate lending institutions, to understand each loan program, and to plan for repayment.
Entrance Counseling: Student requesting federal student loans must complete online federal entrance counseling. Students are also able to meet with staff in the Office of Student Financial Services for support with financial management and budgeting.
Exit Counseling: Student loan borrowers are required to complete federal exit counseling prior to graduation or separation from ISMMS. Students are encouraged to schedule a one-on-one debt counseling sessions with the Office of Student Financial Services for more personalized support.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) refers to the satisfactory of program requirements as established by the Graduate School. Federal regulations require that students receiving federal aid make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in accordance with these standards set by the institution in order to be eligible for federal grants and loans.
The Department of Enrollment Services, in addition to the Graduate School, will assess each student’s academic progress on a term basis. A student who fails to meet one or more of the standards for SAP will be ineligible for financial aid. Students on Academic Probation will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. If a student failed to return to good academic standing after one term, the student will no longer be eligible for financial aid in subsequent terms.
If the Committee for Academic Review and/or Program Academic Committee approves a remediation plan for the student that is no more than one year in length, a student can be placed back on financial aid probation and receive financial aid. Failure to meet the terms of the remediation plan will result in a student’s return to financial aid ineligibility. A student will be removed from financial aid probation and/or be eligible again for financial aid when he/she/they has met SAP. A student who does not meet the SAP requirements by the end of the financial aid probationary period is again ineligible for financial aid.
For all students in all programs, the Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Policy requires the maintenance of a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher as well as timely progress towards the degree. All programs also have Program Specific Satisfactory Academic Progress policies, including their Time-to-Degree Policy and these are detailed in their corresponding section of the Academic Policies Section of this Handbook.
PhD and MD/PhD in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience: It is Graduate School policy that all students be supported for the activities involved in their training program and that their program activities represent a full-time commitment. Students with a unique need for securing additional funds should contact the Office of Financial Services for guidance. The Graduate School will try to help find activities that do not conflict with the student's program and also complement the student's educational advancement. If a research mentor helps a student with a unique need to secure additional funds, it is required that the student be assigned specific documentable activities distinct from those involved in the correlated training program.
Any request to pay a student additional funds, or any payment arrangement not otherwise covered in this Handbook, must be approved in advance by the Dean of the Graduate School; such approval should be requested by the faculty member or departmental administrator, by sending an email outlining the proposed arrangement to gs-admin@mssm.edu. Additional detail may be requested of the research mentor or department by the Graduate School. Failure to obtain prior approval will jeopardize the student’s total funding package.
Students, faculty members, or departmental staff may contact the Graduate School administrative office at gs-admin@mssm.edu with questions about options for special payments to such students, prior to entering into any such arrangement.
Tuition is charged for all students, including those who are employees of Mount Sinai.
An employee of Mount Sinai who wishes to take a course in the Graduate School must formally register for the course. To register for a course, a student must be either enrolled in a GSBS degree program or registered as a non-matriculant student through the Registrar’s Office.
Certain non-faculty employees of Mount Sinai are eligible for a tuition reimbursement benefit, processed through Human Resources, of up to $2,400 per calendar year. (This benefit is a reimbursement program—not a waiver.) Students who are eligible for this benefit must avail themselves of it prior to requesting any tuition waiver from the Graduate School.
Under certain circumstances, the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences may waive partial or full tuition for one or more courses for a Mount Sinai employee. (For example, a research technician at Mount Sinai who has an interest in pursuing a PhD at Mount Sinai may request a waiver to enroll in a PhD-level course.)
To apply for such a tuition waiver, the employee must obtain a brief written statement of support from the employee’s supervisor, as well as the signature of the Course Director. The student should then submit a written request, with these items attached, addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School, via email to . The request should describe the reasons for enrolling in the course and how it fits into the student’s long-term goals for graduate training. The student also should state whether they will be receiving any other tuition reimbursement for which they are eligible. The deadline to apply for such a waiver from the Graduate School is one week prior to the start of the course.
The maximum number of credits that will be approved for a tuition waiver is 12.
Courses offered by the Master’s in Healthcare Delivery Leadership program (i.e., courses with a HCD course code), are not eligible for a tuition waiver.
Please see the following pages for information about additional work and funding resources:
Periodically, the Graduate School or one of its programs may have part-time positions available for students who wish to assist with research or administrative work. Such opportunities are typically advertised to students through email announcement.
For such a position, an applicant must be a current student enrolled in a Mount Sinai program that does not pay direct compensation as a part of the program’s funding package. (Students in compensation-bearing programs are typically not eligible for such positions.) Students seeking such positions may not be otherwise employed by Mount Sinai in a non-student position.
In many cases, such positions may be funded by the Federal Work Study (FWS) program. Students must verify eligibility for FWS positions through the Office of Student Financial Services.
Students receiving financial aid should consult with the Office of Student Financial Services before accepting any campus job, to determine whether doing so will affect aid.
International students should consult with the Office of International Personnel to confirm eligibility and possible impact on visa status prior to accepting any type of employment.
All graduate students are eligible for travel award funding, to support their participation in and presentation at major conferences and meetings directly relevant to their academic activities. Specific eligibility and funding criteria vary by program. For students working in a lab under a faculty research mentor, GSBS travel awards are intended to complement support available from the faculty mentor. For additional information, contact the Office of Student Affairs at TheGraduateSchoolOffice@mssm.edu.