Going from a Graduate Appointment to an NRSA Fellowship
Current Graduate Employment
Your current graduate assistantship through payroll comes with employer health insurance through the State of Maryland and tuition remission benefits. Anytime you have a break in service during your payroll appointment, you will lose your health insurance at the end of the month and terminate. In addition, a break in service in the middle of a semester will result in a retroactive charge of the entire semester’s tuition. Given this, you must select your start date at the beginning of a semester rather than in the middle.
If you are enrolled in our employee health insurance plan and accept the NRSA award for Fall 2026, your last Spring 2026 paycheck will be issued on June 18, 2026, and your health insurance benefits will terminate, effective June 30, 2026.
Once you speak with Meredith and decide on the enrollment date for the NRSA, please inform Archie Tablada and Steve Wicker. You can work 10 hours per week on payroll while on the fellowship, provided you get approval from Grad School before starting the work. For summer salary (if any), your PI has to contact us directly to let us know.
You may apply for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through the University Health Center once you’ve lost your employer-provided health insurance on June 30, 2026. Please note the SHIP plan is effective from August 1 through July 31. Please contact UHC directly regarding mid-semester enrollment.
Below is the SHIP health insurance information through the University Health Center:
The NRSA provides an institutional allowance to help support the cost of training for a fellowship at a fixed amount. Below are the allowable items, including reimbursement for mandatory fees, health insurance, equipment, etc.
Residency Classification Process
Your current payroll assistantship charges your tuition based on the in-state tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state students. Under the NRSA award, you will be charged an out-of-state rate if you are an out-of-state student. Here is more information regarding the residency classification process:
https://registrar.umd.edu/residency-reclassification
In-State/ Out of State Per Credit Tuition Rates:
Below are the in-state and out-of-state tuition rates:
https://billpay.umd.edu/
NRSA Award Payment
The NRSA award stipend is posted through the Student Award System every month. I will need your student billing as soon as your tuition is posted so that we can reimburse your mandatory fees. You must also complete and sign a tuition remission form at the beginning of each academic year. You are not eligible for tuition in Winter and Summer terms under the NRSA.
Please sign up for direct deposit through the Cashiering Office. This direct deposit is different from the Payroll direct deposit. Monthly payments are paid out at the end of the previous month (e.g., the May stipend is paid out at the end of April). The only exception is the January and July stipends. January stipends are sometimes posted on or before 12/23 or on 1/3. July stipends post around 7/8 due to the fiscal year closing.
Remember, no taxes are withheld from this award, so you must set aside some of the award money for tax purposes. Consult a tax advisor to determine how your taxes should be handled.
Please contact us at psycpayroll@umd.edu if you have any additional questions.