Graduate Student Success-Incentive Program
GSS-IP Frequently Asked Questions
Questions & Examples
- Who is eligible to submit a GSS-IP cost-share request?
- What are the priorities for the kinds of cost-share requests that will be considered for funding?
- Will the GSS-IP program prioritize cost-share requests related to extramural fellowships?
- What range of cost-share break-down between departments and the Graduate Division should be expected?
- Are requests to cost-share student fellowship stipends that exceed the campus’ 5/2 yr funding commitment level (i.e., GSR 1) but fall short of the department’s established salary point (e.g., GSR 4 or 5) eligible?
- Are requests to cost-share GSR or ASE appointments eligible for the GSS-IP?
- Are cost-share requests for non-resident tuition (NRT) eligible for the GSS-IP?
- Are cost-share requests in support of new doctoral and MFA student admissions eligible for the GSS-IP?
- Are institutional cost-share requests related to PI-initiated extramural grants eligible?
- Are there hypothetical cases that can be provided to illustrate how the GSS-IP will work?
- Example #1 Extramural fellowships
- Example #2 Intramural Dissertation Writing Fellowship
- Example #3 Intramural In Absentia Dissertation Research Fellowship
- Example #4 Intramural Summer Research Fellowship
Q: Who is eligible to submit a GSS-IP cost-share request?
Department/program representatives (e.g., Chair, Graduate Director, Graduate Advisor) and ladder rank faculty are eligible to submit GSS-IP requests for cost-share support of specified individual continuing MFA and doctoral students who are in good academic standing and advanced to candidacy (doctoral students).
Q: What are the priorities for the kinds of cost-share requests that will be considered for funding?
The GSS-IP is intended to assist doctoral/MFA students in completing their degree (e.g., dissertation/thesis research and writing) by cost-sharing tuition/fees, fellowship stipends up to the campus’ 5/2 yr commitment, etc. Specifically, the GSS-IP will prioritize support of extramural and intramural funding cost-shares for fellowships. Extramural funding refers to graduate fellowships from government funding agencies or private foundations. For example, we support requests for extramural fellowships that fall short of covering the tuition/fees/GSHIP for the fellowship quarters/year, or for student stipends that do not meet the campus’ 5/2 yr funding commitment level (i.e., GSR 1).
Q: Will the GSS-IP program prioritize cost-share requests related to extramural fellowships?
No. Given that extramural funding opportunities are available asymmetrically across disciplines, the GSS-IP will also prioritize intramural cost-shares to supplement departmental, divisional, and other internal resources in supporting students in their thesis and dissertation research phase. Faculty and programs applying for intramural funding will be prompted to describe why existing principal investigator (PI), department, divisional, and/or other resources are insufficient to meet the student’s funding needs and require additional support from the GSS-IP. For intramural cost-shares for students enrolled full or part-time (e.g., during dissertation writing quarters), the department is expected to cover the stipend, while the Graduate Division will cover tuition and fees. For a student on In-Absentia, the cost-share request can include both quarterly tuition and research stipends appropriate for the In Absentia location. For summer research fellowships, the cost-share request can include research stipends appropriate for the research location.
Q: What range of cost-share break-down between departments and the Graduate Division should be expected?
The Graduate Division expects to contribute ~50% to the total cost-share request, though the specific percentage per request may vary from ~33 – 66% depending on available funding and the total number of eligible requests submitted by the department. In cases where departments submit more than one request in an academic year, the departments/divisional units will be expected to provide at least 50% of the total cost-share across all submitted requests.
Q: Are requests to cost-share student fellowship stipends that exceed the campus’ 5/2 yr funding commitment level (i.e., GSR 1) but fall short of the department’s established salary point (e.g., GSR 4 or 5) eligible?
No, requests to cost-share fellowship stipends that exceed the campus’ minimum level of support are not eligible.
Q: Are requests to cost-share GSR or ASE appointments eligible for the GSS-IP?
No, cost-share requests related to student employment, such as GSRs and ASEs are not eligible.
Q: Are cost-share requests for non-resident tuition (NRT) eligible for the GSS-IP?
Yes, cost-share requests for additional quarters of NRT for doctoral students are eligible. Also, MFA programs seeking to cost-share NRT for continuing students are eligible.
Q: Are cost-share requests in support of new doctoral and MFA student admissions eligible for the GSS-IP?
No, new doctoral and MFA student admission offers are not eligible for the program.
Q: Are institutional cost-share requests related to PI-initiated extramural grants eligible?
No, cost-share requests related to PI-initiated extramural grants are not eligible for the program. PIs should approach the Office of Research for such opportunities.
Q: Are there hypothetical cases that can be provided to illustrate how the GSS-IP will work?
Yes, see several examples below:
Example #1 Extramural fellowships: a student secures an NSF fellowship that pays $30,000 over three quarters. To cover tuition and fees, the department contributes one quarter’s amount ($7,223) and requests a cost share from the Graduate Division for two quarters ($14,446). If this department were to support a second student, they would contribute two quarters, while the Graduate Division would cover one. An example of a budget table reflecting these requests is below.
| Cost Share Source | Faculty Contributions | Dept Contribution | Division Contribution | Other student secured intramural fellowships | Sum of Non-Grad Div Pool | Request to GradDiv | Total Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| External cost-share (NSF) | $7,223 | $7,223 | $14,446 | $21,669 | |||
| Second student | $14,446 | $14,446 | $7,223 | $21,669 |
Example #2 Intramural Dissertation Writing Fellowship: The program wishes to support a student with a dissertation quarter fellowship. The department contributes $10,000 for the stipend and requests a cost share of $7,223 from the Graduate Division to cover tuition and fees.
Example #3 Intramural In Absentia Dissertation Research Fellowship: The program aims to support a student conducting doctoral field or archival research while on In-Absentia status for three academic quarters. In this arrangement, the student secures $5,000 from a UCSC Center or Institute and the department contributes an additional $5,000. The program then requests a $10,000 match from the Graduate Division. These funds are allocated to cover In-Absentia tuition and fees for three quarters (totaling $2,313 excluding GSHIP), and to provide a research fellowship stipend of $17,687, calibrated to local living costs.
Example #4 Intramural Summer Research Fellowship: The program seeks to cost-share a student summer research fellowship. The department contributes $4,000 and requests a $4,000 match from the Graduate Division to cover the student fellowship stipend.
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