How do the fellowships work?

[Sun]

Hi,

I am getting a fellowship for the first time in my life, so I have some pretty dumb questions.

How do you get the money you are supposed to be getting? Do you get it as a paycheck? Does it come once a week, once every two weeks, monthly, or does that depend on the kind of fellowship you're getting? Are there limits on what you can spend it on, or is it yours to use for anything? If I am getting 25,000 for a year, do I have to spend that money in that amount of time or not?

Thank you.

[thepoorstockinger]

It depends entirely on the school and the fellowship.

[Stories]

Mine functions transparently. All the funding is provided to Yale and then it works as if Yale is paying me my stipend and tuition. The only difference is that I have advisers in two places (Yale and the NCI) and I'll physically be doing my dissertation work at the NCI.

[dithius_9]

As far as how they pay you, that is up to the department. Some pay monthly, others in a lump sum at the start. Typically the stipend is considered taxable income. Also, the stipend that comes with a fellowship is generally meant to cover living expenses, so there are basically no limits on what you can spend it. It's your money to keep, just like from a job.