Fellowships support graduate students during their academic studies, which may entail independent or guided research work. The following information details department fellowships, which does not include fellowships sponsored by the college, university, or Valle Scholarship & Scandinavian Exchange Program.

Students typically receive a fellowship as part of their offer of admission. Department fellowships are merit-based and generally do not require work-based service, which means they are not covered by a union contract in the same way that RAs or TAs are covered by the UAW/UW Academic Student Employee contract.

Disbursement of department fellowships

Department fellowships are primarily structured in two ways - as a semi-monthly stipend or as lump sum payments.

Semi-monthly stipend

Students receive stipends every two weeks following the regular payroll calendar.Depending on the award details, students may also receive a non-resident differential waiver (brings tuition down to resident rate), resident tuition coverage (except fees) and Graduate Appointee Insurance Program benefits.

Lump sum payments

Students receive a total award amount that is disbursed to their student account. Students do not receive a stipend, tuition waivers, or Graduate Appointee Insurance Program (GAIP) benefits. Lump sum payments can be restructured to include benefits, including a non-resident differential waiver, on a case-by-case basis, but this may reduce the direct payment made to the student. To do so, awardees must communicate with payroll.