PhD Student Primary Funding - UChicagoGRAD

PhD Primary Funding

updated as of February 2025

PhD primary funding is disbursed on the monthly payment cycle during periods of enrollment. The University’s annualized primary funding minimum for PhD students for 10/1/2024-9/30/2025 is $45,000 ($3,750 per month). Funding to total this minimum may be from multiple sources, including external to the University. The University reserves the right to make adjustments to the amount of institutional funding in cases where there are other funding sources so long as the minimum a PhD student receives from all sources on an annualized basis is $45,000.

In general, funding for PhD students paid by UChicago will disburse on the final business day of each month. The payment cycle for PhD Primary Funding during months of enrollment is noted below:

Autumn Quarter payments disburse in October*, November, and December.
Winter Quarter payments disburse in January, February, and March.
Spring Quarter payments disburse in April, May, and June.
Summer Quarter payments disburse in July and August.
September Term payments disburse in September.

* In order to ease the transition to PhD funding, most incoming PhD students who start their programs in Autumn Quarter will receive the sum of three months of Autumn Quarter funding (October, November, and December) divided into four equal payments with two disbursed in October, one in November, and one in December. Students matriculating during any other quarter should contact their area Dean of Students for their payment schedule.

Primary Funding is not disbursed during certain leaves of absence, after the month of degree conferral, in months of non-enrollment, or after withdrawal for any reason. Students who graduate in Summer Quarter will not receive September Term funding if they are no longer students in September after August degree conferral. Students in dual-degree programs that continue after the PhD degree is conferred will receive September Term Primary Funding, if appropriate.

Tax withholding will depend on the type of income being earned and an individual student’s tax residency status. Primary funding that is a pedagogical or research training assignment is considered wage-income and is subject to applicable federal and state tax withholding directly by the university. Primary funding that is fellowship stipend is considered non-wage, may be subject to federal withholding for some students, and may trigger a federal and/or state estimated tax obligation. For more information about taxes, see Tax Information for Students | UChicagoGRAD.

Students with questions about Primary Funding should contact their area Dean of Students.

Under federal law, all new student employees must complete I-9 document verification to confirm eligibility for employment prior to beginning a wage position at the university. Students can find more information about the I-9 process on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.

The Graduate Administrative Services Team in UChicagoGRAD processes I-9 forms for PhD students who will be holding a wage-income Primary Funding position. graduate students who will be or intend to be employed at the University of Chicago. For incoming graduate students who haven’t yet been hired as an employee at the university, we still strongly recommend completing the I-9 process upon arrival to the university to be prepared for future employment.

Under federal law, all new employees must complete Form I-9 and submit documentation to verify their identity and their eligibility for employment.

I-9 documentation requirements will vary depending on a student’s citizenship status and place of residence. To see which documents are required for I-9 processing, please see this table. Be prepared to present original documents in person – photocopies of documentation will not be accepted. Please note: although not indicated on the acceptable documents list, international students need to present either their I-20 (F1 visa status) or DS-2019 (J1 visa status) in additional to a valid passport and most recent I-94. 

You must complete Form I-9 and submit the required documentation on or before your first day on the job. Students who do not complete this process within the required timeframe (3 days from position start date) will not be able to continue in their student employment position.

Students who will be holding a wage-income PhD Primary Funding will receive notification from Student Employment if they need to complete I-9 employment verification. Students will be able to schedule an appointment with Graduate Administrative Services or Student Employment via GRAD Gargoyle. 