DCE Funding

Responsible Office
Graduate School - Finance and Administration
Executive
Scott McGoldrick, Senior Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Contact
Scott McGoldrick
Policy
  1. Policy Statement

    This policy outlines the Graduate School’s general funding for students in dissertation completion enrollment (DCE) status.

  2. Who is Affected by this Policy

    This policy applies to Ph.D. students in dissertation completion enrollment (DCE) status.

  3. Definitions

    Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) 

    A Ph.D. student who has not completed his/her degree within the department's normal program period (either four or five years, as specified by the department and the Graduate School), but is still making progress toward degree completion and retains an enrolled status.  DCE status must be taken immediately after the regular enrollment period has ended and may be granted for a maximum of four consecutive semesters. DCE students may be enrolled as regular (in residence) or in absentia students (pursuing their scholarly work away from Princeton). 

  4. Policy

    Students in dissertation completion enrollment (DCE) status are not guaranteed University support (in contrast to students in regular enrollment).  They are encouraged to seek out and apply for external funding or work with their departments to obtain a research or partial teaching appointment. 

    There are, however, three instances in which students in DCE status are guaranteed support. These are 1) students eligible for an extra term of enrollment and support under the Childbirth and Adoption Accommodation Policy; 2) students in the humanities and social sciences who have banked a year of funding for use in their first year of DCE status; and 3) students accepted into the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities at Princeton (IHUM) who receive an additional year of fellowship support in their sixth year of study.  

    In addition to the provisions above, there is a tuition grant program for students in DCE status.  The tuition grant covers the full DCE tuition expense. To qualify for a tuition grant, students must meet one of the following two criteria:

    • Hold an AI appointment for at least 2 hours, with eligibility determined on a per term basis. 
    • Hold external fellowship/s which provide stipend that is at least 50% of either the University Fellowship stipend rate or the AR stipend rate (both calculated on a 10-month basis). 
  5. Procedures (if applicable)

    N/A

  6. Related Documents/Pages/Forms (if applicable)

    N/A

  7. Roles and Responsibilities

    Dean of the Graduate School
    Oversees Graduate School policies and associated procedures.

    Finance and Administration
    Administers DCE funding policy.