Fellowship, Payroll & Taxes
Payment of Fellowships & Assistantships
If you receive financial support from or through the University, you will receive fellowship or assistantship payments in ten monthly installments. Payday is the last business day of each month, except for December and June when it will be around the 20th of the month. Checks are distributed in your department; the first payday is the last business day of September.University room and board charges are deducted from your monthly fellowship or assistantship payments. The full amount is equally divided between the Fall and Spring semesters, with the Fall charge deducted in five equal monthly payments (September - January). If you reside in University housing, the remaining Spring charge is deductible in four equal monthly payments (February - May).
University tuition will also be deducted from your financial support if it is not otherwise paid in full. For example, if you receive a partial tuition fellowship and a teaching assistantship, the stipend for teaching will be used to offset your remaining tuition and required fees, and those amounts will be deducted from your teaching payments. Should the teaching payments still not cover your tuition and required fees in full, the University will bill you for the remaining amounts.
Please read your pay stubs before calling the Student Accounts Office 609-258-6378 with questions regarding University room and board charges, tuition, or other bills.
Questions about fellowship or assistantship policies and procedures should be directed to your academic department and then to Dean Mawhinney's office 609-258-3037, 104 Clio Hall.
All income that you receive at Princeton is considered taxable income by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. This includes fellowship maintenance allowances, teaching and research assistantship stipends, and payments for travel, hourly work, and miscellaneous research supplies/expenses. The State of New Jersey also considers income from teaching and research assistantships as taxable income.
The University's Payroll office will withhold federal and state income tax for all service-related payments (teaching and research assistantships and hourly paid wages) and for all payments made to non-resident aliens unless such income is excludable under tax treaties between the U.S. and the student's country of citizenship. The Payroll Office will not withhold federal or state income tax from fellowship payments (non-service awards) made to U.S. citizens. In this case, it is the student's responsibility to make estimated quarterly tax payments to the Internal Revenue Service. A memo on filing quarterly U.S. income taxes will be made available in October.
Questions regarding amounts withheld must be referred to the Payroll Office 609-258-5261, 1 New South Building. (It is best to contact Payroll a day or two after payday.)
Pay Advances
The Controller's Office does not issue pay advances. If, however, your check was not issued because of a University error, an advance will be processed as soon as possible after the usual payday. Requests should be made through your department to Dean Mawhinney's office.
Contingency Loans
Short-term loans are available to students coping with unexpected financial emergencies through Dean Montero’s office in 609-258-3028, 109 Clio Hall. The office also provides information on federal loan and work-study programs for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
REMINDER: You will not be paid if you have not completed the necessary W-4 and I-9 Forms. If you did not complete these forms at New Graduate Student Sign-In, the W-4 Form must be filed in the University Payroll Office, 1 New South Building, and the I-9 Form in Dean Montero's office, 109 Clio Hall.