Things Every Incoming PhD Student Needs to Know
SE PhD Orientation ("IC")
Software Engineering PhD Orientation - Thursday, August 25th, 2011. Schedule
Graduate Student Data Sheet
The enrollment process will begin when you complete the Graduate Student Data Sheet. Please complete and return the form sent to you by email.
SCS Computer Account
Once your Graduate Student Data Sheet is received, you will be assigned an SCS computer account on a general purpose machine. This will allow you to transfer your files and to send/receive email here. (Once you are aligned with a specific project/advisor you will apply for additional accounts as needed). To apply for your computer account, you will need to complete the SCS Computer Account application, sign, and return to me for our records. More information is available on the SCS Computing Facilities web site.
Andrew Account
You will also need an account on the university Andrew network to view your student account, register for courses, sign up for health insurance, etc. This is automatically assigned when you are entered into the Student Information System. You can find out your Andrew login (it's not the same as your CSD account, unfortunately) by fingering yourfirstname.yourlastname@andrew.cmu.edu. The password is the first 8 digits of your US social security number, or your student ID number if you do not have an SSN. (International students should contact me by email to find out your student ID number.) Please fill out the
Financial Support
The Enrollment Services office will forward preliminary registration information to you during the summer, including an invoice showing the amount of your tuition for the fall semester. Please fill out the forms as requested and return them directly to Enrollment Services, indicating that tuition will be deducted from your monthly support payment from the SE PhD program. If all forms are filled out properly and returned on time, your registration will be completed by mail. If not, you will have an opportunity to complete "late enrollment" after you arrive.
For those receiving support paid through CMU, monthly support checks are distributed on the last working day of each month, beginning on September 30. In order to get "on the payroll" you are required by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to complete an I-9 Form, showing that you are either a U.S. citizen, or have permission to be employed. Citizens of the U.S. must show either a valid U.S. passport, or a state-issued driver's license PLUS an ORIGINAL Social Security Card or a birth certificate bearing a seal. Those who are not U.S. citizens must show their passport (with attached employment authorization Form I-9, which will be issued by the CMU Foreign Student Advisor during foreign student orientation.) Please be sure that you have these documents with you when you arrive.
Take-Home Pay
We cannot say exactly how much "take-home" pay a student will receive, since each individual case is different. However, we can tell you that:
- Your tuition will not be taxed on any level.
- Your stipend pay will not be taxed for social security.
- Your stipend pay will not be taxed for Pennsylvania.
- Your stipend pay will not be taxed for City of Pittsburgh. (but may be taxable in other municipalities, in which case you would need to deal with your local tax authority; such local tax would not be paid through payroll deduction).
- Your stipend will be taxed federally, based on how you complete the form W4 (Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate).
Therefore, an unemployed student who has no dependents, and will not be dependent on his/her parents will most likely have a W4 form showing 2 withholding allowances. If that is the case, using the IRS 2003 "Tables for Percentage Method of Withholding" (table 4), of the $2,075 gross stipend, federal tax would be approximately $157.00.
NOTE that this does not include a deduction for your health insurance. This cost must be paid separately.
Fellowships
Sophie Park (412 268-9860) is the business office contact at CMU for School of Computer Science PhD students who have been awarded external funding. She has prepared a summary of how much you will actually receive if you have been awarded an NSF or NDSEG fellowship. These calculations are provided by the Computer Science Department, but are based on SCS policies , so they also apply to the Software Engineering PhD students in ISRI.
If you have received other external funding which might qualify you for our PhD student "bonus", you may apply the policy to your particular case to figure out what your stipend will be. Or, you may contact Sophie to find out precisely what to expect for your particular case. Sophie can also answer -- or get an answer from someone else -- for any questions regarding taxes.
Dependency Allowance
If your spouse is unemployed, or earns less than $200 per month, you are entitled to a dependency allowance. A dependency allowance of 10% per month of the SCS base stipend amount for each eligible dependent is paid to a Ph. student provided that his or her spouse or qualifying domestic partner earns $200.00 or less per month.
In Academic Year 2011-2012, base stipend is $2,360 and the allowance per eligible depend is $236.00.
For the recipient of an outside fellowship, the dependency allowance is added after the student's monthly stipend amount has been determined based on the "Stipend Supplement for External Support" policy.
Visa
If you are not a U.S. Citizen you will receive the I-20 Form, which will allow you to obtain the F-1 student visa. However, the I-20 CANNOT BE ISSUED until we receive a completed International Student Information Form from you. Please note that you are not required to provide any proof of financial support unless you have legal dependents (spouse and/or children). In that case you may be required to show that you have additional funds available to support the dependents.
If you are already in the U.S., you will request a transfer through your Foreign Student Advisor rather than receiving a new I-20 form. For additional information regarding visas you may want to visit the Office of International Education web site.
International students will also receive information with your I-20 Form regarding the International Student Orientation program sponsored by the Office of International Education,. While this program is not mandatory, it is strongly suggested that you attend, especially if you have not previously resided in the US. If you are not able to attend during this period, you will be required to attend an orientation session before the end of the first week of the semester in order for your enrollment to be complete, and to maintain your valid visa status. An important part of the orientation are instructions of how to obtain a social security number which you will need in order to receive your monthly stipend.
Health Insurance
Complete information about health insurance plans and coverage is available on-line at http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/HealthServices/insurance/ you can find out the various plans, the costs, and enroll on-line from this site. Cost of the current plans range from $1,043 - $2,231 per year for individual policies. (The rates listed are subject to change). All full-time students are required to carry health insurance and will be assessed a charge for the individual basic mandatory plan offered through the university student health insurance program. The charge will appear on the invoice of the first semester of attendance in the academic cycle. The student is required to take one of the following three actions: 1) Enroll in the basic plan as charged. 2) Upgrade the benefit plan by enrolling in the enhanced student health insurance options during the open enrollment period. 3) Apply for a waiver from the mandatory plan.
Enrollment does not offer payroll deduction as a means to pay for health insurance. Carnegie Mellon is pleased to extend the services of Tuition Management Systems (TMS) to help you afford the health insurance cost. The TMS Health Insurance Monthly Payment Option allows you to spread your health insurance premium over nine monthly installments for a $25 enrollment fee. The installments begin in September and end in May. Please see the information on this new payment option at the following Student Health Services web site: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/HealthServices/insurance/TMS.cfm
Change of Address
Please notify Connie Herold or Helen Higgins of any address changes throughout your time here at Carnegie Mellon. Also update your address in the Student Information System.
Information Regarding Registration for Courses
For schedule of courses and to register go to http://www.cmu.edu/hub/. You should register for the following courses:
- 17-791 Software Research Seminar (SSSG) 3 Units
- 17-997 Graduate Reading and Research (units vary)