Plan Course Schedule

Prior to registration week, students may use the Plan Course Schedule tool in Student Information Online to create proposed course schedules to share and discuss with their advisor. 

Course Registration 

Carnegie Mellon requires that all students carry health insurance. University Health Services contracts with insurance companies to provide students with medical, dental and vision health insurance. For information regarding plans and premiums, please visit the Student Health Services website. If students are already insured, they must submit a waiver to Student Health Services. Waivers are subject to approval and must be returned to Student Health Services by September 1. Students can check to see if their waiver has been granted via Student Information Online by going to the 'Campus Life' tab. 

University health insurance charges are included on student invoices and it is the student's responsibility to make sure these charges are paid by the due date on the invoice. Most departments do not pay health insurance fees for sponsored students. Students may set up a payment plan with Tuition Management Systems in order to pay their health insurance charges over the course of 10 months.  It is recommended a payment plan is set up in June before the start of the fall semester, as the first payment deadline is July 1 before the start of the fall term. 

Any questions or concerns specifically related to health insurance should be directed to Student Health Services at shinsure@andrew.cmu.edu.

Financial Aid Options

After discussing sponsorship and grant opportunities with their departments, eligible U.S. graduate students can look into federal loan options to help assist with unmet need. The HUB's financial aid website contains in-depth information about graduate student financial assistance, including federal and private loan options, application procedures and deadlines for eligible graduate students. Federal loan funds are not available for international students. The majority of international students rely exclusively upon personal and family funds and/or departmental or outside sponsor funds to pay for the entire cost of graduate education.

Federal Aid Eligibility

A graduate student's federal aid eligibility is determined by a student's financial circumstances. While a student (and his/her spouse, if applicable) has the primary responsibility for paying for school, financial aid can bridge the gap between the total costs and the student's ability to pay. Carnegie Mellon uses a standard method to carefully review a student's financial circumstances and establish an expected contribution from the student. Learn more.

Graduate Student Transition Loan

The Graduate Student Transition Loan is available to Carnegie Mellon graduate students in the beginning of their first-semester only (either Fall OR Spring starts) who will receive a departmentally-sponsored stipend. This loan is a one-time, no-interest, four-month loan and must be requested through the student's department prior to September 15 or January 15. The loan is made available to assist with transition cost and may not exceed 75% of the student's monthly gross stipend (exclusive of tuition). The loan amount plus a $25 processing fee will be deducted from the student’s monthly pay in four (4) equal installments beginning with the first pay in September or January (depending on Fall or Spring semester start) and each following monthly pay during October, November and December OR February, March and April. To apply, complete a Transition Loan form. 

Emergency Loans

Emergency Student Loan service is made available through the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. The Emergency Student Loan is an interest-free; emergency based loan repayable within 30 days. Loans are available to enrolled students for academic supplies, medication, food or other unforeseeable circumstances. Students may apply for loans by stopping by the Student Affairs office or by calling 412-268-2075.

E-Bills

E-Bills (student account invoices) are produced on the last day of each month. Students will receive an e-mail notification from the Student Accounts Office when a new E-Bill has been produced and is ready for viewing on Student Information Online. Payments for any new charges are due on the 15^th of the next calendar month.

Student Information Online (SIO)

Students can log onto Student Information Online (SIO) using their Andrew ID and password to view up-to-date student account information, sign up for online banking, provide authorization for their E-Bill to be e-mailed to a third party, and more.

Student Financial Obligations

Students are responsible for ensuring that all payments are made to the university by the due date shown on their E-Bill. Amounts not paid by the stated due date are subject to a monthly penalty charge equal to 1.5% of the past due balance.  Penalty charges will continue to accrue each month until the balance is paid in full. View more information about Student Financial Obligations.

Most departmentally sponsored students should expect that their department is in close communication with the Student Accounts Office regarding their sponsorship. If you have received a penalty fee and are expecting support from your department, please contact your department to ensure communication with the Student Accounts Office has occurred.

Externally sponsored students who complete the sponsor billing process by August 15 will not be assessed penalty charges. 

Tuition Payment Plan

Some graduate students take advantage of the Carnegie Mellon Tuition Payment Plan administered by Tuition Management Systems (TMS). The payment plan gives students the ability to pay amounts due to the university in convenient monthly installments. If a monthly payment plan is set up through TMS, contracted amounts will be credited to the appropriate semester invoice so the student's bill reflects any additional amount due. Learn more about the Tuition Payment Plan.

Students setting up a payment plan after the start of the 10-month plan on July 1 are responsible for making all payments for charges they accrued before they may enroll in a TMS plan.  Student accounts are credited with the full budget amount of the TMS plan with the understanding that students will continue to send their monthly payments to TMS directly to satisfy their budget plan amount. Students should review their Student Account Activity and Student Account Invoices on Student Information Online for accurate account information.

Departmentally Supported Students

Departmentally supported students will receive monthly E-Bill statements even if they are supported by a department. Students are responsible for paying any charges/fees that appear on their E-Bill and are NOT supported by their department by the date on the invoice. All students will be held responsible for any penalty fees assessed to their accounts. More detailed information is available in the Billing & Payments section of The HUB website.

Externally Supported Students

Sponsors are outside parties, such as embassies, companies, and community agencies, who pay Carnegie Mellon directly for a student’s educational expenses upon receipt of an invoice, with funds that did not originate with the student. Sponsored students should ensure that fees/charges that are NOT supported by outside parties are paid by the stated due date on the invoice. All students will be held responsible for any penalty fees assessed to their accounts. View more information about Sponsor & Third-Party Billing.

Refunds

Refunds can only be initiated by the Student Accounts Office. If a student is enrolled in Online Banking and has selected the electronic refund option, the refund will be automatically deposited to the designated bank account within three business days. Otherwise, students are notified via email after a refund check is generated and available for pick up at The HUB. Learn more about enrolling in Online Banking on The HUB website. 

During the fall and spring semesters, Student Accounts automatically generates refund checks to enrolled students when their student account indicates a credit balance greater than $20. However, when the student's credit balance results from one of the following transactions, an individual review of the student's account is done before a refund is released:

• Receipt of employee remission of tuition or payroll deduction
• Sponsorship from a third party

Disbursements

Loan disbursement dates can be found on the Financial Aid website.

Payroll

Most stipends and fellowships (with the exception of Tepper School) are processed via the CMU Payroll Services office.   Students with stipends or fellowships will visit the Payroll Services office in person to present required documents and complete an I-9 form regarding level of tax withholding. View Frequently Asked Questions regarding payroll. 

Payroll information and payment is disseminated electronically at CMU. For graduate students receiving stipends from an academic department, most stipends are not processed until late September in the Fall term and January in the Spring term. Students cannot rely on earnings for set-up costs such as groceries, rent and/or security deposits upon arrival.  

Students are encouraged to sign up for iPay, which is a secure online service where payment records and tax documents, including statements and W-2 forms, can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Registering for iPay is quick and easy.

Taxation

U.S. and foreign graduate students should be aware of federal, state and local taxes that may be withheld from the graduate student paycheck. Taxes which are withheld will deduct from the gross amount of the payment on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, effectively reducing the amount of "take home pay" in each paycheck. Students should plan accordingly. 

Taxation is complex and will vary according to (1) the type of payment received, (2) residency status in the state (Pennsylvania for most), (3) nationality (tax treaties may apply to some foreign students), and (4) other factors (such as marriage status and/or dependants).  Therefore, it is not possible to provide blanket information that will apply to all students.      

To become informed, reference helpful websites for the main taxation agencies:

• IRS (US Internal Revenue Service)
• State of PA Dept of Revenue for Individuals
• City of Pittsburgh Dept of Revenue

The CMU Finance Division provides some guidance regarding non-qualified scholarships.

Students should log on monthly to view their electronic pay stubs and be familiar with the amount and type of taxes that are withheld.  Questions about withholding may be directed to Payroll Services. 

In January, CMU Payroll Services (and all U.S. businesses) will mail a W-2 form which outlines the payment totals, taxes withheld and other deductions that occurred in the previous calendar year.

Foreign students should investigate and understand tax treaty implications and use services provided by the Office of International Education (OIE) in March and April of each year. Payroll Services also offers information for non-resident employees (i.e. foreign students).

U.S. Taxation Terms & Definitions

Wikipedia provides some good information including definitions on income, sales and property tax.

Living Arrangements

Although graduate housing is not provided by Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh has a variety of affordable housing options, friendly neighborhoods, and easily accessible public transportation. The Graduate Education Office provides links to assist students, who are seeking housing in the communities surrounding the university. Links to transportation and dining information are also provided for students who choose to take advantage of the various options available.

Start-Up Living Expenses Upon Arrival

Generally speaking, graduate students should arrive with enough money to cover all living expenses for the first two or three months - even if receiving a departmental stipend. Start-up living costs may include, but are not limited to, rent and security deposit (usually one or two months of rent), furniture, bedding and kitchen supplies, groceries and toiletries, rent insurance, school supplies, computer and textbooks, etc.  These items will easily cost several thousand U.S. dollars. Students should plan to pay for these start up expenses from personal resources without support from the university.

All Enrollment Services forms for various policies and procedures (Leave of Absence, Withdrawal, Change of Name, Transcript Request, etc.) are located within one convenient location. If you can't find a form or document that you're looking for, contact The HUB.