Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program

Financial/Health Insurance

Overview

All CMB students receive a yearly stipend, tuition remission, and UW Graduate Student health insurance benefits. The stipend rate is set each year in July for the upcoming year. Any student receiving a fellowship or training grant less than the current CMB stipend rate is required to be supplemented to reach the current CMB stipend rate.

Financial Support: First-Year Students

Stipend:

  • All CMB students are awarded a gross, pre-tax stipend of $33,000 for the 2023-24 academic year.
  • CMB increases the stipend by 2.5% annually and students can assume they will receive this increase each year.
  • Upon registering as a full-time student and completing all necessary CMB benefits information, incoming students will receive a $1,500 relocation allowance
  • New students will receive their first paycheck for the first two weeks in the program around the third week of September. After that, students will receive paychecks on a biweekly schedule.
  • Direct Admit students, see the Direct Admit Students section of the CMB Handbook

Tuition:

  • Tuition is remitted, students should not receive a tuition bill
  • If a student receives a tuition bill, they should contact the HR coordinator for their lab as soon as possible.

Segregated Fees:

  • Each semester, students with a Research Assistant title will need to pay segregated fees
  • Segregated fees cover the cost of the University Health Services, bus passes, use of the Wisconsin Unions, etc.
  • This is a UW-Madison mandatory fee paid each semester
  • See the Bursar’s Office Segregated Fee Information and Tuition Rates webpages (select Dissertator  or Graduate from the drop-down menu and see the last column for segregated fee rates) for the exact amount of segregated fees to be paid each semester. The 2023-2024 rate is $780.74 for fall, $780.74 for spring, and $380.76 for summer for students who do not yet have dissertator status (students who have not completed their prelim exam). After students receive dissertator status, the overall rate decreases (for 2023-2024 the dissertator segregated fee rate is $316.79 for fall, $316.79 for spring, and $292.11 for summer).
  • Students can check their MyUW financial account to view segregated fee charges
  • Fees can be paid online through MyUW or at the Bursar’s Office (Student Services Tower, E. Campus Mall, Rm #10501)
  • The due date for fall segregated fees is in December, and spring segregated fees are due in April. See the Bursar’s Office Graduate Assistant Payment of Segregated Fees page for more information. Please note that the due date on your bill in MyUW may display as earlier, but the extended deadline (December for fall/April for spring) automatically applies to all incoming CMB students because they all have RA appointments.
  • If this fee is not paid by the extended deadline, students will be charged a $100 non-refundable late fee (CMB is not responsible for any late fees)

International Services Fee:

Registrar Office Document Fee:

Financial Support: Research Assistants

Stipend:

  • The Thesis Advisor is fully responsible for the stipend

Tuition:

  • Remitted

Segregated Fees:

  • Research Assistants pay segregated fees at the beginning of each semester

International Services Fee:

Financial Support: Fellows/Trainees

Stipend:

  • The majority of the stipend is paid by the fellowship/training grant
  • If a fellowship/training grant funding rate is below the current CMB stipend rate, the student’s fellowship/training grant must be supplemented to bring the stipend up to the current CMB stipend rate
  • The CMB Program will supplement a fellowship/training grant stipend for first-year rotating students until they have joined a thesis lab
  • The Thesis Advisor will supplement a fellowship/training grant stipend once the student has joined a thesis lab

Tuition:

  • Remitted

Segregated Fees:

  • Paid by the fellowship/training grant

International Services Fee:

Health Insurance

  • Graduate students including research assistants, fellows, and trainees are eligible for health insurance plans offered by UW-Madison
  • In the summer, incoming rotation students will be sent benefits information with instructions and application forms
  • Single and family health care coverage is available at minimal cost. Health insurance rates (2023 average rates) are $589/year ($50/month) for a single plan or $1,440/year ($120/month) for a family plan
  • Incoming students should NOT sign up for a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
  • Benefits premiums are automatically deducted from the student’s biweekly paychecks
  • Benefits forms must be completed and returned to the CMB Office
  • If your benefits packet is submitted in time, your health insurance will begin September 1
  • Direct Admit students, see the Direct Admit Students section of the CMB Handbook
  • Information on benefits available to graduate assistants, as well as details about health insurance options can be found on the UW Human Resources website.
  • New hire benefits enrollment

Taxes

See the New Student Information page (under “Funding and Financial Resources”) for information on taxes.