Overview
All CMB students receive a yearly stipend, tuition remission, and UW Graduate Student health insurance benefits. New stipend rates go into effect on July 1 of each 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 $36,000 for the 2024-25 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.
- For non-dissertators (students who have not completed their prelim exam), the 2024-2025 rate is $798.31 for fall and spring semesters, and about $390.37 for Summer 2025 (numbers have not been released yet).
- After students receive dissertator status, the overall rate decreases. For 2024-2025 the dissertator segregated fee rate is $327.46 for fall and spring and about $292.11 for summer (numbers have not been release yet)
- 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:
- Each semester, international students must pay a $100 international services fee.
Registrar Office Document Fee:
- New students will be charged a one-time Registrar Office Document Fee during their first semester of $130.
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:
- Each semester, international students must pay an 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:
- Each semester, international students must pay an 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 (2024 average rates) are $672/year ($56/month) for a single plan or $1,662/year ($138.50/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
- If your online benefits enrollment is completed 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
- For Health Insurance questions, please reach out to the HR contact listed on the CMB Staff Page.
Taxes
See the New Student Information page (under “Funding and Financial Resources”) for information on taxes.
Parental Leave Policy
UW–Madison is implementing a new Paid Parental Leave policy effective July 1, 2024. This policy reflects our commitment to supporting the well-being of employees and their families at an important time in their lives. Click here for more details on the policy.