Graduate Assistant Taxation Hardship Grant

This message was sent to UIC graduate students on Monday, March 14th.

To all UIC Graduate Students

As you may have heard, federal law requires the university to withhold taxes on the value of tuition and fee waivers in excess of $5,250 per year from the salary of graduate assistants who are neither teaching assistants nor research assistants. We are concerned that some students may suffer undue hardship because of this withholding.

The UIC Graduate College, and its faculty, all former graduate students themselves, understand the financial challenges that students face. I therefore want to let you know that an emergency grant program will be made available to help graduate students here at UIC who may experience an unexpected financial hardship, including as a result of the taxation of tuition and service fee waivers.

While the Graduate College at the Urbana-Champaign Campus has an existing emergency hardship grant program which can be used to address this problem, we here at the UIC Graduate College have not had such a program in place. A lot of effort has taken place over the past several days in putting this program together. Because of the start-up work needed to create the infrastructure, many of the details are still being thoroughly and expertly evaluated. We understand the urgent nature and critical importance of getting a process in place as soon as possible. I want to assure you that this is my top priority.

Another more detailed announcement regarding specific program information will be forthcoming in the next day or two. An FAQ document and detailed information will also be posted on the UIC Graduate College website as soon as available, but no later than Friday.

Sincerely,
Henri Gillet

Professor of Mathematics and Interim Dean, Graduate College