Stipends & Tuition Waivers
Once you are admitted to the BMS (both domestic and international students), you will be appointed as a Graduate Research Assistant. The current BMS stipend is $37,000 annually. In addition to the stipend, all students also receive a tuition waiver. The stipend is intended to cover living expenses. All out-of-state USA citizens and permanent residents must file for reclassification as Florida residents if they are eligible.
As a graduate student admitted as a Graduate Research Assistant, you are considered an employee of the University of Florida. As a Graduate Research Assistant you are not required to teach, although some of the senior graduate students do participate in the teaching of basic science courses to the medical students and/or graduate students in order to gain pedagogical experience. While you are a Graduate Research Assistant you are not allowed to seek and hold employment additional employment, except for Reserve or National Guard military duty.
The only part of your total package that is taxable is the money that you are actually paid. Tuition waivers are not considered taxable income. Stipends are paid biweekly as a salary.
During your first two semesters of graduate study your stipend will be paid by the College of Medicine. Beyond that your stipend will be paid from other sources, usually by your mentor’s research grant or one of several NIH training grants. Your Graduate Assistantship will be continued as long as you make satisfactory progress in your courses and research.
Health Insurance
The University of Florida offers GatorCare health insurance to Graduate Assistants. GatorCare is a program created with your health and wellness needs in mind. Designed to promote improved health care access, quality of care and employee health, GatorCare is a consolidated group health insurance plan available to eligible employee groups associated with the University of Florida and its affiliates. Graduate Assistants will pay a $12.00 monthly premium toward individual coverage through payroll deduction. The university will pay the balance of the annual premium.
- GatorGradCare plan information can be found online here: http://gatorcare.org/plans/by-employer
- General GatorCare information can be found online here: http://gatorcare.org
Fellowships & Awards
All students to whom we extend an offer of admission are also automatically considered for one of several fellowships awarded by the BMS Admissions Committee based on academic merit. These are:
Graduate School Fellowship
This is the highest fellowship award offered by the University of Florida to incoming graduate students. The College of Medicine BMS Admissions Committee is responsible for granting these fellowships. The Graduate School Fellowship includes a Graduate Research Assistant stipend for 4 years. This fellowship is being used to provide financial support for incoming students. By decreasing the cost to eventual mentors, more research laboratories will be open to accept new students for dissertation studies.
Dr. Linton E. Grinter College of Medicine Graduate School Fellowship
The BMS Admissions Committee awards these fellowships to incoming graduate students based on academic merit. Students selected for this fellowship will receive an award of $2,000 for each of their first 3 academic years in addition to their base stipend and tuition waiver. The total amount of the award is $6,000 ($2,000 per year for the first three years of graduate study).
BMS Fellowship Bonus
If you have received an individual fellowship or other support towards your stipend from an extramural source, you are eligible to receive a $1,000 per semester bonus from the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences for the duration of your award. Use this form to submit your award information. Please note T32 NIH training grants are not individual awards and are therefore not covered by this policy. This will be a fellowship that you applied for individually and is specifically awarded to you, not your mentor or a program. This cannot be a University of Florida award. It is extramural – outside of UF.