Graduate School Fee Match Guidelines

A. Pre-Approval Request

1. Required Materials for Competitive Training and External Research Grants
   1. Letter from the Dean or Associate Dean of Graduate Studies with a statement of support and level of priority for the program and college.  This letter must also contain a clear and explicit statement summarizing the fee match request (e.g., 2 students x 3 semesters/year x 2 years = 12 semesters total fee match support requested). 
      1. Given the limited availability of Graduate School funds to support cost share requests, college deans should only recommend their highest priority cost share proposals to the Graduate School. The letter must explain why the proposal is of highest priority and how the Graduate School’s match, in addition to matches from the college and other units, will enhance the competitiveness of the proposal. 
   2. Official grant announcement (Request for Proposals-RFP), along with the exact page and quote stating that tuition and fees are prohibited expenses on the grant.
      1. Tuition and fees as a prohibited expense must be confirmed in writing from official notice (on official letterhead) from the agency such as in the Request for Proposals (RFP) or public charter of a Foundation. Materials that confirm tuition and fees are prohibited expenses must be entered into the nomination system at the time of the pre-approval request, with the page noted and the information highlighted.
      2. Additionally, the request should state if Fee Match support from the university is a characteristic evaluated by the funding agency and enhances likelihood of awarding. 
   3. Grant Budget.
      1. The grant budget must clearly show sponsor costs and all cost share requests from other University entities. 
   4. Fee Match Budget. 
      1. This is not the budget for the grant/award, although that is helpful.  The Fee Match budget must clearly display the number of years of support requested, the total number of students, and the total number of semesters requested. 
      2. The Fee Match budget should clearly state the stipend provided to supported students, as well as cost of program-specific tuition and fees for the student’s program of study. 
      3. For cost share requests, the Fee Match budget must show the sources and amounts of cost share from the college and other units, if applicable. Graduate School fee matches cannot be the only source of cost share for a pre-approval request. 
2. Required Materials for Non-Service External Fellowships
   1. Letter from the Dean or Associate Dean of Graduate Studies with a statement of support and level of priority.  The letter must also contain an explicit statement regarding the length of the fellowship and the requested number of semesters of fee match support (e.g., 1 student x 2 semesters = 2 semesters total fee match support). 
   2. Official fellowship announcement/description of the fellowship program and the stipend level of the award. 
      1. If the official fellowship announcement does not include a specific statement regarding coverage of tuition and fees, a written statement from the funding agency confirming that tuition and fees are prohibited expenses on the fellowship is required.  An email from a representative of the funding agency of the fellowship is sufficient. 
      2. Additionally, the request should state if Fee Match support from the university is a characteristic evaluated by the funding agency and enhances likelihood of awarding. 
   3. Fee Match Budget. 
      1. This is not the budget for the grant/award, although that is helpful.  The Fee Match budget must clearly display the number of years of support requested, the total number of students, and the total number of semesters requested. 
      2. The Fee Match budget should clearly state the stipend provided to supported students, as well as cost of program-specific tuition and fees for the student’s program of study.
3. Submitting the Pre-Approval Request
   1. The pre-approval process allows the Graduate School to determine if it will match a potential award, in general. 
   2. Pre-approval requests are reviewed on a rolling basis but must be submitted to the Graduate School at least three weeks before the funding agency’s proposals are due.
   3. Proposals for competitive external research grants that allow tuition expenses (cost share requests) must be submitted at least four weeks before the funding agency’s proposals are due.  Additional time is needed so that the Graduate School leadership can meet with PIs and college leadership to discuss the request, if necessary. 
      1. Late pre-approval requests that are received by the Graduate School after the above deadlines in the Fee Match online system, but before the grant/award submission deadline, are not guaranteed a review.
   4. To submit a request, log in to the Graduate School Fee Match system and follow the steps for "Entering a New Pre-Approval Request" in the MTFA System Guide for Submitters.
      1. Only faculty and professional staff are permitted to submit pre-approval requests.  Students do not have access to the Fee Match system and should not submit their own pre-approval requests. 
   5. After submission of a pre-approval request, an approval workflow will be initiated.  First, the Graduate Studies Chair for the department will review, followed by a college-level approver.  Ultimately, the Graduate School will review the request, and programs will receive notification of approval or denial in the Fee Match system and via email.
4. Related Policies
   1. Graduate programs seeking a Fee Match Award should secure the Graduate School's pre-approval as early as possible, ideally when developing the external funding proposal, to ensure any delays due to additional information requested can be completed in advance of internal and external deadlines.
   2. Grants/awards that were not funded and are resubmitted will need to resubmit a pre-approval request as a new proposal through the Graduate School Fee Match system. 
      1. If the original proposal connected to the Fee Match pre-approval is not funded, this pre-approval is no longer valid, and a resubmission of the proposal requires a new pre-approval submission.
         1. Comparisons to past approvals should not be used as a guide for approval of the next pre-approval request due to the variability in availability of funding and the existing list of active requests and their priority.
         2. Communication that occurs outside of the Graduate School Fee Match system will not be official communication as it relates to the approval or denial of a request. If your program has questions about whether an agency is eligible or if the Graduate School will provide a fee match award, the process is to submit the request for a full review through the Fee Match system and to receive an official response.
         3. All communication regarding the Graduate School Fee Match program, including questions and concerns, should be directed to grad-schoolfellowships@osu.edu. 

B. Funding Verification

1. Funding Verification
   1. If the competitive external research or training grant is awarded, programs must submit a Funding Verification in the Fee Match by providing the grant and award numbers from Workday. 
   2. For non-service external fellowships, programs must submit the student’s award documentation, including the award amount and conditions, to grad-schoolfellowships@osu.edu, and submit the external fellowship comment in the Fee Match system. 
   3. Funding verification must be submitted within 12 months of the original pre-approval submission date.  After 12 months, the pre-approved award request moves to “Expired” status and will require additional steps to submit funding verification and student-specific requests at that time.  Please reach out to grad-schoolfellowships@osu.edu as soon as possible if your pre-approval has moved to Expired status and you receive notice of funding.
2. Submitting Funding Verification
   1. Funding verification requests are reviewed on a rolling basis but should be received at least two weeks in advance of the student-specific request deadline for the first requested fee match term.
   2. To submit a funding verification request, log in to the Graduate School Fee Match system and follow the steps for "Submitting Funding Verification" in the MTFA System Guide for Submitters.
   3. After submission of a funding verification request, an approval workflow will be initiated.  This will come directly to the Graduate School for review.
   4. Programs will receive notification of approval or denial in the Fee Match system. 

C. Student-Specific Request

1. Submitting a Student-Specific Request
   1. If a proposal has been pre-approved and funded, programs are responsible for submitting a student-specific request for each student to receive a fee authorization each term.
   2. Student-specific requests are reviewed on a rolling basis but should be submitted no later than each term deadline (see “Deadlines” section below).
   3. To submit a student-specific request, log in to the Graduate School Fee Match system and follow the steps for "Submitting Student-Specific Requests" in the MTFA System Guide for Submitters.
   4. After submission of a student-specific request, an approval workflow will be initiated. This will come directly to the Graduate School for review.
   5. Programs will receive notification of approval or denial in the Fee Match system. 
   6. Deadlines
      1. Student-specific requests must be submitted online by the third Monday in July (for Autumn semester), the third Monday in November (for Spring semester), and the third Monday in April (for Summer semester).  The MTFA system moves to the following term after these deadlines, and late requests will not be able to be reviewed.  Student-specific requests must be submitted for each academic term, regardless of the number of support years approved.
2. Choosing an Appointment Type
   1. Depending on the award’s requirement, students may be appointed as a Fellow, Trainee, GRA-GS Match, or N/A—External Fellow. It is the graduate program’s responsibility to determine the appropriate appointment type with the Office of Sponsored Programs, include this on the student-specific request, and ensure the student is appointed correctly.  The student’s appointment is connected to the minimum credit hours in which they must enroll, as well as how their fee authorization is applied.  The student must be appointed in Workday in the same appointment type selected in the student-specific request. 
3. External Fellows
   1. Students who receive their stipends directly from a funding agency are considered External Fellows. The process for requesting a Fee Match Award for these students is the same, but there are some administrative differences:
      1. Fee authorizations are applied manually by the Office of the University Bursar each term.
      2. External fellows do not receive the student health insurance premium subsidy.
      3. External fellows are not appointed in Workday, unless permission is obtained by the Graduate School. Programs wishing to provide a supplement to an external award should contact the Graduate School to obtain permission and instructions for how to do so.
4. Minimum Credit Hour Requirements
   1. Students receiving Graduate School Fee Match Awards must meet minimum enrollment requirements for their appointment type. 
      1. External pre-candidacy fellows must be enrolled in at least 12 graduate credit hours in Autumn and Spring terms and at least 6 graduate credit hours in Summer term.
   2. The Graduate School Fee Match Award will not be applied if the student is under enrolled.  If a fee match award is not applied due to a student’s under-enrollment, the fee match award for that term is forfeited.
5. Other Appointments
   1. Students receiving a Graduate School Fee Match Award are not permitted to hold appointments outside of the appointment associated with the pre-approval request. 
      1. For competitive external research or training grants, the student must be appointed only on the grant associated with the funding verification on the pre-approved award. 
6. Relevant Policies
   1. Funding for specific students is to be requested only after the grant/external funding proposal has been pre-approved by the Graduate School, the proposal has been approved by the funding source, and the funding verification has been approved by the Graduate School in the Fee Match system.
   2. Students should not be notified of or promised a Fee Match from the Graduate School without an approved student-specific request entered through the Graduate School Fee Match online system. 
      1. Fee matches for individual students will not be processed without submitted student-specific requests for a given term, even if the pre-approval was for a single-student award. 
         1. All communication regarding the Graduate School Fee Match program including questions and concerns should be directed to grad-schoolfellowships@osu.edu. 

D. Benefits for Fee Match Recipients

1. Tuition and Fees
   1. Students with approved student-specific requests on file, whose appointments in Workday match the student-specific request, and who are only appointed on the grant/award associated with the pre-approval, will receive a tuition and fee authorization for the requested term. 
   2. The Graduate School Fee Match award covers instructional, general, non-resident, and learning technology fees. 
   3. Students appointed as Graduate Fellows or GRA-GS Matches in Workday are eligible for the health insurance subsidy. 
      1. Students receiving external fellowship support who are not appointed in Workday or are appointed in Workday as a Graduate External Fellow are not eligible for the health insurance subsidy. 
2. Expenses and Fees Not Covered by the Fee Match
   1. Ancillary fees (including Student Activity, Recreational, Student Union, COTA, Student Legal Services) are not covered by the fee match. 
   2. Fellows are responsible for all late fees if they are the result of being under-enrolled (e.g., enrolled for less than the required number of hours as specified in the Minimum credit hour requirements [Section 11.3]) or a failure to make payment by the deadline.  Tuition and fee authorization benefits may not be refunded to the student.

E. Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match

1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program
   1. International graduate students may work through the Institute of International Education (IIE) Foreign Fulbright Academic Placement services, Amideast and Laspau, to apply to Ohio State University, and work with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, to receive an award from their home country. Each country’s awards differ, and some countries provide supplies, stipend, and tuition and fee support; these graduate student awards are not eligible for a Graduate School Fee Match if they cover the full tuition and fees. 
2. Required Monthly Stipend for Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match
   1. In the Fulbright Foreign Student programs, stipend amounts can fluctuate significantly and may not meet the minimum stipend amount required for a Graduate School Fee Match. 
      1. For Ohio State University programs to accept Fulbright Foreign Student program participants into their programs, the Graduate School recommends that the unit supplements the Fulbright stipend to meet the Graduate Associate minimum stipend. 
      2. To be eligible for a Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match award, the unit must supplement the Fulbright stipend to meet the Graduate School Fee Match minimum stipend per month. 
3. Nomination in GradAwards
   1. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match requires the program to nominate the student in the Graduate School Awards system.
   2. Required Nomination Materials
      1. Fulbright agency letter of offer to the student verifying length of the award (including renewable years) and a clearly stated monthly stipend rate paid to the student. 
      2. Written confirmation from the department’s Graduate Studies Chair confirming that the student will be supplemented by the department to meet the required monthly minimum stipend for Graduate Associates (recommended) or monthly minimum stipend for Fee Match Awards (required). 
4. Award Processing
   1. The Graduate School will review nominations and confirm all required elements are included in the packet and that the length of the nominated award aligns with the Fulbright letter.  
   2. Once confirmed and approved, the Graduate School will award the student and send the student an award letter summarizing the length and terms of the award.  
      1. The student must then accept or decline the award in the Graduate School Awards system, no later than the last Friday in July at 5:00 pm.  
      2. Once the student accepts the Fee Match in the Graduate School Awards system, the Graduate School will apply the Fee Match award beginning during the student’s first semester enrolled at Ohio State.
         1. Late acceptance of the award will result in failure to receive the Fee Match for the semester requested and will be forfeited.  
5. Length of Fulbright Foreign Student Recruitment Fee Match Award
   1. The Graduate School typically provides Fee Matches for Fulbright Foreign Student awards for the number of years and semesters officially stated in the Fulbright Agency letter of offer. 
   2. Fulbright Foreign Student Program participants that arrange to stay at Ohio State University longer than identified in the Fulbright agency letter of offer will be expected to move onto college/department/program tuition and fee support.  
6. Relevant Policies
   1. It is recommended that each college appoints a designee to manage the Fulbright Foreign Student Fee Match with the Graduate School Fellowship office for student service and communications.
   2. The Graduate School Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match award covers instructional, general, non-resident, and learning technology fees. 
      1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program participants are considered External Fellows since their funding comes directly from an external source; therefore, the fee match does NOT include coverage for student health insurance. 
      2. The Student Activities fee, Recreation fee, Student Legal Services fee, Student Union fee, and Student Health Insurance subsidy are NOT covered by the Graduate School Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match. These fees are the responsibility of the student and/or sponsoring agency.
   3. A student cannot hold any other paid appointment or employment while receiving a Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match.  If a program would like to employ the student as a GTA or GRA, doing so would remove eligibility for the Graduate School Fulbright Foreign Student Program Recruitment Fee Match.
   4. To provide a supplemental stipend to the student not in exchange for work, work with your HR representative to appoint the student as a “Graduate External Fellow” in Workday to process supplemental stipend support. If the department is supplementing the student to meet the required minimum stipend, this supplement cannot be in exchange for work on the part of the student.