Tax Information for Fellows

Fellowship and award recipients must pay tax on fellowship stipends.  Fellowship stipends can cover living and general expenses, although certain educational expenses may be eligible for deduction.   Amounts awarded in payment of tuition are not taxable for fellows. Taxes are not withheld from stipends disbursed through student financial aid, so students may choose to file an estimated tax payment.

• For domestic students, stipends are disbursed through the Office of Student Financial Services and Cashiering. Taxes are not withheld.  Access your student account at billpay.umd.edu.
• For international students who have been in the U.S. for less than 5 years, stipends are disbursed through the University Human Resources payroll system. Taxes will be automatically withheld. To apply for a tax refund, students must file a federal and state tax return for the year in which the fellowship was received.

Please refer to the Internal Revenue Service Publication 970, Benefits for Education, for more information regarding the tax status of fellowship and scholarship stipends. Students may also call 1-800-829-1040 or visit www.irs.gov.

Tax Preparation Assistance

Each year, the Graduate School provides free assistance with preparing tax returns to all UMD graduate students. During March and early April, students can schedule a time to consult with Terptax.org.  

International graduate students may have access to other resources on the International Student and Scholars Services website.