Skip to main content

Paid Medical Leave and Parental Accommodations

Paid medical leave

Funded PhD and MFA students may request a paid Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) for a maximum of six months (two quarters) at 100% of the base stipend rate. Students should request the MLOA through the Dean of Students Office. If approved, the MLOA funding will be paid out as assistantship pay, and taxes will be automatically withheld from the paycheck. Students are eligible for a paid MLOA only if they were scheduled to be funded during the quarter(s) in which they are taking medical leave. If a student has only one quarter of funding remaining, then only one quarter of the medical leave will be funded. If the student is eligible for paid leave funding from an external source, such as a training grant or fellowship, that leave funding needs to be used first. If the external funding ends before the period normally covered by TGS ends, the remainder of the eligible time period will be covered by TGS. Students will typically not register for the quarters while on medical leave (Please consult with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) regarding visa status, if applicable). The two quarters of paid MLOA do not count toward the 20 quarters of guaranteed funding (for PhD students). Essentially, the funding “clock” stops during a paid MLOA and resumes when the student returns. Students are eligible for a maximum of two paid medical leave quarters within the same rolling year, and a paid MLOA cannot be extended beyond two quarters. Please direct questions regarding medical leave funding to TGS Graduate Student Funding department and questions regarding requesting an MLOA to the Dean of Students Office.

Paid parental leave

Funded PhD and MFA students may request a paid parental leave for a maximum of three months (one quarter) at 100% of the base stipend rate. Students should request a parental leave by following the process outlined here. If approved, the funding will be paid out as assistantship pay, and taxes will be automatically withheld from the paycheck. Students are eligible for a paid parental leave only if they were scheduled to be funded during the quarter in which they are taking leave. If the student is eligible for paid leave funding from an external source, such as a training grant or fellowship, that leave funding needs to be used first. If the external funding ends before the period normally covered by TGS ends, the remainder of the eligible time period will be covered by TGS. Students will typically not register for the quarter while on leave (Please consult with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) regarding visa status, if applicable). The one quarter of paid parental leave does not count toward the 20 quarters of guaranteed funding (for PhD students). Essentially, the funding “clock” stops during a paid parental leave and resumes when the student returns. Students are eligible for a maximum of one paid parental leave quarter within the same rolling year, and the leave cannot be extended into future quarters. Please direct questions regarding funding to TGS Graduate Student Funding and questions regarding requesting parental leave to TGS Student Services.