Graduate Grants

Grants offered through student organizations are funded through the General Fee, which supports extracurricular student activities and resources across campus. In addition to University purchasing and payment policies, there are a number of additional guidelines and restrictions on the use of General Fee funds. 

The following tables include expenses commonly covered by student grant programs and expenses which cannot be covered by these funds. These lists are not exhaustive. If you have questions about whether an expense is covered or about University policies related to purchasing and reimbursements, please contact grad-grants@upenn.edu. 

The following basic or universal eligibility criteria apply to all grants funded through the General Fee, which includes student group-sponsored grants listed on this page.

Students must be enrolled in a traditional degree-bearing graduate or professional degree program at the University of Pennsylvania.

• Students must be actively enrolled and in good academic standing during the period covered by the grant.
   
• Grants cannot be awarded for expenses or activities occurring in periods prior to enrollment, following graduation, or during academic terms in which a student is not registered in course or research (thesis/dissertation) credits.
   
• Students enrolled in executive-format, online, and certificate programs which do not charge the General Fee are not eligible. Visit the SRFS website for more information about student fees. 
   
• Students enrolled in post-baccalaureate programs are not eligible.
   
• Student enrolled accelerated/submatriculation degree programs who have not yet received their bachelor's degree are not eligible

Students may not receive more than $3000 total per year in combined grants, payments, and fungible items (tickets, merchandise) funded through the General Fee.

Please note: the following groups of students may have limited eligibility and are encouraged to review all program details carefully before applying.

• Part-time students whose primary University affiliation is staff or faculty
• Visiting students who are not registered or enrolled at Penn with student status (e.g., visiting scholars, etc.)
• Students enrolled in online-only or executive format programs for which the normal General Fee is not required. Information about online and executive program fees can be found here. 

The Graduate Grants Office maintains two universal application forms for Individual Research Grants and Individual Travel & Professional Grants. Applications generally remain open throughout the academic year, though the form may close periodically between cycles for minor updates or edits. Applications must be submitted during the semester/term in which the expense is incurred. Additional details below. 

Applicants should review all individual program details carefully before applying. When an application is submitted, the Graduate Grants office verifies that student enrollment and contact information is correct and meets University eligibility criteria. After an applicant's general eligibility is confirmed, their application is shared with the organization managing the program to which they applied for review. 

Individual program recommender deadlines, application review, and notification dates varying by organization and grant program. Grant processing times and disbursements will vary by person and program.

Before you apply 

While application questions and requirements will vary by grant and expense type, we recommend having the following information available before you start an application: 

• All applicants

  • Itemized Budget 

• Conference or professional meetings:
  • Conference Title
  • PDF of Conference acceptance and/or program 
  • Conference Location (City/State/Province/Country)
  • Lodging Information 
     
• Travel Information 
  • Travel dates
  • Lodging location 

Application Forms

Summer 2025 Conference & Professional Travel Grant Application

Spring 2025 Research Grant Application 

Applications must be submitted during the semester/term in which the covered activity takes place. Expenses and activities taking place across two cycles should be submitted in the later cycle.  Check application for any deadline extensions or changes.

Fall Grants

• Activity period covered:
  • August 15 - Dec 31
    or
  • May 15 - Dec 20 for grant programs without a summer cycle
• Application opens by: September 1
• Application Deadline: October 10
• Decision notifications by: Nov 15-20
• Reimbursement deadline: January 5*

* expenses for graduating students must be incurred and submitted at least 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the official end of term. Review all term dates here.  

Spring Grants

• Activity period covered: January 1 - May 15
• Application opens by: January 15
• Application Deadline: March 10
• Decision notifications by: April 15-20
• Reimbursement deadline: May 15*

* expenses for graduating students must be incurred and submitted at least 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the official end of term. Review all term dates here.  

Summer Grants**

• Activity period covered: May 15 - August 14
• Application opens by: May 1
• Application Deadline: June 10
• Decision notifications by: July 20
• Reimbursement deadline: Aug 5*

* expenses for graduating students must be incurred and submitted at least 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the official end of term. Review all term dates here.  

** The availability of summer grants varies by program and year. Additional eligibility criteria and restrictions apply. Please review all instructions and program details carefully

Please note: covered expenses will vary by program and grant. 
Review "Covered and In/Eligible Expenses" section to understand covered expense types and maximums. In particular, please be aware of the following limits: 

• Meals / per diem and local travel are not allowable expenses for individual student travel grants
• Local travel expenses are limited to first/last day of travel except where required as part of research activity. Taxi/carshare service is only covered where alternative means (e.g., public transit) are unavailable or impractical due to location or itinerary.
• Expenses may not exceed 110% of current per diem rates in the activity location. 

This sample is for illustrative purposes only. GAPSA Research Student Grants should use this itemized budget form. 

**Meals / per diem and local travel are not allowable expenses for individual student travel grants

***Local travel expenses are limited to first/last day of travel. Travel will not be reimbursed beyond the most affordable and reasonable method of travel. Expenses may not exceed 110% of current per diem rates in the activity location. 

Several graduate school governments use a portion of their student activity fee allocation to fund grants for individual travel, research, and professional development. These programs include: 

• SASGov grants: Support for SAS Graduate Division research students to pursue research and professional development  
   
• GSESG grants: Support for GSE students for conference travel and research  
   
• GAPSA Conference and Professional Travel Grants 
  Small grants to reimburse students for costs associated with travel to and participate in academic and professional conferences or meetings. 
   
• GAPSA-Provost Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Innovation
  Grants of $6,000 to support original, student-derived initiatives that integrate knowledge across diverse academic disciplines. The fellowship is also meant to help the project-leader(s) develop, pursue and complete their proposed interdisciplinary initiatives.

In accordance with University policy, all individual grants funded by the General Fee and awarded by graduate student groups must be coordinated in partnership with Graduate Grants office. This includes individual travel/research grants, service awards, and other forms of compensation or payment from allocated funds or generated by groups receiving such funds. 

This coordination includes:

• Defining appropriate purpose(s) for individual grants.
• Developing payment processes for all individual student grants.
• Developing and implementing universal applications, Award Letter text, and Payment processes.
• Changes to agreed-upon items above must be discussed with and approved by the Graduate Grants office.

Please contact grad-grants@upenn.edu with any questions or to schedule a meeting. 

Additional policies related to student payments, grants, and awards can be found on the Graduate Student Groups page and the OSA Financial Services Center webpage. Visit the Penn Division of Finance website for more details and policies related to University financial policies and operations.

Questions about the status of your application prior to (before) application deadlines or after award notification dates should be sent to grad-grants@upenn.edu

 
Questions about your application during the review process (between deadline and notification) should be sent to the student government contact for the program(s) to which you applied

Gather documentation of eligible, covered expenses specified in your award notification: 

• Only eligible, documented expenses can be reimbursed. Be sure to review the In/Eligible Expenses section above to understand what expenses are eligible for reimbursement
   
• Funds must be used for the purpose(s) specified in your award notification and your original application. If travel dates or specific needs have changed due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact the sponsoring organization to discuss whether alternate costs can be covered.
   

Required documentation includes:

• Original, itemized final receipts and invoices for covered expenses in PDF or JPG format only. All receipt(s) or invoice(s) *must* include the date of purchase, purchaser name, payment type or form (e.g., card, cash, etc.), and an itemized list of items purchased with cost.
   
  • **Please note: Reservation or booking confirmations and partial receipts without all required information will NOT not be accepted as proof of payment.
     
• A COMPLETE copy of your award notification email in PDF format. Partial screenshots and  alternate file formats cannot be accepted

As soon as you have gathered all required documents and information, you should submit an Individual Graduate Grant Reimbursement Request Form

• Reimbursement / payment requests must be submitted within 2 weeks of receiving your award letter (for past expenses) or within 30 days after incurring the covered expenses (future or ongoing expenses) and no later than the final reimbursement deadline for each cycle. 
   
  • Expenses for graduating students must be incurred and submitted at least 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the official end of term. Review all term dates here.  
     
• Grant funds will be disbursed in a one-time payment. All relevant documents should be submitted together as part of a complete reimbursement request. 
   
  • Failure to include ALL required documentation in your reimbursement request may lead to your request being delayed, denied, or only partially-reimbursed.  

Submit a Reimbursement Request

Reminders: 

• Only eligible, documented expenses can be reimbursed. Be sure to review the In/Eligible Expenses section above to understand what expenses are eligible for reimbursement
   
• Funds must be used for the purpose(s) specified in your award notification and your original application. If travel dates or specific needs have changed due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact the sponsoring organization to discuss whether alternate costs can be covered.

All grant funds are disbursed through the Penn Marketplace. In order to receive your grant, you must be registered as a payee in the Penn Marketplace by an authorized financial administrator.
 

• If you are already registered in the Penn Marketplace as a payee, no additional steps are required.
  However, we strongly encourage you to check that your payment and contact information are correct and up-to-date. 
   
• If you are not yet registered, some additional steps will be needed:
  • You will receive an email invitation to register from “The University of Pennsylvania  DONOTREPLY@sciquest.com” within approximately 3-6 days after submitting the reimbursement request form. Please be sure to check your junk/spam folder in case the email is misdirected there.
     
  • By selecting the "Register Now" button in the email, you will be routed to a secure website to complete the registration process.
     
  • After logging in, you will have access to a secure portal to enter your personal and payment details. See additional instructions here.
     
  • You must register within three business days (M-F) of receiving the email.
     
• Set up direct deposit / wire (if possible) to expedite payment.
  
  Step-by-step Marketplace Registration

Grant processing times and disbursements will vary by person and program. Please contact Penn Supplier Support with any questions about registering as a payee or the status of your payment.

If you have any questions about the grant disbursement process after reading through the guidelines above, please contact the Graduate Grants team at grad-grants@upenn.edu. If you have questions about the specific grant terms or program details, please contact the sponsoring organization or group.

Keep a look out for emails from “University of Pennsylvania, ISC via Smartsheet automation@app.smartsheet.com” with important updates and requests related to processing the grant. 

You should receive automated emails as your request moves through stages of the review and payment process. An overview of the grant reimbursement process, including timeline, is provided in the "Process & Payment Timeline" section on this page. 

• Funds must be used for the purpose(s) specified in your award notification and your original application. If travel dates or specific needs have changed due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact the sponsoring organization to discuss whether alternate costs can be covered.
   
• Reimbursement / payment requests must be submitted within 2 weeks of receiving your award letter (for past expenses) or within 30 days of incurring the covered expenses (future or ongoing expenses). 
  • Expenses for graduating students must be incurred and submitted at least 2 weeks (14 days) prior to the official end of term. Review all term dates here.  
     
• You must provide original, itemized receipts and invoices for covered expenses. All receipt(s) or invoice(s) *must* include the date, purchaser name, and an itemized list of items purchased with cost.
   
• All University grants and awards to individuals may be considered taxable income by the government.
  You are responsible for reporting the grant income and paying any applicable taxes. Depending on your tax status, taxes may be withheld prior to the grant disbursement. Such taxes may be refunded when students file annual taxes with the IRS. The SFS website provides additional information regarding withholding taxes on grants and aid for non-U.S. citizens.

Students who intentionally or knowingly violate any of the terms above or provide false or misleading information may be charged the amount of awarded funds and/or may be subject to disciplinary action through the Center for Community Standards and Accountability.

The process of approving and disbursing grant payments involves a number of steps completed across several offices. More information and timing for these steps are included below. 

• Review & Registration  
  • Staff in the Graduate Grants office will request student payee accounts for new grantees with Penn Marketplace. The registration process is managed by Penn Procurement and requires timely response and completion by the student. 
     
  • Once you are registered in Penn Marketplace and have submitted all required documentation, the Graduate Grants office will determine an approved award amount based on your award letter, submitted documentation, and relevant University policies, including eligible expenses and payment maximums for this type of grant. 
     
  • Typically, it takes up to one week to review and approve a payment for registered Penn Marketplace users. Additional time is needed for grantees who submit incomplete documentation or inaccurate information. 
     
• Payment Initiation 
  • Once an approved payment amount has been determined, the Grad Grants team will initiate a payment in Penn Marketplace.
     
  • You should receive an automated email from Smartsheet when your payment has been initiated in the Penn Marketplace. This email will include the approved payment amount, as well as important tax and contact information. 
     
  • Once your payment has been initiated, you can check the status of your payment by going to: https://solutions.sciquest.com/apps/Router/SupplierLogin?CustOrg=UPenn
     
• Budgetary and Finance Approval
  • Depending on your grant type and student status, the payment will be reviewed and approved by a financial administrator in your school or the Provost's Office. 
  • This step typically takes only 1-3 days, but can take longer during busier times of the fiscal year. 
     
• Payment Authorization and Disbursement 
  • Final authorization of payments is processed by Penn's Accounts Payable / Procurement department.
  • If you have set up electronic payments, your funds will be deposited into the account you registered. Otherwise, a paper check will be mailed to the address you listed in the Marketplace system.
  • The time from payment initiation to disbursement can take two (2) or more weeks during busier times of the year. 

Grant processing times and disbursements will vary by person and program. Once a payment has been initiated, students should contact Penn Supplier Support with any questions about the status of their payment.

Good to know: Penn student governments award around 300-500 grants each cycle. When multiple organizations issue awards close to the end of the semester/term, it can cause additional delays at each stage of the payment process due to heightened financial processing activity at the end of each term. Offices appreciate your patience and will contact you with any issues -- please do not contact offices for updates on your request or payment status, as this only further slows processing times.