If you receive a grant offer and are still waiting to hear back from other options, you will need to make a tough decision. If you are unwilling to withdraw from other possibilities, you should not formally accept the offer. We strongly advise that should this situation arise, you should meet with the staff member who oversees the grant you've been offered to discuss their options.

Yes! You need to understand if your research project requires approval by one of the committees on campus that oversees research involving human subjects, animals and/or biohazards.

Talk with your research supervisor to determine if: approval is already in place for their ongoing research, or you’ll need to submit an application to the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

Briefly: A project requires IRB review if it meets the definition of research, and involves an interaction or intervention with human subjects and/or their private identifiable information. Detailed information is available here. IACUC review is required if the subject of your research is a vertebrate animal. IBC review is required for research utilizing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, biological materials (e.g., infectious agents) and other potentially hazardous agents (e.g., carcinogens).

Please reach out to to Jena Fioravanti , in the Office of Research Integrity and Engagement, with any questions.

Yes, you can apply for summer housing through OSE; please see their website for dates, costs, and details. If your opportunity requires you to be in-person and you plan on exclusively living on-campus, make sure to coordinate your opportunity's start/end dates with the summer housing dates.

All of the offices/departments that administer summer stipends are part of The Beyond the Classroom (BTC) advisory committee. The BTC consists of Swarthmore College staff members who manage and support these high-impact learning experiences. We work together to try to coordinate, streamline and standardize aspects related to summer opportunities whenever possible–timelines, application platforms, awarding processes, etc.

Students must agree to summer maximum stipend/earning rules

$6000 is the maximum in stipends a student can receive in a given summer Students cannot work in a JobX position while under the stipend, and vice versa. Per SEO's policy: "Please note that a student may not work in an hourly position and a stipend summer position concurrently. However, a student may work before and after the dates of their formal 8 or 10-week summer project or internship. This must be clearly documented in an email to the student so there is a formal agreement and understanding; as well as a record of the dates the student is employed in both positions." See next FAQ for more info on JobX.

You are highly encouraged to apply for as many opportunities as possible to increase your chances. We want you to have choices! However, in a given summer, the stipend limit is $6000 per student for up to ten weeks of a full-time experience. If you are offered more than one opportunity, you will need to decide which award to accept and cede all other awards.

US Citizens/Resident Aliens/DACA Students

• Please note that students who are United States citizens, Resident Aliens or have current DACA status will not have taxes withheld from the payment (nor will it be reported to the IRS); however, the IRS considers this payment income to the recipient. When filing your tax return, you must report the amount of this payment as income. If you file a FAFSA for financial aid, the payment must also be included as part of your gross income.​​​​​​

International Students (who are classified as non-resident aliens)

• The regulations regarding federal tax withholding and reporting are different for international students who are classified as non-resident aliens for income tax purposes. This income will be reported to the IRS as income to the recipient. As a result, if you are not a United States citizen, you will need to contact Joseph Cataldi in the Business Office (jcatald1@swarthmore.edu) to learn how you will be affected. Be advised that your funds will not be released until this step has been completed

THE COLLEGE CANNOT OFFER ANY TAX ADVICE TO YOU RELATING TO THIS PAYMENT. IT IS RECOMMENDED, HOWEVER, THAT YOU KEEP CAREFUL RECORDS AND (SINCE INDIVIDUAL TAX LIABILITY DEPENDS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL’S CIRCUMSTANCES) YOU SHOULD CONTACT A PERSONAL TAX ADVISOR WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.

Yes! Please follow the instructions from the office that administers your stipend. In most cases, you will be asked to complete an online exit survey. We take your feedback very seriously, so please take some time to share your experiences and thoughts!

Summer Stipends: up to $6000 per summer per student; listed on this site.

JobX: paid at the student hourly wage for varied number of hours worked; listed on JobX. Typical examples include summer roles at: ITS, Libraries, and Admissions . The Student Employment Office oversees and administers these positions.

NOTE: Students cannot work in a JobX position while under the stipend, and vice versa. Per SEO's policy: "Please note that a student may not work in an hourly position and a stipend summer position concurrently. However, a student may work before and after the dates of their formal 8 or 10-week summer project or internship. This must be clearly documented in an email to the student so there is a formal agreement and understanding; as well as a record of the dates the student is employed in both positions." See next FAQ for more info on JobX.

Yes!
For domestic travel, please refer to the College's COVID-19 information website for any relevant updates. The office that provides your funding will also keep you informed of any relevant policies you need to be aware of.

For international travel, the current College policy is that all members of the College community (including students), who intend to travel internationally with College funding, must seek approval from the International Travel Risk Management Committee. Flights should not be purchased and other funds expended, without this permission. Proposals for travel should be submitted minimally one month prior to the intended travel.

NEBO (non-employment based opportunity) are funded by the College that primarily benefits the student, is student-led and has no benefit to the College. To see if you qualify for a NEBO-eligible opportunity, please refer to Swarthmore's Policy on Experiential Learning Opportunities or the International Student Center (Lesley Reyes Pina).