If you are a PhD student with a child or children, we know that you have additional expenses. We want you and your children to thrive while you are at Yale and are pleased to provide an additional financial subsidy to assist you with family expenses. The subsidy is disbursed differently depending on the type of insurance coverage you elect.
- An annual subsidy of $7,500 per year is available to full-time registered PhD students with a child under the age of 18 (applied automatically to pay for spousal health coverage if a student elects the Family Plan at Yale Health).
- An annual subsidy of $2,500 per child is available for each additional child under the age of six.
A New Birth or Adoption
If your child is born or adopted after the start of the term, you will receive a pro-rated subsidy for that semester. Submit the Midterm Birth/Adoption Event Form as soon as possible to qualify. This form is to be used only for new birth/adoption events that occur in during the term.
Adopted children under the age of 18 are eligible for the support. When a student first requests GSAS Family Support for an adopted child, a copy of paperwork demonstrating that a legal adoption has been finalized must be submitted. If the final documentation is not in English, an English translation must also be submitted.
Please note, a new birth or adoption may also qualify you for the Parental Relief Policy. This policy stops your academic clock, offering you one fully-funded extra term in graduate school per child. See the policy for more details.
Yale Health for PhD Students with Children
Ph.D. students receive a health fellowship that covers the cost of Yale Health coverage for themselves and their children. If you have a child or children under the age of 18, you may enroll them in Yale Health at no cost to you, and the Graduate School will also provide you with a family support subsidy to meet other family needs and expenses. If you elect Family Plan coverage at Yale Health, your subsidy will first be applied automatically to pay for spousal health coverage. You will receive the remainder of the subsidy as a lump sum once per term and can use the funds for other family expenses. Please find the support application form and deadlines below.
- If you elect to enroll your spouse in the Yale Health Family Plan, the family subsidy will first be automatically applied to cover the spousal portion of your insurance premium. You will receive the remainder of the subsidy as a lump sum once per term and can use the funds to cover other family needs and expenses.
- If you choose not to enroll a spouse at Yale Health, or if you have elected to waive Yale Health coverage for your family, you will receive half of the family subsidy ($3,750) in a lump sum once per term. You may use the money to cover childcare expenses or any other family needs you may have.
- For each additional child under the age of six, you will also receive $1,250 per term.
All full-time registered PhD students with children under the age of 18 are eligible to apply for the family subsidy. There is no means testing, so you do not need to submit any financial documents to us, nor are you subject to income threshold limitations. There is only one family subsidy available per family, so if two PhD students are the parents of a child or children together, only one student should apply for the family subsidy.
Enrollment and Disbursement
You MUST enroll each term to qualify for the subsidy. The PhD Student Family Support Enrollment form is available online during the enrollment period.
The enrollment periods for the AY 2023-24 Family Subsidy are:
- Fall Term: September 1– September 30
- Subsidy paid on October 15
- Spring Term: February 1 – February 12
- Subsidy paid on February 29
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I qualify for PhD Student Family Support?
A. If you are a full-time registered PhD student with a child (or children) up to the age of 18, you qualify for this subsidy.
Q. When and how do I sign up for the PhD Student Family Support subsidy?
A. The Graduate School will email a Family Support enrollment form to you before the start of each term, generally in August for the Fall term and in December for the Spring term. You must complete the enrollment form each term you are eligible to receive this subsidy.
Q. If I choose the Family Plan with Yale Health and include my spouse, how does that affect my PhD Student Family Support subsidy?
A. We provide full health care coverage for you and your child or children as part of your health fellowship. Adding your spouse to the Yale Health Family Plan will cost extra. Your Family Support subsidy will be automatically applied to cover your spouse’s health insurance premium.
Q. How do I change my Yale Health Plan coverage, and when will the change take effect?
A. All Yale Health Plan changes can be made with the Yale Health Member Services team who can give an estimate on the amount of time the change will take effect. You can view your status on your Yale Hub page.
Q. Both my spouse and I are PhD students at Yale, and we have a child. Do we each get the $7,500 Family Support subsidy?
A. The subsidy is one per family, not one per PhD student so you will receive $7,500 per year if you have a child who is not yet 18. If you have more than one child, you will also receive an additional $2,500 ($1,250 per term) per additional child under the age of six.
Q. My spouse and I are currently covered under Yale Health. My spouse also has access to other health coverage. If my spouse leaves Yale Health and signs up for the other health coverage, how does that change my subsidy?
A. If your spouse leaves Yale Health, you will receive the subsidy as a lump sum stipend payment each term.
Q. If I take my family off Yale Health coverage in the middle of the semester, can I receive a pro-rated amount of the $3,750 per term?
A. The Family Support subsidy is available to PhD students with a child up to the age of 18 whether they enroll at Yale Health or not. Midterm changes like births or adoptions are pro-rated on a case-by-case basis.
Q. I currently insure my children and spouse at Yale Health. Will I receive the subsidy?
A. Yes. Your subsidy will be applied automatically to pay for your spouse’s health insurance premium.
Q. I am a PhD student, and my spouse works but receives no benefits through his/her employer. If I want to enroll him/her at Yale Health, do I qualify for PhD Student Family Support?
A. The Family Support subsidy is based on your having a child or children under the age of 18. If you have a child and want spousal coverage at Yale Health, your family support subsidy will be applied to your student account to cover the cost of your spouse’s health insurance premium.
Q. Where can I get information on alternative forms of coverage for my spouse outside of Yale Health that may cost less than $7,500?
Q. What happens if my child is born or adopted in the middle of the term?
A. We will pro-rate the PhD Student Family Support subsidy for a birth or adoption. If you have a birth or adoption after the initial enrollment period for the term, please submit the midterm enrollment form.
Q. How is the PhD Student Family Support subsidy treated for tax purposes?
A: The tax treatment of these payments is same as that of your Graduate School stipend. For more information, please see Tax Information.
Questions?
For more information, you may contact the Graduate Financial Aid Office by email gradfinaid@yale.edu.
PhD Health & Family Support Chart 2023-24 (Academic Year)
PhD Health & Family Support Chart 2023-24 (Academic Term)
