Grad School Help Desk Newsletter

December 2022

“It seems like everything sleeps in winter, but it's really a time of renewal and reflection.”

Elizabeth Camden

De-Stress Fest with Counseling and Psychological Services

Thursday, December 1, through Wednesday, December 7

Welcome to winter! This is the time of year that can feel particularly stressful for students. The end of the semester is near, but there is often an overwhelming amount of things to do between now and winter break. De-Stress Fest starts on December 1^st. De-Stress Fest is an awesome way to treat yourself to a free massage, visit with amazing dogs (and maybe a cat!) through “paws to de-stress,” and many other activities (including how to manage test anxiety).

To see the full De-Stress Fest schedule, click here.

Friday, Dec. 2: Last day for master's/doctoral comp exam and thesis/dissertation defense if planning to graduate Fall 2022.

Friday, Dec. 9: Last day for formatting approval of thesis/dissertation if planning to graduate Fall 2022.

Thursday, Dec. 15: Last day of the semester. Last day to withdraw graduation application and file for spring one-credit extension.

Friday, Dec. 16: Commencement.

See here for a full list of Graduate School Dates & Deadlines.

Apply Now for University Student Housing!

Visit our University Student Housing website to see all housing options in our inventory and to determine what might be the best fit. Be sure to submit your housing application soon for the highest possibility of receiving a housing offer for summer or fall 2023. Please call or email University Student Housing with any questions you may have – we’re here to help!

Student Health Fee and Health Care Costs

Student Health Partners (SHP) provides students who pay the fee of ~$263 per semester access to primary care and counseling and psychological services. The fee is automatically charged for students with 7 or more credits and is optional for students who are at 6 or fewer credits.

Graduate students may also purchase health care plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace in Montana. First Choice Services is the official MT navigator that can help you search and select available plans. As a very general cost estimate, a 25 year old US citizen making less than $25,000 a year could be eligible for around $350/month in subsidies. After a subsidy is applied to a Bronze level plan, the projected price to the consumer would be $0 per month up to $34 per month for a non-smoker. The projected price for a Silver level plan would be $26 per month up to $125 per month.

Act before December 15^th for coverage starting January 1^st.

www.healthcare.gov

University Nuclear Leadership Program (UNLP) Graduate Fellowship

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) today announced two new Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the University Nuclear Leadership Program (UNLP), seeking applicants for undergraduate scholarships and graduate-level fellowships in nuclear energy-related fields.

The UNLP Graduate Fellowship provides $169,000 over three years to support graduate research and supports a summer internship at a DOE national laboratory or approved facility.

Student applications are due on January 11, 2023 and must be submitted using the online submittal system found at neup.gov. NE intends to notify award recipients in Spring 2023.

FY 2022 Fellowship RFA

Submit an Application

Identify scholarships and research funding for your graduate education!

The MSU Graduate School maintains a Funding & Fellowships webpage listing various ways you may find funding throughout your time at MSU.

The University of Illinois has an excellent Fellowship Finder featuring awards that are open to grad students from any university. It features several filters to aid your search.

The National Research Council postdoctoral program Is used by federal agencies across the country to support postdoc searches. This is a great place to look when you are close to finishing your PhD and the salaries are quite good. Quarterly application deadlines.

For more funding opportunities, visit MSU’s Research Funding Opportunities and the MSU Graduate School's Funding and Fellowships webpage.

Professional Development: GradCat 360

GradCat 360 is a comprehensive professional development program for graduate students at Montana State University. It is a series of programs and events designed by the Graduate School and departments across campus that center around nine focus areas. These areas are tailored to help students cultivate a unified set of skills and knowledge for educational success and professional preparation.

Check out our GradCat 360 Event Calendar, specifically curated for Graduate Students. We are constantly updating the GradCat 360 calendar with workshops and events that are uniquely useful for Graduate Students.

MSU Writing Center

The MSU Writing Center offers ongoing support to students working on graduate-level writing.