Fees and finances

Thanks to amazing efforts from the RA and TA unions, the Graduate Student fees for employees are much more reasonable. However, Master's students who are not employees should be aware that they will need to pay about $900-$1000 per semester in mandatory student fees (more for international students, depending on nationality). More information on the fees, including a breakdown of the different fees, is available at the SBU Broad-based Fees webpage. These fees can be split into several payments throughout the semester. Please note that these dates may vary depending on the semester. Check SOLAR for the most up-to-date information. Ph.D. students will still have about $50 (for domestic students) or $120 (for international students) in fees that they will need to pay each semester. Additionally, there is a fee of about $100 due early in the summer for students who plan to utilize the student health clinic on campus. You may be able to opt out of this fee.

If at any point your expenses are too great, the Stony Brook Graduate Student Organization (GSO) offers multiple forms of financial assistance, including emergency loans and recreational reimbursement for such things as concerts, cultural events, etc. Also note that members of the Graduate Student Employee Union (GSEU) living off campus may have their Transportation Fee waived by the union.

If you will be a Teaching Assistant (TA), you should be aware that you are paid over two-week pay periods, at the end of the following pay period. That is, you may not be paid until up to four weeks after you start. Do not be afraid to take out an emergency loan from the GSO or to ask to borrow from someone around you.

If you intend to get an off-campus apartment, you will probably need to pay two or three months' worth of rent when you sign the lease: the first month's rent plus a security deposit plus a broker's fee. Sadly, Long Island is one of the only regions in the United States where landlords (or the people who show you a property) will ask for the equivalent of one month's rent. You can expect to pay this fee when you first move into a place. But landlords do not typically ask for a broker's fee each time a tenant resigns a lease.