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Graduate Student Support Plan

The Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP) is a competitive package used to attract top students at NC State University. Graduate students who meet the GSSP eligibility criteria receive Graduate Student Health Insurance and standard tuition support (for a limited number of semesters) for Fall and Spring semesters.

Take a sneak peek into the Graduate Student Support Plan (PDF)

GSSP Benefits

Graduate Students who meet the eligibility criteria will receive the following benefits at no cost to the student:

  • Graduate Student Health Insurance
  • Standard Tuition for Fall and Spring semesters for a defined number of semesters; Premium Tuition and Student Fees are not covered by GSSP

Students can check their GSSP status and if GSSP benefits are applied to their account in MyPack portal after initial billing for the semester. See instructions on how to check your GSSP status here.

GSSP Eligibility

Graduate Students must meet the following three eligibility requirements in order to receive GSSP Benefits – health insurance and standard tuition support (for a limited number of semesters):

ASSISTANTSHIP/
FELLOWSHIP TYPE
DEGREEMINIMUM STIPENDAPPT. DURATION
(TO RECEIVE BENEFITS)
APPT. DURATION
(To Receive Full Tuition Benefits)
Teaching Assistantship
Research Assistantship
Teaching/Research Assistantship
Extension Assistantship
Master’s


Doctoral
Annual – $10,000


Annual – $15,000
– Appt. must begin on or before the Census Date*
– Appt. must extend beyond 30 days from first day of Classes
– Appt. must last until November 30 (for Fall) and April 30 (for Spring) in order to receive full tuition benefit.
– If appt. is terminated prior to those dates, the tuition support will be prorated according to that early GA appt. end date
Primary FellowshipMaster’s




Doctoral
Annual -$10,000
Semester – $3,750

Annual -$15,000
Semester – $5,625
– Fellowship must begin on or before the Census Date*
– Expected to last the duration of the semester
-Not applicable to fellowships external to the university
* Census Date is the official enrollment date for the semester. It is the last day to add a course without permission of instructor. Last day for tuition refunds due to dropping a course or changing from credit to audit. Last day for ALL students to drop a course without a W grade

Typically Graduate Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 credit hours during a semester to be considered a full-time student. However, once the student has completed the required minimum credits for the degree program, students can register for fewer hours to be considered full-time. Refer to Graduate Student Handbook Section 3.14 B for requirements for Full Time Registration. The following table provides additional details regarding minimum credit hours for full-time status:

DegreeMinimum Required
Credits for Degree
Minimum Hours
Completed
Required Hours per
semester
for Full-Time
Thesis Master’s30 hours No9 hours
Thesis Master’s30 hoursYes3 – 8 hours
Non-Thesis Master’s30 hours9 hours
Thesis Doctoral72 hoursNo9 hours
Thesis Doctoral72 hoursYes3 – 8 hours
If a student falls below full time for any reason, the full tuition award will be forfeited.

Graduate Students must be enrolled in an on-campus Master’s or Doctoral program only. Distance Education and Graduate Certificate Programs do not qualify for the GSSP Benefits. Students should refer to their Admissions letter or the MyPack Portal to confirm if their degree program is designated as “Distance Education”.

Health Insurance Waiver

Students who have alternate health insurance and do not wish to participate in the GSHI plan must take action to waive coverage.

Alyssa McNamara

GSSP Contacts

Savita Sharma

Assistant Dean for Operations, Fiscal Affairs, and IT

Dare Cook

Graduate Student Support Plan Manager

For additional details, please email us at: gradschool-gssp@ncsu.edu (departments can use this to contact the Graduate School for any GSSP information).