Global Research & Internship Program Funding & Financial Information
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All students who are accepted to GRIP are guaranteed a GRIP funding award to help offset travel and/or internship-related expenses. Each GRIP placement has a set minimum award amount based on the cost of living and specific program costs in the given location. Budget and award details for each placement can be found on the “Money Matters” tab of each program brochure in PASSPORT.
Highly Aided students who are accepted to an on-site GRIP placement will receive a GRIP funding award of 100% of the total estimated cost of the program. This funding is provided jointly by Penn Global and Student Registration & Financial Services' Highly Aided Summer Funding. Students participating in GRIP should not submit a separate application to SRFS's Highly Aided Summer Funding program.
Please note that GRIP is a non-credit-bearing opportunity and is thus not eligible for financial aid. GRIP participants may be eligible to receive a waiver for all or part of their summer savings expectation for the upcoming academic year through the Penn Summer Waiver Award Program. Please visit the SRFS website to read more information about the program and to access the application for this summer.
GRIP funding awards are taxable. The payment of an award to a student recipient will be reported as Miscellaneous Income. For U.S. citizens, no taxes are withheld from these payments, although the University reports the payments to the IRS on form 1099-MISC. For foreign nationals, awards will be subject to a withholding of up to 30%. Information regarding a potential income tax treaty exemption from withholding will be reviewed by the tax office prior to the award disbursement.
To ensure you have a full understanding of GRIP money matters, the following information outlines the program’s funding award details and financial policies
Students who are accepted to the Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) will receive a funding award to offset program costs. Award amounts will vary by student and by program. GRIP awards are not intended to cover the full cost of the opportunity, and any costs above the award amount must be covered by the student.
GRIP awards will be disbursed to recipients via Greenphire ClinCard, a reloadable prepaid card. Students must complete all forms and requirements by the stated deadlines in order to receive their disbursement. Penn Abroad will email all GRIP participants after the commitment deadline with the link and instructions for how to use ClinCard. GRIP participants may link their ClinCard to an existing bank account and transfer their funding award into this bank account as soon as the monies are disbursed.
Students whose acceptance letter states that a program fee will be paid directly to the local provider by Penn Abroad on their behalf should note that the program fee amount will be deducted from their award prior to disbursement. Please note that for some students, their GRIP Funding Award may be equal to the program fee, in which case no additional funds would be disbursed directly to the student.
Funding for GRIP awards has been made possible by the generous contributions of donors, foundations, Student Registration & Financial Services, and the Office of the Provost.
Recipients of GRIP funding are expected to represent the University of Pennsylvania with professionalism and maturity during the full duration of their internship or research experience. GRIP funding recipients must:
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Complete the full duration of their research or internship placement as stated on the program’s PASSPORT brochure
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Behave professionally and respectfully in the workplace
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Represent the University with maturity and integrity, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity and a willingness to learn throughout the internship experience
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Complete all deliverables required by Penn Abroad, including blog posts, photo submissions, and completion of program evaluations
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Communicate any questions or concerns regarding their internship or research placement directly to Penn Abroad in a timely manner
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Report any violations of the terms of the internship or research placement to Penn Abroad immediately
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Follow all travel guidelines, policies, and restrictions set forth by Penn’s Committee on Travel Risk Assessment (CTRA) and Penn Abroad, if the program takes place on-site abroad
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Fulfill all other requirements outlined in the GRIP Commitment Contract provided to the student upon acceptance to the program.
Students who do not fulfill the expectations of GRIP may be required to return all or part of their award to Penn Abroad, as per the GRIP Financial Policies below.
Students who accept GRIP placements and awards must complete the full internship or research program and fulfill all GRIP requirements as well as the requirements of the placement. It is crucial that GRIP participants honor their commitment, as we will not be able to offer a place in the program to the many other qualified students who applied to the program.
Any committed student who withdraws prior to the start of the internship placement will be required to return 100% of the award to Penn Abroad and will also be subject to a $250 post-commitment withdrawal penalty. In addition, the student will be responsible for repaying all non-recoverable funds Penn Abroad has committed on his/her behalf. Penn Abroad will charge any such repayment, penalty, or non-recoverable expenditures to their student billing account.
Any committed GRIP student who begins the internship but withdraws prior to the agreed-upon end date will be required to return all non-recoverable funds Penn Abroad has committed on his/her behalf, plus a portion of the GRIP award, according to the following schedule:
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Completion of 3 weeks (21 calendar days) or less: Return 75% of the award
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Completion of more than 3 weeks but less than 6 weeks (22-42 calendar days): Return 50% of the award
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Completion of more than 6 weeks (43+ calendar days): Return 25% of the award
Any GRIP intern who is dismissed from their internship for cause may be required to return up to 100% of their award to Penn Abroad.
GRIP award recipients who fail to submit the required deliverables to Penn Abroad (program evaluations, blog posts, photos/videos, donor letters) may be required to return up to 25% of their award, as determined by Penn Abroad.
Exceptions to the GRIP Financial Policies will only be considered in extraordinary circumstances, as determined by Penn Abroad, in its sole discretion.
All awards disbursed directly to GRIP interns by Penn Abroad are reported to the IRS on Form 1099-MISC or Form 1042-S, as applicable, and are subject to U.S. taxation, regardless of your country of citizenship. Penn Abroad cannot provide tax advice to individuals. If you need tax advice, please consult the IRS directly.
Students whose acceptance letter states that a program fee will be paid by Penn Abroad directly to the employer should note that the deducted portion of the award will not be reported on the 1099-MISC or 1042-S.
For US Citizens and Permanent Residents: No taxes will be withheld from the award disbursement, although the University will report the payments to the IRS.
For Non-U.S. Citizens/ Non-Resident Aliens: All awards made to non-resident aliens are reportable to the IRS on form 1042-S. The award will be reported as Miscellaneous Income on the 1099-MISC or 1042-S. We encourage award recipients to speak with a tax advisor regarding the taxability of the GRIP award when filing their taxes for the year.
In accordance with federal tax regulations, GRIP awards made to non-resident aliens are subject to 30% withholding prior to disbursement. The 70% remaining award funds will be disbursed in accordance with GRIP disbursement procedures, less any program fees paid directly to the employer by Penn Abroad on the award recipient’s behalf. When filing taxes for the year, non-resident aliens may be eligible for a refund of any withheld funds.