Home > Graduate Student Resources > Graduate
Student Perks
University
Book Center Discount
Current graduate assistants receive the
same discount as full time faculty and staff. The discount is
10% off textbooks, 20% off trade books, school supplies (700 series
only), school clothing, and miscellaneous merchandise (900 series
only). There is no discount on computer software, peripherals
and accessories or cafe. To get your discount you must present
valid university ID and inform the cashier about the discount
before they begin to ring you up. Graduate Student ID discount
for the Book Center still applies to all non-GA graduate students.
Graduate ID Discounts
Using your graduate student ID, there
are several discounts available both on and off-campus. Select
the link to learn more.
»
View
a list of discounts
Temporary Housing for Graduate Students
During the month of August, there is temporary housing on-campus available for a small fee. Select the link to learn more.
»
Short-term
Lodging information
Find a Roommate/Housemate
Off-Campus Housing Services operates a
web-based service that allow you to find roommates and housemates
in the area. Specify your preference for things like graduate/undergraduate,
smoking/non-smoking, neat/messy, morning person/night person.
Check out their site below.
»
Off-Campus
Housing Roommate Finder
Priority Parking
Each spring semester, during specified
dates, graduate students (and newly admitted graduate students
who will start classes in the Fall) can register for a parking
permit two weeks before undergraduate students for the next academic
year. This service helps graduate students who teach, study, and
conduct research on campus find convenient parking. Registration
typically occurs in early to mid-April, but check the
Transportation
Services website for specific dates. If you miss the priority
registration you can still receive a permit, but it might be in
a less-desirable location. Check out the
Places
to Park and
Parking
Map of Campus.
Free After-Hours Parking Permit for GAs
Graduate assistants with a current parking
pass can apply for a free add-on permit allowing them to park
in spaces that are normally 24-hour restricted. These include:
T, W, Y, AA, A, U4, M, D, EE, E*, HH, and H (see the
Parking
Map of Campus) between 4 p.m. & 7 a.m. All passes are
distributed through the
Department
of Transportation Services.
Instructions: To obtain
an After-Hours Permit, fill out a form from your departments
"parking officer" or have your advisor write a letter
authorizing you to have the extra pass. Take the form or letter,
student ID, University pay stub, and your current parking pass
to the Transportation Services office in the Regents Parking
Garage (Lot 5). There, if approved, they will issue you a new
permit that reflects both the regular parking location and the
after-hours location (for example: Lot 1/Lot HH).
It is recommended that students park at the 15 minute meters
in front of the Regents Parking Garage office so they don't
have to leave their car without a permit. For questions or more
information, call 4-7179. Parking services is open 8:15 am -
4:00 pm M-F.
**There are other
parking
lots available after 4 p.m. that don't require the special
pass, only a valid parking permit. Some spaces don't even require
a valid permit between 4 p.m. & 7 a.m.
Library Benefits
Graduate students receive library privileges similar to faculty. Select the link to learn more about reserving and borrowing privileges, apply for study carrels, orientation programs, seminars and more.
»
UMD
Library website
Graduate Student Career Services
Career Services aren't just for undergraduates. They have a wide variety of services including a career library and staff members who have experience working with graduate students.
»
Career
Center Services for Graduate Services website
Graduate Ombudsperson
A service offered through the Graduate School, the Graduate Ombudsperson is an impartial, independent, and confidential resource for graduate students needing help in mediating and resolving conflicts as well as ensuring equitable treatment. The Ombudsperson can also help affect positive change by alerting appropriate senior administration to patterns of problems and complaints.
»
Graduate
Ombudsperson website
Seats on University Committees
Almost every university and University Senate committee has at least one seat for graduate students. These committees are where most administrative decisions are made and a graduate student voice is vital. Select the link below to learn more about various committees and how to serve.
»
List
of University committees
Graduate Student Legal Aid
Graduate Student Legal Aid is a free service
for graduate students provided through Graduate Student Government.
The office can't represent you in court, but it does offer a broad
spectrum of legal advice. Paid for by your
activity fees and located in the Stamp Student Union.
»
Graduate
Student Legal Aid website
Athletic Tickets for Graduate Students
Get your basketball and football tickets
without competing with undergraduates or waiting in line. 10%
of University of Maryland student tickets are set aside for graduate
students (representative percentage of
Athletics
fees paid by graduate students). Now you can order and print
tickets from home with Maryland's
online
system for ordering tickets. Student ID card and current class
registration status are needed to sign up.
»
Athletic
Tickets website
»
Having
Trouble Registering? Try this Link.
Funding for Graduate Organizations
If your Graduate Student Organization
is registered through
STARS,
you can receive Graduate Activity Fee money that is managed by
Graduate Student
Government. GSG has a good FAQ section detailing the steps
for receiving funding at
www.gsg.umd.edu/financial.
Campus-wide TA Orientation
Each semester, the Center for Teaching
Excellence (
CTE)
and
The Graduate
School jointly sponsor an orientation for all new graduate
teaching assistants from across the disciplines.
»
Link
to CTE's TA Orientation Program
If you are in a bind, you can get emergency
money from the Graduate School to help out. Depending on the situation,
you can receive up to $500 in an interest-free loan that must
be repaid in 60 days. If you don't repay the loan within 60 days,
the amount will be charged against your student account and you
could incur late fees.
To receive a loan:
1. Go to Student Financial Aid (1135 Lee Building) and bring any
documentation of your need.
2. Fill out a short loan application form.
3. Have a brief appointment with a loan counselor to review need.
They will approve or deny funds.
4. Submit approval or appeal denial to the Graduate School Business
Office (2126 Lee Building)
Free Income Tax Form Assistance
Every year during March and April, the
Graduate School brings a tax consultant onto campus to provide
free tax form assistance. The service is open to international
students, but it's recommended that they use
IES's
free on-line tax help services. If it's tax season go to the
Graduate Handbook's
home page for more information.
Save Money with Pre-Tax Metro Pass
Graduate student GA's, TA's, RA's can
potentially save hundreds of dollars a year from their Metrorail
and Metrobus commuting costs by using a pre-tax payroll benefit
called
Metrochek.
Metrochek allows up to $100 each month to be deducted pre-tax
from a University paycheck. This $100 can be provided in the form
of Metrocheks (paper Metro pass with a magnetic strip) or automatically
credited each month to a reusable plastic
SmarTrip
Card.
Sign up for Metrochek benefits and receive a SmartTrip card
free
of charge through the
Department
of Transportation Services. SmarTrip cards can also be purchased
through various
Metro
locations including all stations that offer parking.
Note: All fees for parking at Metro stations must be paid using
a SmarTrip card.
»
Metro
stations that offer parking
Low Cost Microsoft Software for GA's Who Work at Home
The Microsoft "Work at Home"
policy provides an opportunity for graduate students with assistantships
to install an additional copy of selected Microsoft software products
on their home computer or portable PC for the duration of their
employment with the University. Eligible Software products include
Microsoft Office 2000 Premium, Microsoft Works, Publisher, Front
Page, Visual Studio Professional, or any of their component products,
regardless of version. Please note that Operating System products
are NOT eligible for Work at Home use. For more information see
below links:
» Available
Software for "Work at Home" Program
» Conditions
for the Use of "Work at Home" Software
» UMD's
Nethics "Using Software" Guide
Travel Grants
The Graduate School offers some Fall,
Spring and Summer grants for students looking for travel money
for scholarly conferences or for expenses related to the presentation
of research. For more information, call (301) 405-0358.
»
Graduate
Student Travel Grants
Monthly
Graduate Social Series
Each month, Graduate Student Life runs, on average,
two graduate student trips to events in the D.C./College Park
area.
» See
the Social Series' upcoming events
Graduate Pub (Happy
Hour)
Weekly social event, held on Fridays and open to all graduate
students (food, music and drink specials)
»
check out the latest on the Grad Pub
Classics Film
Series
7:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of each month, come and enjoy
a free classic film in the Stamp Student Union's Hoff Theater.
»
See the Hoff Theater schedule
Free Coffee
Thursdays in the Graduate Lounge
Looking for a place to unwind and enjoy some
casual conversation over a cup of coffee? Stop by the Graduate
Student Lounge (1121 Stamp Student Union) on Thursdays from
noon-5 p.m. Free coffee for graduate students while it lasts.
»
Learn more about the Graduate Lounge
Graduate Student/Faculty/Staff
Intramural League
There's a separate league for graduate students that includes
almost all the sports offered through Campus Recreation Services'
Intramural Sports. Sign up for both individual and team sports
throughout the semester. Activities are all free, but
there is a forfeit charge ($15 for a team and $5 for an individual).
It's a great activity that continues to grow in popularity,
so register early.
» Intramural's
website
Returning (Non-Traditional
Age) Graduate Students
For those graduate students who are returning to school
after taking some time off, check out the link above. Find available
resources and groups of students who are going through the same
experience.
» Returning
Student website
International
Spouses Organization
This organization is a support group sponsored by advisors from
International Education Services for the spouses of UMD international
students.
»
Link to the International Spouse Organization website
Dissertation Support Services
Learning Assistance Services in the Counseling Center offers
several academic support services including a
Dissertation Support Group and an e-mail reflector
for Doctoral candidates. For further information, students
can contact Marcy Marinelli at marcym@umd.edu. Additionally
the University Library offers a special service for
binding your thesis or dissertation. The
Graduate School has templates for MS
Word and Latex
as well as a Template
Users Guide.
»
Dissertation Support Services website
»
Thesis & Dissertation Style Guide website
» Dissertation
Search Service website
»
Electronic Thesis Submission website
