One-Stop Services

Congratulations and welcome to The Graduate Center! 

This One Stop Services page has been developed to guide you through a range of new student tasks.  Please review the information below to be sure you have completed all necessary steps prior to the start of the semester.  Questions should be directed to the relevant offices.  General questions can be sent to rsponzo@gc.cuny.edu.

Please review the information that pertains to you:

ALL DOCTORAL AND MASTER’S STUDENTS

If you are a master’s student or a doctoral student with a Tuition Fellowship only or have funding from outside of the Graduate Center, you do not need to complete the Human Resources Paperwork.  All new students should review the list below of other administrative services.

Things to do after being admitted:

• Make sure you have cleared any remaining admissions holds.
• Comply with immunization requirements from the Wellness Center.
• Please see COVID-19 Information and Safety Guidelines for information on vaccine verification and building access.
• Apply for loans or other federal financial aid options. (For inquiries regarding university fellowships or grants, please see your academic department.)
• Doctoral Students should review the following tips to be sure they are paid on time:  What You Need to Know to be Paid on Time (U.S. Students); What You Need to Know to be Paid on Time (International Students).
• Doctoral Students with fellowships should plan to attend a Financial Aid information session about their fellowship, see link for details: Fellowship Orientation Sessions
• Activate your CUNYfirst Account and set up CUNYFirst direct deposit if you have financial aid funding. (See additional information regarding CUNYfirst).
• Activate your Graduate Center Account (including your Graduate Center email and Graduate Center Network account.)  Please see this link (pdf) for information about your different accounts.
• If you are an International Student, be sure to check in with the Office of International Students  and make arrangements to attend the International Student Orientation session.
• If you have a disability and would like to discuss accommodations for the upcoming semester, please contact Clare Wilson at 212-817-7400 or Cwilson1@gc.cuny.edu.
• Find out about your program’s registration and advisement procedures in order to register for classes. Registration for new students begins August 15, 2023.
• Check your tuition rate and residency status by navigating to CUNYFirst Student Center > Financial Account > eBill > select relevant term. If you think you may be or become eligible for NY State residency please see our Residency Tip Sheet (PDF) and Residency Application (PDF).
  • if you need to submit electronic documents to the registrar's office, please see use this link:  One Stop Services Virtual Drop Off Site.  You will need to login with your Graduate Center login and password (see this link (pdf)for information on your accounts). Do not send personal information and documents by email.
• If your tuition is not covered by your fellowship, you can pay your bill at the Bursar's Office or Online.
• Sign up for CUNY Alert to receive Graduate Center emergency or weather related text and voice alerts via your cell, home phone or email.
• Learn more about the GC and CUNY's Title IX policy.
• Check out the borrowing guide to find out how to access library resources.
• ID Cards - please see this information sheet for instructions on how to obtain your Graduate Center ID card.
• HRPP Informational Material - learn about Human Subjects Research 

DOCTORAL STUDENT FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS

Please note that recipients of multi-year fellowships (Graduate Center Fellows, CUNY Science Scholars, Science Fellows, Provost's Enhancement Fellows, and Neuroscience Fellows) and all new one-year Graduate Assistant B or Graduate Assistant D fellowship recipients must complete Graduate Assistant New Hire Paperwork detailed below and attend an in-person Human Resources New Hire Orientation Session on August 17, 21, or 22 at the Graduate Center (365 5th Avenue).

Register for one of the Human Resources New Hire Onboarding sessions below:

Thursday, August 17– 9am or 1:30pm – register here

Monday, August 21 – International Students – 9am or 1:30pm – register here

Tuesday, August 22 – 9am or 1:30pm – register here

Instructions for Graduate Assistantship Appointments
If you have a fellowship with a Graduate Assistantship please complete the forms listed below. You must print the completed forms and bring them with you to the HR New Hire Session along with your original supporting I-9 documents and social security card.

Questions about the forms will be answered at the HR sessions in August.  In order to receive your first paycheck on time in the fall you must complete all forms and attend one of the HR session (August 17, 21, or 22).  

See this document for information on the required forms (link). Human Resources can be reached at: hr-ga@gc.cuny.edu.

Forms to complete and bring to the Human Resources session:

• W-4 Federal Tax Form
• IT- 2104 State Tax Form
• Direct Deposit Form (The agency/dept code is 70090.) NOTE: This is payroll direct deposit which is separate from Financial Aid/CUNYFirst direct deposit.
• I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form (along with this form, please scan the documents you are using for verification, see p. 4 for list of acceptable documents). This form is also available online here.
• Your original Social Security Card (for payroll).
• Employee Data Collection Form
• Emergency Contact Information Form
• Release of Information Form
• Amended Constitutional Oath Form
• NYSHIP Health Insurance Enrollment Form for questions about the NYSHIP form, please see the information below or contact healthinsuranceinfo@gc.cuny.edu
• Human Resources Checklist
• Graduate Assistant Appointment letter (will be sent to you individually by email)

Informational Materials for Health Insurance:

For information about NYSHIP Student Health Insurance, please see the 2023 NYSHIP Benefits document, the sample enrollment form, and the coverage and provider list.

See here for details about the insurance information session on zoom. 

The NYSHIP Health Insurance Enrollment form and supporting documents can be uploaded to the secure SharePoint Site at https://intranet.gc.cuny.edu/admin_depts/stu_aff/nyshipvds/SitePages/Home.aspx or dropped off in Room 7301. See here for GC Account information to login to the secure site.  Do not send personal information and documents by email. 

Informational Materials for Human Resources:

• I-9 Instructions and Information
• Graduate Assistant Fact Sheet and Graduate Assistantships
• Insurance Marketplace and Employer Healthcare Information
• Memo on Compliance with Federal Employment Eligibility Certification Procedures
• Payroll Calendar
• Release of Information Memo
• Commuter Card Information
• Union Membership Information
• As a graduate student-worker, your wages, benefits, and working conditions are negotiated and defended by your union, the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), which represents 30,000 faculty and staff at CUNY and the CUNY Research Foundation. To become a member of the union you must sign a membership authorization card online.