Life at Georgetown
Health & Wellness
Georgetown offers many resources to help students cope with the stresses of student life. As graduate students, we all need a break sometimes and it’s important to strike a balance between academics and our social life. Find ways to relax and unwind. The gym fee is mandatory which means that you’ll have access to the gym for the entire year. Georgetown offers students the Student Health Center to address physical wellness concerns as well as Counseling and Pyschiatric Services (CAPS) emotional health.
For a more complete overview of services offered, visit: http://som.georgetown.edu/prospectivestudents/experience/studenthealth/
As graduate students, United HealthCare is the primary insurance provider for the majority of us which is a benefit we receive as part of our scholarship: half is paid for by the Department and the other half by the Graduate School. You should receive a letter explaining your benefits and how to print out a temporary ID card – your permanent insurance card will be mailed to you. For questions regarding insurance, please see the Student Health Insurance website. You may also visit the office, located behind Darnall Hall. Many students wonder if vision is covered under our plan and, unfortunately, it is not.
Financial Concerns
For general information regarding scholarships and other sources of financial aid including travel grants, please visit the Office of Student Financial Services Graduate Student Website.
The Department is able to provide as many students as possible with Fellowships as provided by monies received from the Graduate School. A total of 8 payments are made to the student, beginning in September and ending in April. All payments are made on the last business day of the month. As a result, you will need to plan to cover all expenses upon your arrival to Georgetown until you receive your first payment on September 30th. These Fellowships are provided in return for service to the university. Please be sure to carefully read over your acceptance letter as it will contain all the specific details regarding your scholarship and the requirements that you must meet in order to continue receiving that scholarship.
Georgetown offers direct deposit which means that, instead of receiving a monthly check, your stipend or any monies that you receive from Georgetown will be electronically deposited into your bank account. In order to sign up for direct deposit, you must complete the Direct Deposit Application downloadable here and turn it into Maria-Elvira Daza in the Department. The sooner you do this the better as it usually takes a few weeks to process your request.
Taxes are a familiar issue for many of us. However, taxes can be more complicated for international students. Fortunately, International Student and Scholar Services has a website dedicated to addressing important questions regarding taxes for international students. Please look over their tax website as it will hopefully make the process much easier for you.
Academics
The Graduate Bulletin, which you may download here, contains important information for graduate students regarding degree requirements and academic regulations and procedures. It is extremely important that you familiarize yourself with this document since our departmental policies and procedures are informed by the Bulletin.
Student Life and Social Activities
Georgetown sends out a weekly events letter of what’s going on on-campus. They offer free movies and many interesting talks & lectures. Check it out once you start receiving the emails.
You should look over the university website’s page on Graduate Student Life. On the left-hand side of the page, you will find a dropdown menu with more information on Housing, Transportation, Georgetown and DC.
As graduate students in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, we are a community. We know that the first year can be tough so don’t hesitate to talk to us. Don’t think twice about calling or sending us an email.
We hope that this guide has answered many of your questions. Although it is far from exhaustive, we have provided as much information as we can and referred you to other sources where appropriate. Let us know if you come to DC over the summer. We’ll be here to help. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Ashley Caja – abc42@georgetown.edu
Charlie Nagle – cln22@georgetown.edu
