At NC State, the Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP) provides essential benefits to eligible graduate students, including tuition coverage and health insurance. While mandatory student fees remain the responsibility of the student, the University Cashier’s Office (UCO) offers a payroll deduction option to ease the upfront financial impact by spreading fee payments evenly across the term.

Rather than paying the full amount before classes begin, graduate students with an active assistantship can authorize automatic deductions directly from their biweekly stipends. Because fellowship stipends are not processed through the university payroll system, this deduction option is available exclusively to students on assistantships. Payments are distributed over six consecutive paychecks starting in mid-September and February. This option applies specifically to mandatory student fees, including the education and technology fee, campus security fee and the College of Engineering enhancement fee, when applicable. Students manage their authorization through MyPack Portal and must update their deduction amount prior to Census if their credit hours change.

Participation data shows that this option remains a vital financial resource for the graduate community. Program usage has steadily increased each academic year, reaching a record 1,340 enrolled students for fall 2026. The plan generates exceptionally high completion rates each term, proving to be a reliable way for graduate assistants to manage semester costs alongside their regular stipend payments.

By spreading fee payments across the term, the UCO aims to offer graduate assistants greater financial flexibility throughout the semester. Students can review the step-by-step enrollment instructions to set up or update their payroll deduction, or contact Student Accounts for assistance.