Who We Are

The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is the official body representing all graduate students at Stony Brook University. Our mission is to serve as the liaison between graduate students and the university administration, ensuring your needs are met and your voice is heard.

Comprised of an Executive Board and senators from every academic department, the GSO addresses graduate student issues and concerns at all levels. We are a student-run, non-profit organization funded by the graduate student activity fee.

Key services we provide include:

• Advocacy: Championing graduate student interests in discussions with university leadership.

• Funding: Offering financial support for academic travel, research, professional development, and more.

• Events: Hosting social and academic events to bring graduate students together across all disciplines.

• Communication: Keeping you informed about critical resources, opportunities, and university news.

Announcements

Spring 2025 Onboarding & Reimbursement Process

Funding Availability

• GSO funding lines for PDF and RAP Phase 2 will open on March 7th, 2025.

• All remaining funding lines will remain open.

• All funding lines close on May 9th, 2025.

Eligibility

• Students who have paid the $45 Student Activity Fee will be eligible to apply for reimbursements.

• Ensure a smooth and timely application process by completing the required forms as soon as possible.

Onboarding Requirements

Accounting System Registration (Blackbaud) and CSV Form for Payments

To streamline the reimbursement process, students must complete the following:

• CSV Form: Enter payment details. Click here to fill out the CSV Form.

• Who Needs to Complete It?

  • New students who have not created an account before must complete this form.

  • Returning students who have already been onboarded do not need to fill it out again.

• This form is mandatory for reimbursement eligibility.

• Ensure you provide your Stony Brook Email ID.

• Errors in the submitted information may delay or impact your reimbursement.

• Reimbursements are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Additional Important Information

• Onboarding responses will be accepted until March 5, 2025.

  • After this deadline, there will be a two-week cool-down period before you can contact the Admin Manager to request account creation.

• Purchases made between Dec 19, 2024, and March 7, 2025, must be applied for by March 23, 2025.

• Blackbaud account issues:

  • Students experiencing difficulties should reach out to their senators.

  • Senators will apply on behalf of affected students.

• For Clubs and Departments:

  • If you need to make purchases using the GSO Credit Card for approved invoices, contact the Admin Manager, Samrah Khan.

• For any concerns or doubts, please attend ATs/Treasurer office hours.

How to Apply for Reimbursements

For detailed step-by-step guidance on applying for reimbursements, Click here.

We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a smooth and efficient reimbursement process. Please make sure to complete the required steps as early as possible to avoid any delays.

SPRINTAX CODES

Eligibility to access a Sprintax code:
If you pay the $45 graduate student activity fee, have a GSO senator in your department, and are interested in access to a Sprintax code, please fill out the following form. Please note that you can only request this for yourself and you cannot share this code with other individuals.

• To get started with Sprintax, click here.

• Once you receive your code, please follow these instructions to use your code.

• For additional information, please review this brochure or check out Sprintax on YouTube.

• If you need support for using Sprintax, you can contact their support team using their 24/7 Live Chat.

Please note that it may take 1-2 days to receive your code in your email. The deadline to apply for a Sprintax code is April 10, 2025.

If you have any additional questions, please contact your GSO senator or email speaker@sbgso.org.

GSO Resources

The GSO hosts many large-scale events for graduate students on and off campus, as well as many resources, including:

• Graduate Student Emergency Relief Fund

  • Please also refer to the Student Emergency Support Fund (SESF) for resources and support.

The GSO also offers various funding opportunities! Whether you are taking in-person classes or if you are an online/remote student, you can still apply for the GSO reimbursement lines. These range in $300 - $1,750 in reimbursements, including:

• Conference expenses

• Online courses (i.e., Coursera, DataCamp, not degree requirements)

• Professional development activities (i.e., LinkedIn subscription, software subscriptions like Adobe, Prism)

• Fitness activities (i.e., gym membership fees, exercise classes)

• Recreational activities (i.e., tickets to concerts, sports games, Broadway musicals/plays, museums)

• Travel expenses to internships, research/clinical rotations

Please note: Any form of harassment (stalking, excessive calling, any form of aggression and appearing at the living quarters of ANY Graduate Student Organization Executive Member, Officer, Senator, or any related member of GSO) will NOT be tolerated. If any student is found to be harassing any Graduate Student Organization member will be given a verbal warning, a meeting with the Dean of Students, and/or suspension as a Graduate Student Organization Affiliate. This will bar students from attending Graduate Student Organization events, seek reimbursements, or run for any seat within the organization so long as they enrolled at Stony Brook University.

The GSO is the graduate student government at Stony Brook University. The GSO is incorporated in the State of New York as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and is legally and structurally independent of the university administration.