Awards & Checks

If ISTS is in charge of issuing funds for a program sponsor, we will typically mail a check to the home address listed on your ISTS account My Profile page. You can update this page any time before the check is mailed.
If you receive confirmation that we mailed your check but the address on your ISTS account My Profile page was invalid or incorrect, contact ISTS Program Support for assistance in having your check reissued. You may have to pay a fee for us to cancel the original check, so it is important to keep the information on your My Profile page up to date.

In the United States, tuition assistance funds provided by an employer are not taxable until an employee has received $5250.00 in a calendar year. This timing is based on when the payment is issued. Any funding you receive above that amount in the calendar year is taxed as normal income.

Fund issuance varies across the many programs ISTS administers. You will find the best information on your application’s FAQ page.

In general, payment is not issued until all required materials are reviewed and accepted. ISTS then notifies your employer of the amount to be paid and the funds are issued via your normal payroll, usually within two pay periods of application completion.

Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition and textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes that may be assessed against their scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax adviser for more guidance. You may also consult IRS Publication 970 for additional information.

Fund issuance varies across the many programs ISTS administers. You will find the best information on your application’s FAQ page.

In general, scholarship checks are mailed directly to your home address, made payable to the school entered on your ISTS account My Profile page as of August. Many programs will issue one check for the entire academic year. If your specific program splits the award between semesters, your spring check will be sent in December via the same method.