How to Spend Your Grant
After grant award decisions are announced, PLC works with the Williams Hall business office to create an account for your project. You have until December 31 to spend your funds. Project expenses have already been justified in your proposal. Therefore, if you have unexpected expenses or changes to your budget, please email PLC for approval. In short, there are two ways to spend your funds: compensation and purchases.
Compensation
TO STUDENT WORKERS
When hiring students to assist with your project, keep in mind the two types: work-study and student worker. The difference impacts your budget significantly and must be taken into account.
Work-Study (has financial aid)
Work-study students have financial aid to subsidize their wages. Your grant pays 40%, and the remaining 60% is paid by their work-study award. So for example, if you plan to pay a student $10 per hour, only $4 will be deducted from your grant account.
Student Worker (does NOT have financial aid)
If you hire a student worker who does not have financial aid, 100% of their wages will be deducted from your account PLUS an additional 9.7% for employee benefits. So for example, if you plan to pay a student $10 per hour, $10.97 is deducted from your grant account.
Graduate Students
If you hire a graduate student, they must obtain written permission from their graduate chair to work on your project. The student should send an email to the chair describing the position and number of anticipated work hours and forward the chair’s response to PLC. Wages earned while working on your project will be paid added to their monthly stipends. If they do not receive a monthly stipend, they will submit their hours in Workday.
How to Appoint Students
To hire a student, email PLC with the following information:
- Student email address
- Position start/end dates
- Hourly wage
- Work-study status
- Country of Citizenship (for tax purposes)
PLC will then work with the student and the business office to to onboard them in Workday.
TO PENN FACULTY
Payments to Penn faculty or to yourself will be processed as additional pay through monthly payroll. Please coordinate with Lada upon completion of your project for payment.
TO EXTERNAL SUPPLIERS
In cases where the services of an outside vendor are needed and have been justified in your budget, compensation is arranged through the Penn Marketplace. Please contact PLC to have them added as a supplier and request payment.
Purchases
ONLINE AND PENN BOOKSTORE PURCHASES
Items that can be purchased online or at the Penn Bookstore must be done by Penn Language Center. These may include books, software, Amtrak group tickets, etc. Please email PLC with details and relevant information/links.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL
For recipients of professional development travel grants, expenses for flights, hotel, conference registration, etc. will be reimbursed through Concur at the conclusion of your trip.
ALL OTHER PURCHASES
Expenses that cannot be pre-arranged by PLC should be submitted for reimbursement through Concur. These may include such expenses as group meals, public transportation, and materials purchased overseas. Please note: sales tax is not reimbursable. Be sure to retain all receipts.
Account Statements
The business office generates statements at the end of every month for each grant account and sends them via SecureShare. If you notice any strange activity or unauthorized transactions, please notify PLC.
Extensions
If you are unable to complete your project by the December 31 deadline, please contact PLC to discuss options for a one-time extension. Grant funds expire two years after disbursement, and unused funds are forfeited.
Grants Showcase and Final Report
At the conclusion of the grant cycle, award recipients are asked to present their projects at the annual Language Grants Showcase the following spring semester. The Showcase takes place in late April or early May with details typically announced in March.
In preparation for the Showcase, you will be asked to submit a brief final report that describes the outcome of your project. Reports should adhere to the following:
- Be no more than 500 words in length.
- Include a brief summary of your objective and method.
- Clearly indicate what funds were spent on.
- Describe your results/progress: Was the project successful? How did students receive it?
- Attach any relevant links or files that may further illustrate your work.