BME: The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering

Student Support Form Database

BMED Graduate Students

All students with BMED as a home department, regardless of major/program, must complete an online Student Support Form each semester. This support form serves two critical functions. First and foremost, the information submitted by the student is used by the BMED Finance Office to determine the appropriate stipend/payment. Second, the information is used by the Graduate Program Coordinator to determine whether a tuition waiver (and what type) is appropriate for the student. The form must be updated each term, even if the source of funding has not changed.

Any BMED student who is paid via funds from another academic unit (e.g., BMED student whose faculty advisor is in ME) must also complete a support form for the department from which she or he is paid. Details on the process should be obtained from that department.

Non-BMED Graduate Students

All students who are paid by BMED but belong to another department academically must also complete an online Student Support Form each semester. The form must be updated each term, even if the source of funding has not changed. Any applicable tuition waivers will be handled by the students’ home departments and not by BMED. Students should complete support forms with their own departments as well.

Faculty Advisors

After students complete their support forms, the system sends them to the appropriate faculty advisors for the approval stage. Faculty members need to enter specific account numbers, dollar amounts, periods of support, and any comments needed.

Deadlines for Support Form Completion

Students and their faculty advisors (who must provide approval and specific account details) must complete support forms by the following dates each semester/year. These deadlines are driven by the accounting processes required by the BME Finance Office and by the deadlines of the GT Financial Aid Office for receipt of fellowship tuition waiver requests.

Fall term – May 1
Spring term – October 1
Summer term – February 1

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students must personally update their support forms each term. Faculty members (or their designees) then approve and provide account details. Strict adherence to the aforementioned deadlines by both students and faculty members is required in order for stipends and any applicable tuition waivers to be processed.

Any changes to a student’s status (e.g., receiving a fellowship after support form completion or changing the planned graduation term) should be reported to both the Academic and Finance Offices ASAP. The support form will need to be updated by the student and approved again by the faculty advisor.

Student Instructions for Completing the Support Form

Create an Account: Prior to the first term of support, contact the BMED webmaster at webmaster@bme.gatech.edu with a request for a new account. Include full name, GTID, home department, major, and full GT e-mail address (e.g., george.burdell@mail.gatech.edu). A temporary password will be assigned, which must be changed prior to submitting the first support form.
Log on to the the online BME AdminPlus system (https://www.bme.gatech.edu/admissions/students/login.php) using complete GT email address and password. For any technical problems with the system or forgotten passwords, please e-mail webmaster@bme.gatech.edu.
Funding Period: Update with the current term (e.g., Fall 2009).
Advisor: Ensure that the correct faculty member who provides financial support is listed.
Status: Enter the type of funding (GA, GRA, Fellowship, or MD/PhD) with the specific names of fellowships, if applicable. Please check with the Student Payroll Accountant in the Finance Office if unsure of funding type.
- Multiple fellowships: List all received.
- Combination of Fellowship and GRA funding: Choose GRA for the Status and include the name of all Fellowships in the appropriate drop-down fields.
- Options for Term of Planned Graduation: BMED students should consult with the Graduate Program Coordinator in the Academic Office about the various options before completing their support forms.
Upload Forms: Submit any necessary documents regarding the funding source using this field.
Review all remaining fields and correct, if necessary.
Click Update to submit support form.

Faculty Instructions for Completing the Support Form

Create an Account: If an account has not already been set up, contact the BMED webmaster at webmaster@bme.gatech.edu with a request. Include full name, full GT e-mail address (e.g., george.burdell@mail.gatech.edu), and GTID. A temporary password will be assigned, which must be changed prior to submitting the first support form.
Log on to the the online BME AdminPlus system (https://www.bme.gatech.edu/admissions/) using complete GT email address and password. For any technical problems with the system or forgotten passwords, please e-mail webmaster@bme.gatech.edu.
Navigate to Faculty Review/Teaching Support/Students Supported to find the list of students needing approval.
Enter specific Account Number, Dollar Amount, Period of Support, and any Comments (e.g., subcontract information) for each student.
Click Update to approve and submit each support form.

System Notifications

After the student portion is updated, the system will send the advisor a notification indicating that the support form is ready for approval.

After the faculty advisor approval has been completed, the student will receive a confirmation e-mail. If no confirmation of this step has been received by the morning of the deadline, the student should contact the advisor immediately.

Once both student and faculty portions have been completed, the system will notify the Finance Office to process the appropriate hiring status and stipend payment.

Upon approval by the Finance Office, the Academic Office will process any applicable tuition waivers. GRA and MD/PhD waivers are input directly into the campus system. Fellowship waiver requests are submitted to the GT Financial Aid Office. No waivers are given for GAs.