Stanford
Student Services

Fees, Responsibilities, Restrictions, and Privileges for Visiting Student Researchers

NOTE: Faculty or staff interested in creating a Visiting Student Researcher (VSR) position can get more details about the process and policies at the Inside Student Services website.

Stanford faculty can, in limited instances, permit someone who has not yet obtained a Ph.D. (or its foreign equivalent), or who is not a recognized expert in their field, to engage in research on the Stanford campus using Stanford research facilities. Such instances might include a student at another university who is engaged in graduate-level research in a field of interest to the faculty member, or a person doing a laboratory rotation as part of a more extensive research study or grant. These individuals are known as Visiting Student Researchers (VSRs) and are appointed as non-matriculated graduate students. 

If you are a current or prospective VSR, you should familiarize yourself with the following information about the fees, responsibilities, restrictions, and privileges associated with the role.

VSR Fees

See the Tuition and Fees for a complete list of applicable fees and tuition.

VSRs are subject to the following fees. You must:

  • Pay the monthly VSR fee. Stanford does not waive or prorate the fee; the student is responsible for the full amount.
  • Pay the quarterly Campus Health Services Fee. Stanford does not waive or prorate the fee; you are responsible for the full amount. For more information, including fee, see Campus Health Services Fee.
  • Pay the quarterly Cardinal Care health insurance fee (if coverage is not waived). For details, refer to the health insurance information under VSR Responsibilities below.

IMPORTANT NOTE about Funding for VSRs

Your department may elect to use university funds to cover expenses (e.g., your health insurance, campus health service fee, stipend); however, the department must ascertain that the target funds allow for such expenses.

VSR Responsibilities

You are subject to the following rules and regulations of Stanford University. You must:

  • Sign the SU-18 Stanford Patent and Copyright Agreement (available electronically through the student Axess portal).
  • Observe the Honor Code and Fundamental Standard. Violations of these behavioral standards are subject to termination of your Stanford appointment.
  • Complete safety training. The faculty member who invited you is responsible to ensure that you receive any required training in order to be able to carry out research at Stanford, including appropriate health and safety training, instruction in the protection of human subjects, or any other instruction required by the work that you are assigned.
  • Have health insurance coverage. To ensure you are protected by health insurance, you are automatically enrolled and billed for Stanford’s student health insurance — Cardinal Care — at the start of your entry quarter in a plan year. For details on the cost, contact Vaden Health Services.

More on VSR Health Insurance Requirements

All VSRs are required to carry either individual health insurance or Stanford's Cardinal Care.

If you begin your appointment within the first 60 percent* (roughly seven weeks) of a given quarter, you are automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care retroactive to the start of the applicable coverage period, and the corresponding quarterly charge appears on your bill in Axess.

If you begin your appointment after 60 percent* of the quarter has passed, you are not automatically enrolled in Cardinal Care for that quarter (but will be the next). You must contact Vaden’s Insurance and Referral Office to arrange for coverage for the remainder of your entry quarter if you wish to be covered by Cardinal Care.

If you are enrolled in Cardinal Care and your appointment terminates prior to the end of the Autumn or Winter Quarter Cardinal Care coverage periods, you are eligible to request early cancellation of Cardinal Care. You can request early cancellation due to appointment termination by submitting a ServiceNow ticket prior to your appointment end date. Requests for early cancellation should be submitted by you (the VSR), not the host department administrator. You will remain enrolled in Cardinal Care for the entire plan year if you do not request early cancellation.

*The 60% date of each quarter is noted in the Academic Calendar under the title Term Withdrawal deadline.

VSR Restrictions

VSRs are subject to the following restrictions on their affiliation status. You:

  • are not permitted to enroll in or audit any classes
  • cannot have a Stanford fellowship or assistantship
  • are not eligible for Stanford loans

VSR Privileges

VSRs, through their affiliation status, are granted certain Stanford University privileges. You:

  • are provided a Stanford campus ID (including photo ID card) that
    • permits entry to and borrowing privileges from Stanford libraries
    • access to Stanford recreational facilities
  • are provided a SUNet ID that permits
    • access to the Stanford University network and some university systems (e.g., the student Axess portal)
    • access to Stanford University email services
  • are eligible for on-campus housing, on a space-available basis. You will have access to apply for housing on the date your appointment starts. 
  • may receive compensation for your research at Stanford