Is Fulbright research scholarship treated as taxable compensation for IRA purposes?

[Notsobright1]

I received funds from a Fulbright research scholarship in 2025, but I am not currently a candidate for a degree.

I understand that the full amount of the scholarship is taxable income, but is the scholarship treated as taxable compensation for IRA purposes, so I can make a contribution to a Roth IRA?

[RobertB4444]

Unless it was reported to you on a W2 a taxable scholarship generally counts as unearned income.  Unearned income is not usable as a qualification for an IRA contribution.

If it was reported to you on a W2 in box 1, however, it is earned income and can be used for the IRA contribution.

@Notsobright1 

[AmeliesUncle]

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@Notsobright1 wrote:

I received funds from a Fulbright research scholarship in 2025, but I am not currently a candidate for a degree.

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The 'not a candidate for a degree' part could makes it questionable.

You have be "in the pursuit of graduate or postdoctoral study" in order for it to qualify as compensation for contributing to an IRA.

Graduate or postdoctoral study.

A scholarship or fellowship is generally taxable compensation only if it is in box 1 of your Form W-2. However, for tax years beginning after 2019, certain non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments not reported to you on Form W-2 are treated as taxable compensation for IRA purposes. These amounts include taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments made to aid you in the pursuit of graduate or postdoctoral study and included in your gross income under the rules discussed in chapter 1 of Pub. 970.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590a#en_US_2024_publink100053507

[Opus 17 · Accepted solution]

That depends on how it is paid and taxed.  I'm not familiar with Fullbrights specifically.

In general, graduate stipends and post-doc fellowships are considered "education" and are exempt from SS and medicare tax withholding.  That means they are not considered "earned income" (income earned from working).  But from the SECURE act of 2019, they are considered compensation for IRA purposes.  There is a specific way to enter the fellowship in Turbotax to get the program to recognize this.

Or, if the fellowship is reported on a W-2, or a 1099-NEC and you pay self-employment tax, then it is automatically considered compensation for services performed.

The grey area would be if the fellowship is paid on a 1099-MISC and is not reported as self-employment.  Can it be considered part of your education if you are not in a degree program or part of a postdoctoral training program at an educational institution.  You may need professional tax advice.