Finances & Lodging

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Finances

NEH Stipend

Selected participants receive a $2,200 stipend for the two-week Summer Institute. This payment is intended to offset a large portion of travel, lodging, and meal expenses. Individual factors—e.g., distance traveled, lodging selection, meal requirements—will determine your total actual expenses.

Schedule of Payments

Approximately two-thirds of the stipend ($1,500) will be paid by check to Summer Scholars prior to arrival in Concord, once all initial acceptance paperwork has been received (typically in May). The final payment of $700 will be distributed by check during a farewell brunch on July 9, 2022, the last day of the Institute.

Income Taxes

Participant stipends are considered taxable income. Stipends are intended to help cover travel expenses to and from the seminar or institute location as well as books, equipment, and living and research expenses for the tenure of the seminar or institute. These expenses may be deductible, and so proper records and receipts should be kept by the participant. The NEH does not give tax advice and suggests that you consult a tax advisor if you have any tax questions. There are a number of IRS publications that might be useful, including publication number 970, “Tax Benefits for Education,” which is available at IRS district offices or through the IRS website here

Lodging

Our Summer Institute takes place at The Colonial Inn in the heart of Concord, Massachusetts.

We have reserved a block of rooms at The Colonial Inn for the two weeks of the Institute and anticipate that most Summer Scholars will spend the thirteen nights of the program here. Previous participants agree that this location is vital to the experiential value of the Institute. Part of this historical building was once home to Henry David Thoreau and his family; it is located within walking distance of the Concord Free Public Library and its Special Collections, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the North Bridge historic site, and all of the historic homes of the town’s most notable residents (Emerson, Hawthorne, Alcott, Thoreau).

You are free, however, to stay in other nearby accommodations, with the understanding that you are responsible for transportation to and from the Inn, where all programs either take place or depart from. As a small town, Concord does not offer many accommodation options; there is a Best Western hotel on the edge of town, and you may be able to locate Air B&B rooms or stay in another nearby location.

The Colonial Inn features a variety of meeting rooms (most of the Institute’s seminars and discussion sessions are held here), Wi-Fi, three dining venues (including a front porch), an intimate pub with nightly entertainment, and a comfortable, historic ambiance that fosters collegiality. It is important to keep in mind, though, that this is a historic facility rather than a modern hotel; as such, participants should be aware that its rooms are small, although the Wi-Fi and other amenities are excellent.

Two lodging options, a single or a double room (some doubles will be cot added to single room), are available at The Colonial Inn. As a reminder, all Institute participants will be required to show proof of full Covid vaccination. If you opt to share a room with another participant, we will match you with an appropriate roommate. Rates at the Inn are $199 per night plus taxes. Sharing a room obviously makes your NEH stipend go further.

Travel and Meals

The Colonial Inn offers a variety of breakfast options in their restaurants, but it does not provide a continental breakfast with the room reservation. In the Institute programs that take place at the Inn, coffee/rolls will be served during a break in the morning seminars, and coffee/fruit in the afternoon sessions. During the Institute, a welcome dinner, a farewell brunch, and two box lunches are included.

The Concord-Acton, Lexington area features many restaurants, a list of which we’ll provide at registration. Several restaurants, ranging from very informal and inexpensive to family-style to finer dining, are a quick walk from the Colonial Inn. Additionally, Boston’s many restaurants and evening entertainment options are an easy commuter-rail ride away.

Participants will arrange their own transportation to and from Concord. We’ll send details ahead of time about public transportation and shuttle service options to Concord from the two closest airports—Boston and Manchester, NH. You can also arrive in Boston via Amtrak or MegaBus and take a commuter rail or taxi to Concord.