DECLARE CONTRACT_CURS CURSOR SCROLL for

SELECT CONTRACT_NAME, PACKAGE_NAME, PAY_START, PAY_END
FROM CONTRACTS
GROUP BY CONTRACT_NAME, PACKAGE_NAME, PAY_START, PAY_END

DECLARE
       @CONTRACT_NAME VARCHAR
       @PACKAGE_NAME NVARCHAR,
       @PAY_START NVARCHAR,
       @PAY_END NVARCHAR

OPEN CONTRACTS_CURS

FETCH NEXT FROM CONTRACTS_CURS
        INTO @CONTRACT_NAME,
                @PACKAGE_NAME,
                        @PAY_START,
                        @PAY_END

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
        select @CONTRACT_NAME,
                 @PACKAGE_NAME,
                         @PAY_START,
                         @PAY_END,
 END
 CLOSE CONTRACTS_CURS

DEALLOCATE CONTRACTS_CURS

The nature of your question further informs me that you are just
beginning this, so I'll tell you the other thing you need to know.
When declaring a VARCHAR variable, you have to give it a length:

DECLARE
       @CONTRACT_NAME VARCHAR(30)
       @PACKAGE_NAME NVARCHAR(45),
       @PAY_START NVARCHAR(12),
       @PAY_END NVARCHAR(12)

Otherwise it takes the default length of one character.

But please. Unless this is a homework problem where you have to
demonstrate that you can write a cursor, DON'T USE CURSORS.

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