General Guidelines

1. An assistant cannot work more 950 hours per year; that is, the total number of hours from all assistantships cannot exceed 950.
2. It is recommended the University use only one distribution method: stipend and scholarship model. All academic departments as well as most programs and offices in academic affairs and student development use this method exclusively.
3. The funding range for all assistantships across the University will be from $13 to $16.50 with a minimum of 40% stipend and maximum of 60% scholarship. The stipend is subject to federal and state income taxes, and the scholarship is applied to the student’s tuition. If the scholarship portion is larger than the student’s tuition for the semester, the excess will be transferred to the stipend portion of the package.

All academic departments as well as most offices in academic affairs use the below 50 percent stipend and 50 percent scholarship model with the following options:

Graduate Assistant
Hrs/Sem	Scholarship	Stipend	Total
100	$763	$763	$1,526
200	$1,526	$1,526	$3,052
300	$2,289	$2,289	$4,578

Doctoral Assistant
Hrs/Sem	Scholarship	Stipend	Total
100	$826	$826	$1,652
200	$1,652	$1,652	$3,304
300	$2,478	$2,478	$4,956

4. All departments/programs/divisions offering graduate assistantships will complete the Position Information Form, which includes the name of a contact person, position description, and selection process criteria. After circulating the form to obtain the necessary approvals, the position description and other relevant information will be posted on the graduate admission website.
5. Students will use the Application for Graduate Assistantship Form to apply for an assistantship.
6. All departments/divisions will be responsible for monitoring their graduate assistants budget line, which is part of their operating budgets.
7. All departments/programs/divisions will use the procedures described below.

Procedures

Designing, obtaining approval, and advertising the assistantship

1. Sponsoring professor/director completes the Graduate Assistantship Position Information Form, prepares a position description, and determines the selection process criteria. The sponsoring professor/director signs the form and sends it along with the position description and selection process criteria to the appropriate budget administrator, e.g., department chair or program director. (In some cases the sponsoring professor/director and the budget administrator will be the same person.)
2. Budget administrator reviews the proposal, and indicates approval by signing the form and providing the appropriate budget account number. The budget administrator forwards the form to human resources (HR).
3. HR reviews the form and job description to ensure compliance with federal and university guidelines. The HR reviewer posts the position to the Graduate Assistant posting website.

Filling the assistantship

1. Graduate student reviews website for assistantship opportunities.
2. Graduate student contacts sponsoring professor/director and completes the department/program/division selection process.
3. Graduate student, if selected, completes the Application for Graduate Assistantship Form and gives it to the sponsoring professor/director.

Completing the process

1. Sponsoring professor/director reviews the Application for Graduate Assistantship Form to ensure that it is completed properly, signs the form, and obtains the appropriate signatures.
2. Division supervisor signs the form and forwards copies to HR, student administrative services (SAS), and the appropriate chair/director.
3. HR initiates electronically any new hire paperwork that may be required.
4. Once all required paperwork and the I9 is completed, HR notifies supervisor/dept. contact that the student is approved to start working
5. HR will use the closest effective date available based on the payroll calendar and when the I9 was completed. 
6. HR processes the stipend payment through payroll. SAS applies the scholarship to the student’s account and provides financial aid with the relevant information.