A: A graduate assistantship is similar to part-time employment. The graduate assistant is hired, paid a salary (stipend), given a work schedule of no more than 20 hours, assigned responsibilities and receives graduate tuition remission.

Graduate assistants are assigned responsibilities which provide supervised educational experiences at the graduate level. Frequently, this means assistants either teach or participate in research projects.

A: Contact the department/school/office you are interested in for any available positions and their application procedures.

You should check the Student Employment Services website for a listing of all university job openings. If you have any problems with the website, please contact Student Employment in Eppley Administration Building, Room 205.

Note that you must be admitted to a graduate degree or certificate program to be a graduate assistant; non-degree and unclassified students are ineligible.

A: Graduate Assistants are hired to work 20 hours per week (.33 FTE). On the last working day of the month, your paycheck will be electronically deposited directly into your bank.

A: Graduate assistants are required to carry a minimum of six graduate hours in each of the fall and spring semesters (please note that undergraduate deficiences do not count toward this minimum requirement).

You must be aware that nine graduate hours is a full-time course load for graduate students and, in order to defer some student loans, you must register for nine graduate hours. Please check with the Office of Financial Aid regarding the details of your particular loan.

The minimum of six graduate credit hours may be waived if you are in your last semester and need less than six graduate credit hours to complete the requirements for graduation; however, you still must enroll in one graduate course. You will need to complete the "Student Social Security Tax Exemption Statement--Last Semester" , which is available in the Office of Graduate Studies, Eppley Administration Bldg, Room 203. Once this form is completed, you may not be a graduate assistant again until you complete the degree and are admitted to a different graduate program.

The minimum of six graduate credit hours also may be waived for doctoral candidates, with the approval of their adviser and the Graduate Dean, if all required course hours except dissertation have been completed and the student will not be employed for more than 20 hours per week; however, you still must enroll in one graduate course. You will need to complete the "Student Social Security Tax Exemption Statement-Certification of Full-Time Graduate Status," which is available in the Office of Graduate Studies, Eppley Administration Bldg, Room 203.

A: Your assistantship will pay for a maximum of twelve (12) graduate hours a semester.

A: Yes, if the undergraduate course is required to fulfill a deficiency which is listed on your original admission letter/degree audit (automated plan of study).

A: None.*You are allowed to take a maximum of twelve graduate hours.

*If you are working as a graduate assistant during the summer & are not registered at least 1/2 time (5 hours), you will be required to pay Social Security taxes.

A: Yes, if you were a graduate assistant for the preceding fall and spring semesters or are working as a graduate assistant during the summer.

If you were a graduate assistant for the spring semester only and will be one in the upcoming fall, you will be eligible for reimbursement for your summer graduate courses. You will not be reimbursed, however, until the last drop date for fall classes has passed. Please consult with the Office of Graduate Studies.

A:Once the necessary paperwork has been submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies by your department/school/office, Cashiering/Student Accounts will be notified of your assistantship. Your account will then be credited for the classes which are covered by your assistantship. Please be sure you pay the fees and any other charges not covered by your assistantship.

A: Yes, however, you will need to stop by the Office of Graduate Studies to obtain a tuition voucher before you go to another campus to register.

A: The Office of Graduate Studies will send you a prorated bill from the date you dropped the class or resigned your assistantship. You will be placed on stop enrollment until the bill is paid.

A: Assistantships may be awarded on an academic-year basis, a calendar-year basis, or semester-by-semester basis. Normally these appointments start at the beginning of a semester. The department/school/office should contact the Office of Graduate Studies for prior approval if the assistantship is not starting at the beginning of a semester. If the late hiring is approved, the Office of Graduate Studies will send you a prorated bill for the graduate courses you are enrolled in, beginning with the date you started your assistantship.

A: The Graduate Faculty considers a student who is pursuing graduate study and holding a graduate assistantship to be carrying the equivalent of a full-time work load and therefore, discourages the practice of holding additional jobs which may interfere with satisfactory performance of assigned duties. With approval of your graduate program committee and the Dean for Graduate Studies, an additional assignment may be accepted if professionally relevant and if total FTE does not exceed .49.

(Federal law permits international students to work a maximum of 20 hours per week when they are in classes; therefore, international students working as graduate assistants are not allowed to hold any second appointments. Any exceptions to this rule would need prior approval by International Studies.)

Q. WHAT IF I BECOME SICK AND MISS WORK OR TAKE A VACATION?

Graduate assistants do not earn sick or vacation hours, please consult with your department/school/office concerning their policies.

A: Graduate assistants do not earn sick or vacation hours, please consult with your department/school/office concerning their policies.

A: Yes, generally, as the assistant is paid for 20 hours of work per week. You should check with your department/school/office regarding their policy.

A: An assistantship may be awarded on an academic, calendar or semester by semester basis. Students working towards a master's degree may not hold an assistantship for more than four semesters;Educational Specialists students are limited to four semesters beyond the master's degree;Doctoral Students are limited to six semesters beyond the master's degree.These appointments exclude summer sessions and assistantship may be extended on an individual basis upon the recommendation of the Graduate Program Committee of the Department and the approval of the Dean for Graduate Studies.

A: You will need to purchase a faculty/staff parking pass from Parking, Eppley Administration Bldg. Once you have a pass, you are able to park in any area designated faculty/staff. You may want to review Campus Security's Parking Handbook .

A: Students interested in research grant monies should contact the Office of Research & Creative Activity, EAB 203. Students interested in graduate student travel support should contact graduate@unomaha.edu