Graduate Assistantships

 

Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships and Service Assistantships are available to full-time graduate students who are in good standing. For employment information, visit Careers at UA/Anchorage/Graduate Student Worker.

Graduate Assistants are paid for the equivalent of a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session. Students may work more than 20 hours per week when school is not in session, such as the winter or spring breaks, and summer semester if they are taking no coursework. Students must complete a Graduate Student Employee Workload Exception Request for workload in excess of 20 hours per week during Fall and Spring semester. Students with assistantships must be enrolled in at least six credits during the Fall and Spring semesters. Audited classes do not count towards registration requirements. Students who work 21 to 40 hours per week Research, Teaching, or Service Assistantship during the summer semester are in taxable status by default. There is no summer semester registration requirements.
 
Teaching assistantships may involve teaching courses, leading a discussion section, supervising a laboratory, grading papers, or meeting with students. The typical appointment involves working up to 20 hours per week. A Teaching Assistant receives a stipend, health insurance, and tuition remission (see below) by the university:
  • For no more than 9 credits if the workload is 15 to 20 hours per week.
  • For no more than 5 credits if the workload is 10 to 14 hours per week.
  • If the assistantship appointment begins on or before the first day of instruction and ends on or after the last day of final examinations for that semester (16 or more weeks). 

Teaching Assistants are required to complete the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) training as part of their assistantship. FERPA training can be found logging on to UAOnline/Employee Services/Employee E-Learning/FERPA Online Training. 

Research Assistantships
are most common in the Science and Engineering fields, but are often available in other disciplines as well. Research Assistants work in laboratories and other settings to assist faculty on research projects. Research Assistants also receive a stipend, health insurance, a tuition remission based on workload (see below) and, in some cases, a payment of fees. Research Assistant support is provided by outside funding agencies, grants or contracts:

  • For no more than 9 credits, if the workload is 15 to 20 hours per week.
  • For no more than 5 credits, if the workload is 10 to 14 hours per week.
  • If the Assistantship appointment begins on or before the first day of instruction and ends on or after the last day of final examinations for that semester (16 or more weeks).
Service Assistantships 
generally refers to students who are employed to aid faculty and staff members with administrative functions within a service unit whose mission is closely related to the student's area of academic study and interest. The Service Assistants are responsible to a professional member of the service unit who supervises and trains the student in the service roll. Duties vary depending on the administrative needs of the office making the award. Typical examples of service activities could be office duties, library services, residence hall duties, athletic services, or other academic or professional assignments. 
Typical appointments involve working up to 20 hours per week. A Service Assistant receives an hourly wage, health insurance and tuition remission by the University:  
  • For no more than 9 credits if the workload is 15 to 20 hours per week.
  • For no more than 5 credits if the workload is 10 to 14 hours per week.
  • If the assistantship appointment begins on or before the first day of instruction an ends on or after the last day of final examinations for that semester (16 weeks or more).

To qualify for assistantships or fellowships, GA's must be enrolled in at least 6 credits for fall or spring semesters in courses directly related to your official Graduate Studies Plan (GSP) in DegreeWorks. Audited classes do not count towards registration requirements. 
Graduate students are eligible for other student employment. Explore your possibilities for the latest assistantships available. 

Federal Work-Study Funded Graduate Assistantships

Federal Work Study is designed to provide jobs to students to help them meet their educationally related expenses. To be eligible for Federal Work Study, a student must complete a FAFSA and demonstrate financial need. Both graduate and undergraduate students may be eligible if they are enrolled at least half-time. Work study is taxable income but will not negatively affect your financial aid eligibility in future years. Since Federal Work-Study funding is limited, we award Federal Work Study to eligible applicants based on FAFSA application date- the earlier you apply, the more likely you are to receive Federal Work Study funds. If you are interested in a Federal Work Study position but were not offered it on your award letter, please contact us directly. *Please be aware - if FWS appears as an award offer, this money will never disburse to your student account to cover tuition/fee charges. Payment occurs via an external Human Resources process as you work and earn wages.