FAQ: Grad Assistantship & Tuition Scholarship

UNI gives you the opportunity to fund your education through paid experiences and monetary awards

We've prepared this resource so you can answer any questions in regards to the funding options the Graduate College has for you.

Basic information
Application for and Admission
Specifics: holding funding

Apply for a Grad Assistantship

Apply for a Tuition Scholarship

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Check back later for up-to-date information

General Information

What is a Graduate Assistantship?

A Graduate Assistantship (GA) is an employment position on campus that is awarded full-time (20 hours per week) or half-time (10 hours per week). Assistantships enhance the student’s graduate education by exposing them to professional activities and concerns of their discipline and gives them the opportunity to work closely with faculty and other university professionals. Interested? Apply for a departmental GA by completing our online application form.

Funds are allocated by the Graduate College, academic units and non-academic support units. Assistantship offers are extended by the departments or hiring units. Descriptions and postings can be found on Handshake or the Graduate Assistantship Position Listing.

Important: Summer term GAs are not allowed. If you have the chance to work in a graduate assignment during summer or winter term, these will be processed as hourly student employment positions.

General Payment Information

GA appointments are set to 16 weeks of work.
GA stipends are paid through payroll on the last business day of each month during the awarded semester.
GA stipends are disbursed in 5 equal installments.
Taxes are withheld on GA compensations.
This position is distinct from hourly student employment.
Assistantship stipend amounts can be prorated based on a late start date.

Qualifications

Students must be enrolled for at least 9 qualifying graduate credit hours.
Students must have an official transcript on file in the Office of Admissions showing that their bachelors degree has been conferred.
Students must be admitted without provisions to degree status in a graduate degree program.
Students admitted conditionally due to GPA reasons are not eligible for funding.
Students must maintain a UNI cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.00. A newly admitted graduate student must have at least a 3.0 GPA for undergraduate or previous graduate work of at least 8 graded credit hours.
Students must meet UNI's Human Resources Services' employment eligibility.

What are the benefits of holding a Graduate Assistantship?

A GA will help you develop and apply fresh knowledge related to your field and graduate major, boosting your resume and knowledge base.
A GA awardee might have tuition billed at the cheaper resident rate.
Non-resident spouses of GAs receive tuition billed at the cheaper resident rate.
GAs are able to purchase an “A” (faculty/staff) campus parking permit.
GAs receive holidays and might not work during breaks, although this can vary according to special adjustments in the academic calendar.

Note: Students must maintain at least a half-time assistantship for the entire semester to receive these benefits.

Which types of Graduate Assistantships are available at UNI?

There are three categories of Graduate Assistantship positions and they are available in both academic departments and support service departments (non-academic) at UNI. Some assistantships are funded internally and others are funded externally. Regardless of the funding source, all policies and procedures pertaining to them are the same.

Graduate Teaching Assistants (Academic Departments): Graduate students given primary responsibility for the instruction of undergraduate courses are the exception rather than the rule.
Graduate Research Assistants (Academic Departments): Research Assistants are selected for excellence in scholarship and promise as researchers. They perform research as a portion of their training under the direct supervision of regular faculty members or support the research initiatives of the institution.
Graduate Service Assistants (Support Service Departments): Graduate Service Assistants work in a service unit whose mission is closely related to the student’s area of academic study and interest. They are responsible to a professional member of the service unit who supervises and trains the student in the service role.

Are there other forms of Financial Aid/Employment available for me?

Other types of financial aid can be applied for through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (FAFSA and/or loans).
Other types of employment (Hourly student employment) can be applied for through Handshake (online job board) available on the Career Services website.
Graduate students can enroll in an internship class to find the right employment for them (with the help fo their Academic Advisor).

What is a Graduate College Tuition Scholarship?

This scholarship is a monetary award that helps to pay tuition costs. The Graduate College's Tuition Scholarships are awarded to cover half of or the entirety of the in-state tuition rate. It does not cover mandatory fees.

Students receiving this award will see their scholarship posted directly to their University bill (U-bill) by the first day of the semester. A Graduate College Tuition Scholarship does not qualify a student for the resident tuition rate.

Our scholarships are processed through and reported to the Financial Aid Office; you are not required to do work nor provide any services to receive this award.

Interested? Apply for a Tuition Scholarship by using our online application form.

Eligibility for a Tuition Scholarship (TS)

Students must be enrolled in at least 9 qualifying graduate credit hours.
Students must have an official transcript on file in the Office of Admissions showing that their bachelors (or any other required) degree has been conferred.
Students must be admitted without provisions to degree status to a UNI graduate degree program.
Students must be declared in their graduate degree program.
Students must maintain a UNI cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.00. A newly admitted graduate student must have a GPA of at least 3.0 for undergraduate or previous graduate work of at least 8 graded credit hours. If GPA drops below a 3.0, the scholarship will be removed and the student must pay the tuition and return the award amount.

Download the GA handbook

Assistantships Inventory

Application for Financial Aid

Application for & Admission

How do I apply for financial support?

Admission offers do not include funding nor is it implied. Students need to apply separately for financial support. The Graduate College's GAs and Tuition Scholarships are applied for through each department. Assistantships are available in both academic and non-academic departments.

For GAs: you will need to submit an online Application to the appropriate contact listed on the GA description (click on the form and review the instructions). Assistantship openings and descriptions can be found on: (1) Handshake (Official UNI's job board), (2) departmental websites, and (3) the Graduate Assistantship Inventory.
For Tuition Scholarships: you will need to apply by using the online Application form. Just select your program!

Departments ultimately decide which students receive Assistantships and/or Scholarships; the Graduate College neither recommends students nor assists departments in the selection/decision making process. The Graduate College hosts the process to ensure guidelines and policies are followed, in order for all internal processes to be carried out correctly.

Is there a deadline to apply for graduate funding?

Check with your Graduate Program Coordinator regarding their preferred deadline! Generally, funding applications for support during the next academic year should be submitted to the academic department no later than February 1 (this deadline is subject to change and could be pushed to an earlier date). For example, if you are interested in starting either in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025, you should submit your application for funding in February 2024.

When and How will I know and be sure that I'm being awarded with any funds? What do I do next?

Award decisions vary between academic programs and non-academic units. If you do not hear from a program or unit, nor receive a formal offer by the end of February/March, then you might not have been considered for the initial round of funding. However, after this date, you'll be put on a waiting list and could be awarded funds if someone else declines their funds. Consider that non-academic units can hire anytime, including after the semester starts, so their timeline is different from academic programs.

Where can I review the cost of studying, including tuition and fees?

The office of the Registrar posts a tuition overview on the following site: tuition.uni.edu. International students can review the information shared by the International Admissions Office at intladm.uni.edu

Specific info: holding a GA or a scholarship

Will I be considered for funding after I receive my admission decision or admission letter?

No. Funding must be applied for separately (graduate assistantships and scholarships or Financial Aid). An offer of admission does not include an offer of funding, nor is it implied. Students will be notified separately of any funding they might receive upon application and selection, as admissions belongs to a separate process and has different eligibility criteria.

How should I better prepare to start my GA assignment?

We've got you! You are required to follow our GA orientation (general orientation) as well as any department-based or assignment-specific training. You can visit the following link to get ready for the general GA orientation.

What happens to my Assistantship or Scholarship if I swap, drop or withdraw one or more classes?

One of the requirements to hold a Graduate Assistantship or have a Graduate College Tuition Scholarship is enrollment in at least 9 qualifying, on-campus, graduate-level credit hours. If you need to drop below the required 9 hours, funding must be surrendered. To swap or change your current enrollment, please read the information shared below.

Is it possible to swap or drop classes without losing my award(s)?

If you have received Graduate College funding, you will see a "Grad Assistant Full-time Req" hold (RGA) or “Grad Scholarship Full-time Req” hold (RGG) on your account for the entire semester. This type of hold does not prevent you from registering for classes but it does prevent you from dropping them. In order to drop or swap any class, you must:

Inform your academic advisor about your plans/changes
Submit an online student request named “Change of registration: Drop course from current/future term” in MyUNIverse
Once the online student request is submitted you will be notified regarding its approval/rejection via email
Upon approval, the Registrar's Office will adjust your records, which may take a couple of days
Check your overall registration in the Student Center section of MyUNIverse to verify that you are enrolled in 9 qualifying credits.

I need to resign my Graduate Assistantship. What steps should I follow?

Understand that you will be compensated for the number of week(s) you have worked, not hours or days. You'll need to provide the date last worked on and the number of weeks you worked.
To resign after the start of the semester, email your supervisor and the Graduate College informing that you are resigning your assistantship.
To resign before the start of the semester, use the link in your assistantship offer letter (sent via email) to decline the position electronically.
If you are a non-resident and resign your assistantship, your tuition will be billed at the higher, non-resident rate.
The Graduate College will remove your assistantship and RGA hold.

I need to resign my Graduate College Tuition Scholarship. What steps should I follow?

Understand that you might be responsible for all tuition charges for that semester.
To rescind your award, use the link in your original scholarship offer letter (sent via email) to decline the award electronically.
Once you decline the award, the system will send an automated email to your academic department and the Graduate College informing them that you have declined the scholarship.
Once we cancel your support, you will see the scholarship as an amount you owe in your U-bill. The Graduate College will release the RGG hold after we can verify the removal as been processed.

Refer to the following rule regarding the time of the semester that any withdrawal occurs: "if the student withdraws from the semester or from the university due to a personal, family, or medical emergency, the tuition scholarship will be honored and applied to the UBill, based on the schedule below." This follows the percentages of tuition and fees refund policy. The percentages are the amount of scholarship that is removed (i.e: withdrawal during week 1, removes 90% of the value of the scholarship)

Week 1 – 90%
Week 2 – 75%
Week 3 – 50%
Week 4 – 25%
Week 5 and beyond – student gets to keep the entire award.

Termination of Assistantship Appointments

A graduate assistantship appointment may be terminated for cause, including, but not limited to:

Failure to complete hire paperwork (I-9 form) at the HRS office on time.
Failure to enroll in the minimum number of qualifying hours.
Failure to maintain good academic standing (UNI cumulative GPA 3.0 or above).
Neglect of duties or incompetence.
Constant refusal to follow supervisor’s advice/counsel.
Failure to comply with Assistantship obligations as set forth by department/program rules/sponsored research agreements.
Personal conduct that violates UNI student conduct code policy 3.02, state law, or federal law.
Performance that does not meet expectations may impact the renewal of the GA and, in certain circumstances, it may lead to the cancelation of any accepted GA offers.

Download the GA handbook

Orientation for new GAs

Submit a Student Request