Graduate Assistantship Types

Students may be appointed to the following Graduate Assistant positions:

1. Graduate Assistant (GAS): The GAS works in direct support of instruction and is paid from the Faculty Salaries budget line. Work units are assigned as a sub-administrative assignment and cannot be paid from course fees or distance education accounts.
2. Graduate Assistant (GAW):  The GAW assists with administrative duties. The GAW is paid from the Wages budget line. All tutors are paid from wages and must be used for course fees and distance education instructional support.
3. Graduate Research Assistant (GRA): The GRA is involved in designated research and must be used on 19 accounts. The GRA is paid from the Wages budget line in the grant.
4. Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): The GTA serves as the teacher of record and assigns final grades. The GTA is paid from the Faculty Salaries budget line. The hiring department must specify the course(s) taught by the student. 
   1. Special criteria for Graduate Teaching Assistantships assigned primary responsibility for teaching a course for credit and assigning final grades to include the following:
      1. The student must have completed at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching field. Preferably, the student will have had teaching experience in the specialty area. 
      2. The specific courses taught must be listed if the student is hired as a GTA. At the time of the appointment, the The component leader (chair, dean, associate dean, director) or the hiring department administrator must digitally complete and submit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form, listing the coursework that qualifies the student to teach the course/s they are assigned: University, Course Prefix & No., Course Title, Semester Credit Hours, Date & Grade, and Field. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School before the student's graduate assistantship assignment is submitted to the Graduate School and before the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) appointment can be approved and processed. Note: The Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form should be submitted only once. If the student continues to teach in subsequent semesters, the department does not need to resubmit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form.
      3. The component leader (chair, dean, associate dean, director) must complete the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form and send it to the Graduate School at the time of appointment.
      4. Each GTA must be assigned a mentor. The mentor is responsible for guiding the GTA in their assigned teaching duties and assessing the GTA's teaching performance each semester. Component leaders should ensure that each GTA is evaluated by the mentor each semester.
      5. The student whose primary language is not English should have demonstrated proficiency in English as mandated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. International students must demonstrate English speaking proficiency through one of the following in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship:
         1. A score of 26 or higher on the TOEFL iBT speaking section
         2. A score of 7.5 or higher on the IELTS Speaking Test
         3. A score of 53 or above on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
         4. A score of 4 or higher on the MELAB Speaking Test
   2. International students must also follow the guidelines of International Student and Scholar Services.

Finding & Applying for a Graduate Assistantship

Graduate Assistantships are offered throughout the university, and students are hired by departments. The Graduate School does not hire graduate assistants. Graduate assistantship jobs are posted on TWU Connect, and applicants apply through Handshake. To find an available Assistantship, students should visit Career Connections to search for assistantship opportunities. Students should also contact their department for an assistantship opportunity, a department related to their field of study, or a university support services office. Students seeking an assistantship may also visit the TWU Careers website to search for an available assistantship.

Students apply for a graduate assistantship through TWU Connect and Handshake. Candidates offered an assistantship will apply through Oracle. 

Graduate Assistantship Appointment Criteria

1. Admission to the Graduate School and enrollment in graduate courses must precede an appointment to a graduate assistantship.
2. The department will verify the following qualifications for graduate assistants:
   1. The student must be admitted to the Graduate School as a degree-seeking student.
   2. The student must be enrolled in the minimum semester credit hours (SCH) required for a graduate assistantship.
   3. The student must be in good academic standing at TWU. A student on academic probation may not hold a graduate assistantship. See Graduate Assistant Enrollment Requirements below.
3. A student is not permitted to work more than 0.50 FTE (20 hours per week = Full-Time) at TWU in any combination of graduate assistantship (wages or salary), graduate teaching assistantship, or graduate research assistantship.
4. A student must live in the state of Texas to hold a graduate assistantship at TWU.
5. A student may not hold a graduate assistantship at TWU concurrently with an assistantship at any other college or university.
6. Graduate Assistants may not hold a full-time job at TWU.
7. Graduate Assistants may not be appointed concurrently as adjunct faculty at TWU.
8. Graduate Assistants may not be appointed concurrently as student assistants/student workers at TWU. In rare cases, the Dean of the Graduate School may approve an exception with a request in writing via email from the academic component leader with a detailed rationale for the exception.

Graduate Assistantship Enrollment Requirements

Semester Enrollment Requirements - The minimum course load for which graduate assistants must be enrolled during long semesters is five (5) semester credit hours for both a 0.25 and 0.50 FTE (Full-Time Equivalency). Departments may require a greater minimum number of hours. For enrollments of less than five (5) hours, a request in writing via email from the academic component leader with a detailed rationale explaining the need for enrollment in fewer hours is required. Students in thesis, dissertation, professional paper, practicum, or internship/clinical hours may register for a minimum of three (3) hours. (Note: Students enrolled for less than 5 hours must pay FICA tax unless enrolled in their last semester.)

Summer Enrollment Requirements - The minimum course load for which graduate assistants must be enrolled for summer is five (5) semester credit hours for a 0.50 FTE (Full-Time Equivalency.) Students may be enrolled in three (3) semester credit hours with an FTE (Full-Time Equivalency) of 0.25, up to 0.49. Note: Summer enrollment includes enrollment any time during summer I, summer II, and/or summer III terms (6/1-8/31). Summer enrollment must be semester credit hours of graduate coursework.

Note: Graduate assistant appointment assignments for students who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be approved, and their assignment will be rejected and returned through Oracle to the academic component for appropriate action. 

Preparing and Processing Graduate Assistant Appointment Assignments

1. After verifying the student's qualifications for an assistantship, the department will contact the student with an employment offer letter. The contract letter will provide details of the assistantship appointment. If the graduate student holds an F-1 visa, the hiring department should contact the International Student and Scholar Services so that the assistantship may be used to factor in the student’s financial support. The hiring department should send a copy of the graduate assistantship contract letter to International Student and Scholar Services so that it may be included with the student’s I-20.
2. The department will verify that funds are available to appoint and support a graduate assistant as defined in the departmental contract. If funds are not available in the appropriate budget line, a budget transfer should be processed.
3. The department will process students' hire graduate assistant appointment assignments through Oracle. 
4. The graduate assistant appointment assignment must include the student's ID number and a brief note in the comments, including a description of the graduate assistant’s salary, FTE (Full-Time Equivalency), supervisor, and a list of specific duties, etc.
5. To ensure a graduate assistant is paid, hiring departments should follow the payroll deadline dates published on the Payroll website in the Office of Human Resources. To approve the graduate assistant appointment assignment, the Graduate School must determine that the student is registered for the appropriate number of semester credit hours. Students are encouraged to register as soon as they have been hired by the department. Graduate assistant appointment assignments sent to the Graduate School for approval for assistants not yet registered for coursework will be rejected and returned to the department for appropriate action.
6. Hiring departments must use the Graduate Assistant Classification Pay Scales on the Graduate School website when completing the graduate assistant appointment assignment. Please note that the appointment salary on graduate assistant appointment assignments for Fall, Spring, and the academic year is always the 9-month salary, although the actual length of employment may be for a different period of time. On summer graduate assistant appointment assignments, the 3-month salary is the base.
7. The specific courses taught must be listed if the student is hired as a GTA. The hiring department must digitally complete and submit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form, listing the coursework that qualifies the student to teach the course/s they are assigned: University, Course Prefix & No., Course Title, Semester Credit Hours, Date & Grade, and Field. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School before the student's graduate assistantship assignment is submitted to the Graduate School and before the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) appointment can be approved and processed. Note: The Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form should be submitted only once. If the student continues to teach in subsequent semesters, the department does not need to resubmit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form.
8. The component leader must send an official communication via TWU email to the Graduate School explaining the rationale for requesting exception approval if any of the following apply:
   1. The student will be enrolled for fewer than the required semester credit hours.
   2. The student will be employed more than half-time.
   3. The Student will be employed in a department other than her/his major.
9. The component leader will approve the graduate assistant assignment and send it to the Graduate School for approval. The Graduate School will verify the following requirements:
   1. Admission to a graduate program 
   2. The student is in good academic standing
   3. The student lives in the state of Texas
   4. The student is not a full-time, part-time, or adjunct employee at TWU
   5. A student does not hold a student assistant/student worker position
   6. The student is registered for the required number of hours 
   7. Whether the student is international or a permanent resident 
10. The Graduate School will approve the graduate assistant appointment assignment in Oracle and forward it to the Director of Academic Financial Services.

After Appointment

Human Resources

Departments should send newly hired graduate assistants to the Office of Human Resources to complete the necessary forms to ensure payment and insurance coverage, if applicable. By federal law, the student must complete Human Resources paperwork prior to or within the first three days of employment.

Request for In-State Tuition

 An out-of-state graduate assistant is entitled to register by paying the tuition and other fees or charges required for Texas residents without regard to the length of time the assistant has resided in Texas if the following criteria are met:

1. The graduate assistant is enrolled in a minimum of five (5) semester credit hours.
2. The graduate assistant is employed at least one-half time (0.50 FTE = 20 hours = Full-Time).
3. The graduate assistant is working in a position that relates to their degree program.

The student should digitally complete the Request for In-State Tuition Form for Graduate Assistants, signed by the component leader, and forward it to the Graduate School as an email attachment. The form must be submitted by the 12th class day of long semesters, the 4th class day of summer sessions, and the 2nd class day of the 13-week, 3-week, and 7-week sessions. Refer to TWU's Academic Calendars. The Graduate School will verify that the student meets the requirements for in-state tuition, approve the request for in-state tuition, and forward the request for in-state tuition form to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar's Office will make the adjustment to the student's account.  

Graduate Assistant Orientation

The Graduate School requires all Graduate Assistants (GAS, GAW, GRA, GTA) to complete an online Graduate Assistant Orientation/Training course annually. Students are notified to take this training when the hiring department submits an assignment change in Oracle, hiring the student as a Graduate Assistant (GAW, GAS, GRA, GTA). The orientation/training includes a review of policies, rights, and responsibilities, as well as mandatory Title IX information. All GAs are responsible for completing the online Graduate Assistant Training course through TWU's Bridge platform.

All newly hired Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs who are teaching for the very first time) are required to complete informational training presentations by various TWU departments, programs and support services such as: The Graduate School, The Center for Faculty Success, Academic Support Services, Graduate Student Council, Disabilities Support Services, the Office of Human Resources, Environmental Safety and Health, TWU Library, Information Services, IT Services, the Distance Education Support Team, Student Life, and by currently employed graduate assistants. New GTA training sessions are designed to help newly hired GTAs adjust to the teaching experience at TWU. New GTA informational training presentations are offered through TWU's Bridge platform. Students are notified to take this training when the hiring department submits an assignment change in Oracle, hiring the student as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.