Stanford
Administrative Guide

10.2.1 Graduate Student Assistantships

Authority
Approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.
Last Updated

Formerly Known As Policy Number: 24.2

This Guide Memo summarizes the regulations regarding graduate student assistantship appointments at Stanford University. Definition of the graduate student assistantship is followed by the criteria for eligibility to hold an assistantship, a brief description of each type of assistantship, the rules governing tuition allowance, and other policy matters. For questions, please contact the relevant school dean’s office or the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education. 

For policies that apply to employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, refer to the agreements at Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining for details.

Applicability: Applies to the appointment of graduate students to graduate student assistantships.

1. Definitions and Distinctions

a. Graduate Student Assistantships

Graduate student assistantships are a form of student employment, earning a compensation package including both salary and tuition allowance (TAL) for the performance of research or teaching services to Stanford as part of the student's academic and professional training and development. For the purposes of this policy “home department” refers to the academic program or department in which the student is enrolled; “hiring department” refers to the administrative unit in which the student holds the assistantship.

Distinctions from Assistantships:

Fellowships

Fellowship stipends are financial aid, not salary. No service is expected in return for a fellowship; it is awarded on a merit basis to assist a student in the pursuit of a degree.

Hourly Employment through Payroll

Graduate students may be employed and paid for research and teaching work unrelated to the student's academic and professional training as described in Administrative Guide 10.2.2: Graduate Student Hourly Employment. Such employment is not considered an assistantship appointment, does not generate tuition, and is not processed in GFS.

b. The Graduate Financial Support (GFS) system

GFS is the online application used to enter all graduate student research and teaching assistantship appointments and fellowships. Although they are not matriculated Stanford graduate students, postdoctoral scholars' appointments also are entered in GFS. GFS also handles financial support for other non-matriculated graduate students, e.g., visiting student researchers. Non-matriculated students are, however, in general not eligible for assistantships.

c. Open Assistantship

An assistantship is considered “open” when it is not committed to or allocated for a specific student or limited group of students, such as a PhD advisor’s own students or a group of students within a specific discipline. Most assistantships are not considered to be “open”. 

Open assistantships are posted to (advertised on) a dedicated university website identified for this purpose. Posting on the identified university website does not preclude the use of other advertising and recruiting platforms.

2. Assistantship Eligibility Criteria

a. Matriculation at Stanford

A graduate student must be matriculated, be in an active graduate degree program, and be eligible to enroll in coursework. Coterminal students in both an undergraduate and graduate degree program are eligible for assistantships once they are in the Graduate Tuition Group. Students of New Faculty (SNF) are eligible for research assistantships only.

b. Enrollment

Students must be enrolled in each quarter in which an assistantship is held. For autumn, winter and spring quarters, the student must be enrolled in at least 8 units to be appointed to an assistantship. For summer quarter, the enrollment requirement is reduced to 1 unit. 

Exceptions to this enrollment requirement may include students under at least one of the following:

  • on TGR status,
  • with an approved Graduate Petition for Part-time Enrollment,
  • enrolled for an approved Graduation Quarter,
  • on Honors Cooperative Program (HCP) student status, or
  • in an approved childbirth accommodation period.

c. Relevancy

Teaching or research service performed must be related to the student's academic and professional development in order to qualify for an assistantship appointment.

Note: Entering and approving the assistantship appointment in Graduate Financial Support (GFS)/Worklist Manager constitutes a statement that the work involved is relevant to the student's academic program.

d. English proficiency for teaching assistantships

All international students are required to submit TOEFL scores as part of their Stanford graduate program application must be approved for English proficiency before being appointed to any teaching position. Students need only pass the TA screening prior to their first teaching assistantship; it does not need to be repeated for subsequent teaching positions.

  • The department that plans to appoint an international student as a TA/CA must have the student review the TA screening webpage, that has information about making an appointment.  
  • Whenever possible, TA screening should occur at least one full quarter in advance of the assistantship appointment to allow time for the student  to take any required or recommended classes to improved communication skills.
  • Upon successful completion of the TA screen and/or required classes, ESOL enters the approval of English proficiency (TA OK) in the GFS system, after which the assistantship appointment can be processed.

e. I-9 eligibility to work in the U.S.A.

By federal regulation, all individuals receiving salary through Payroll must demonstrate eligibility to work in the U.S.A. by filing Federal Form I-9. Departments must forward necessary paperwork to Payroll in advance of the student's first paycheck. For more information, see Student Specific Payroll Administration. 

f. Social Security Number

A Social Security number (SSN) is required of all Stanford employees and must be on file with Payroll.

g. Alternatives

In the case where no matriculated graduate student is available to fill a need for a research or teaching assistantship, an undergraduate or non-matriculated person may be hired in the categories of teaching aide or research aide. These are hourly-paid positions, processed through the Human Resources Management System (HRMS), not the GFS system. Individuals appointed to these positions are never eligible for a tuition allowance. The appropriate department chair, program director, and school dean's office should confirm that no matriculated graduate student is available before these alternative appointments are processed.

3. Types of Assistantship Appointments: Teaching

Graduate student teaching assistantship responsibilities are categorized into the following four appointment levels.

Note: Students may not be appointed to an assistantship for a course in which they are simultaneously enrolled as a student.

a. Course Assistant (CA)

Course assistants support faculty member(s) who have primary responsibility for a course. Duties vary but do not include classroom teaching.

 Responsibilities may include:

  • assisting in the preparation of lecture materials and running laboratory sessions;
  • attending class meetings or lab sessions;
  • conducting review sessions;
  • coordinating other aspects of the course (e.g., speakers, activities, etc.);
  • holding office hours;
  • monitoring or maintaining existing course websites;
  • responding to student questions;
  • marking and/or grading some portion or all of the exams or papers (but not independently assigning the final grade).

b. Teaching Assistant (TA)

Teaching assistants have significantly more independence than a course assistant and support faculty member(s) who have primary responsibility for a course.

In addition to the responsibilities held by a course assistant, TA responsibilities may include:

  • preparing for class sections and/or laboratories where new material may be presented;
  • presenting material in a classroom or lab setting.

c. Graduate Teaching Affiliate (TF)

This teaching appointment is limited to graduate students who have had substantial teaching experience. The graduate teaching affiliate will typically be identified as an instructor or co-instructor of the course in Stanford publications and will have primary charge and responsibility for the course (with the mentorship of a faculty member). In some cases, graduate teaching affiliates have full responsibility for a course where the content is defined by a faculty coordinator.

Responsibilities may include:

  • preparing, teaching, grading and assessing student work, conducting regular office hours, etc., in keeping with the established practices of the offering department or program;
  • developing course materials independently with the guidance of a faculty mentor for a course approved by the offering department/program in which it is offered;
  • supervising CAs and TAs assigned to the course.

d. Mentor Teaching Assistant (MTA)

This teaching appointment is limited to graduate students with substantial teaching experience.

In addition to the responsibilities of a course or teaching assistant, responsibilities may include:

  • serving as a head teaching assistant to coordinate the training and guidance of teaching assistants in a given course or set of courses;
  • developing complex materials in support of a course or group of courses.

4. Types of Assistantship Appointments: Research

a. Research Assistant

Research assistants conduct research under the direction of a faculty member or other designated supervisor.

5. Percentage and Period of Assistantship Appointments

a. Full-quarter Appointments

Assistantship appointments are made for a full quarter of three months. Standard appointment periods are:

  • autumn quarter: October 1–December 31,
  • winter quarter: January 1–March 31,
  • spring quarter: April 1–June 30, and
  • summer quarter: July 1–September 30.

Note that these dates are different from the start and stop dates of quarters on the university’s academic calendar. This timing delivers continuous salary to students on assistantship appointed for multiple sequential quarters, i.e., students on assistantship are paid during the periods between quarters.

Work before the start of the appointment period and after the end of the appointment period is also included in the total workload for the quarter.

b. Autumn, Winter and Spring Assistantship Appointments

(1) Percentage of Time

During autumn, winter, and spring quarters:

  • Increments: The percentage of appointments must be in increments of 5% time.
  • 10% Minimum: the minimum assistantship is 10% time.
  • 50% Maximum: The typical maximum assistantship appointment is 50% time, allowing students on assistantship to make expeditious progress toward their degree. Assistantships totaling more than 50% are generally prohibited as they may impede academic progress.

An appointment of 40% may be combined with a 10% appointment to total 50%. Appointments of 45% are not allowed.

(2) Approval for Exceptions

Assistantships for more than 50% time during the academic year, two concurrent assistantships totaling more than 50% time, or enrollment in more than 10 units while holding a 50% appointment, require the prior approval of the student's advisor, the Department Chair, and School Dean's office.

  • Recommendations for such assistantship appointments should indicate the academic progress of the student and the anticipated degree completion date; the student must have been admitted to candidacy.
  • Approval will be granted only where such an assistantship appointment will not interfere with progress towards the degree and normally will be granted for no more than one year.

c. Summer Assistantship Appointments

(1) Percentage of Time

In summer quarter, students on assistantship may hold an assistantship up to 90% FTE (36 hours of work per week). 55% assistantships are not allowed. Students on assistantship must be enrolled for at least one unit in order to hold a summer quarter assistantship.

(2)  Enrollment

In summer quarter, graduate students must be enrolled in at least one unit or approved for an exception outlined in section 2.b. Students in assistantships totaling more than 50% will have their tuition allowance reduced proportionately (see Salary & TAL Tables (http://gfs.stanford.edu/tables) in order to accommodate additional hours of employment. Students combining an assistantship with more than 8 hours of hourly employment during the summer should reduce their enrollment in proportion to their total summer quarter employment.

For additional information regarding tuition allowance in summer quarter, see Section 7.d(4).

d. Assistantships Totaling More Than 50%

The maximum assistantship, as an individual appointment or through combined assistantships, in any quarter is 90%. Appointments totaling more than 36 hours per week may not be processed in GFS, are not considered assistantships, and do not include a tuition allowance; they should instead be hired through HR.

Whenever possible, graduate student assistantships totaling more than 50% should be established as a single appointment, rather than a combination of smaller appointments. (This allows GFS to calculate the appropriate TAL; if entered separately, administrators must determine the appropriate TAL cost and split, and coordinate adjustments to GFS.)

e. Shortened Summer Assistantships

During summer quarter, many courses are shorter and the between-quarters period is longer than in autumn/winter/spring quarters. A teaching or research assistantship may be offered for less than the full three-month period but must be at least two months in duration.

Summer quarter assistantships must begin on the quarterly start-date (July 1), and the end date may be set at two months or later (Aug 31), rather than the full 3-month period (Sept 30). In these cases, the student in assistantship will earn the full tuition allowance and a specific salary per pay period (often, the department's standard semi-monthly salary). The student should be advised that the shorter work period will generate less total salary.

6. Salary

Minimum assistantship salaries are outlined on the Graduate Financial Support website. For assistantships covered by a collective bargaining agreement refer to the applicable agreement at Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining. Degree programs may pay a student in assistantship more, but not less, than these minimums.

Source of Funding

a. Salary for Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships may be paid by a university budget allocation to the schools/departments or by school/departmental funds.

b. Salary for Research Assistantships

Research assistantships may be paid by an external/sponsored source of funds or school/ departmental funds.

7. Tuition Allowance (TAL)

a. Definition

Tuition allowance (TAL) is a component of an assistantship compensation package and represents a commitment to support a student's educational program through the payment of a portion of the student's tuition bill.

b. Source of Funding

The value of TAL for a 50% assistantship appointment is established as the tuition value for 8-10 units (8-9 units in the Law School, and 8 units in the MED MD program). The value of tuition allowance for assistantship appointments of between 10% and 50% is a proportional amount defined by TAL Tables (http://gfs.stanford.edu/tables) published each year.

Tuition charges and TAL are based on the student's home school tuition rate, regardless of the location of the assistantship. The hiring school/department is responsible for funding tuition allowance based on the student's home school/department tuition rate.

Stanford requires that any outside tuition support to which students have access will be used to the full extent before TAL is claimed. Acceptance of a Stanford assistantship obliges a student to inform the department of additional aid received.

(1) Tuition Allowance (TAL) Funding for Research Assistantships

Tuition allowance (TAL) for research assistants is subsidized by the University or the school in which the research assistant is working and funded as follows:

  • For sponsored awards that pay the full Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rate, Stanford contributes 55% to the tuition allowance amount.
  • For all other funding sources, Stanford contributes 40% of the tuition allowance amount.
  • TGR/Medical School Research Rate (MSRR) tuition is paid in full by the student’s associated assistantship. Students in TGR, graduation quarter, or MSRR tuition do not receive university or school tuition allowance.
  • The School of Medicine contributes 19% of the tuition allowance amount for research assistants funded by the school.
  • In the School of Business and School of Medicine, university general funds are used to pay the Stanford portion of tuition allowance for research assistants. The Schools of Business and Medicine contribute tuition allowance for research assistants from school funds.

(2) Tuition Allowance (TAL) Funding for Teaching Assistantships

  • In all schools except otherwise listed below, TAL for teaching assistants is funded by a university budget allocation to the schools/departments. Schools, departments or programs may also fund additional TAL for teaching assistants, beyond the university budget allocation.
  • In the School of Business and School of Medicine, the respective schools are responsible for contributing tuition allowance for teaching assistants working in these schools.

(3) Federal Work Study (FWS)

  •  Federal Work Study (FWS) funds cannot be used to pay TAL.
  • For students with research assistantships funded by FWS, FWS funds pay the assistantship salary and the school or department contributes the "sponsored portion”.
  • Teaching assistantships funded by federal work study fund the assistantship salary. Tuition allowance funding for these students on assistantship is as described in Section 7. (2) above.

(4) Tuition Allowance Funding for Military Personnel

Stanford faculty may use research project funding to pay the tuition for graduate students on military scholarships where the provision of their military support includes a prohibition of salary payment from Stanford in certain limited circumstances:

  •  The student has a statement of financial support from their branch of the US military, defining the terms of the student's support while enrolled at Stanford. The agreement must state that the student can receive tuition support from Stanford but may not be paid a salary by Stanford. If this arrangement continues for more than one year, the student should present evidence that the military scholarship is continuing for each year.
  • The student will average at least 20 hours of work per week on the project for each quarter in which they are paid, earning TAL for a 50% assistantship. This arrangement should also be documented by means of an assistantship agreement.
  • All records to document this arrangement are kept with the student's records.

In the case where the graduate student is working on a faculty member's research project and meets all eligibility requirements, the graduate student may be appointed as a research assistant. The salary line may then be cancelled, leaving the remaining tuition allowance payment in compensation for the work performed.

(5) Students Working in Schools Other Than Where They Are Enrolled

When teaching or research assistants are appointed in a school other than the one in which they are enrolled, the school in which the student is under assistantship (hiring school/department) is responsible for paying the TAL at the student's home school tuition rate. In the case of research assistants, splitting tuition between the sponsored source and Stanford (either 60%/40% or 81%/19%) is controlled by the school paying the student in assistantship.

(6) Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR), Terminal Medical Registration (TMR) and Medical School Research Rate (MSRR)

  • TAL cannot be carried forward to pay TGR/TMR/MSRR tuition in future quarters.
  • TGR/TMR/MSRR tuition is paid in full by the associated assistantship (see below). The GFS system will not divide TGR/TMR/MSRR tuition and share the cost with university or school funds.
  • For research assistants, TGR/TMR/MSRR tuition is charged directly to the source of funds paying the student's salary.
  • For teaching assistants, TGR/TMR/MSRR tuition is paid in the same manner as other TAL funding for teaching assistants (see section 2, above).

d. Amount of Tuition Allowance

(1) Percent Time

The amount of TAL earned depends on the percentage of time of the graduate student assistantship. See the Tuition Allowance Tables (http://gfs.stanford.edu/tables).

  • The minimum assistantship appointment is 10% and provides TAL equal to the value of two units of tuition. (Note: The minimum tuition charged by Stanford during the autumn, winter, and spring quarters is three units, and therefore a 10% assistantship will not provide enough tuition allowance to cover Stanford's minimum unit-based tuition.)
  • The maximum assistantship appointment during autumn, winter and spring quarters is 50%, and provides TAL equal to 8-10 units of tuition charge, except in the Law School which earns the 8-9 unit value and in the MED MD program, where it earns the 8 unit value.
  • For assistantship appointments of 50-90%, the total TAL earned decreases as the percentage of time increases. (For example: A student's 70% assistantship(s) earns the same TAL as a 30% appointment.) For the rules governing appointments greater than 50%, see section 5.b.4 (required pre-approval for exceptions, autumn, winter and spring), 5.c (summer), and 5.d. See also tuition allowance tables for summer quarter.

(2) Length of Assistantships

Appointments are made for a full three month period (see "Percentage and Period of Appointment," Section 5 of this document). Appointments will earn the designated amount of TAL for the full quarter in which the student is appointed.

(3) Multiple Assistantships

Students may hold multiple assistantship appointments, including both research assistantships and teaching assistantships, simultaneously. At most, the 8-10 units of TAL value may be earned when combining multiple assistantships.

  • Multiple assistantships totaling 50% or less: GFS automatically calculates the total combined percentage of the assistantships that will be the basis for the amount of TAL. For example, two 25% assistantship appointments earn a combined TAL equal to a 50% appointment: 8-10 units. (During the academic year, combined appointments should not total more than 50%; see 5.b, above).
  • Multiple assistantships totaling more than 50% (e.g. in summer quarter): If entered as one appointment with multiple sources of funding, GFS correctly calculates the combined TAL as described in 5.d. If entered as separate appointments, GFS cannot do the calculation: administrators must determine both the reduced total TAL and the proportional cost to each appointment, then adjust each appointment's TAL in GFS.

(4) Summer Appointments

  •  In summer quarter, some students may enroll in fewer units than the TAL earned by their assistantship appointment(s). In such cases, the TAL for their summer quarter assistantships is reduced by adjusting the TAL amount in GFS to match the actual tuition amount billed.
  • Summer quarter appointments are for either a two month or three month period; the courses may be scheduled for 8 or 10 weeks.

e. Use of Tuition Allowance

  1. Tuition allowance can be used only in the quarter in which it was generated by an appointment.
  2. Tuition allowance may be used only as a credit against tuition charges. It is:
  • Not convertible to cash;
  • Not transferable to another student;
  • Not usable for any other charges, such as ASSU fees; and
  • Not applicable to tuition charges for Continuing Studies Program courses.

8. Work in Addition to Assistantship Appointment

To preserve the focus on the student's academic progress, Stanford formally limits the number of hours a student may be employed while also holding an assistantship appointment. Graduate students are expected to coordinate additional hourly employment with the assistantship appointment, and with their academic obligations, including course load, number of registered units, and the academic expectations of their program. Academic departments/programs, offices employing students, and funding sources may also impose employment limitations. Graduate student hourly employment is described in Administrative Guide Memo 10.2.2 (https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapters/student-employment-and-assistantships/graduate-student-employment-campus/graduate-0): Graduate Student Hourly Employment.

During break periods when classes are officially not in session, including between-quarter break periods and Thanksgiving break, Stanford does not limit the number of hours graduate students may be employed. Additional information about break periods is located in Administrative Guide 10.2.2 Graduate Student Hourly Employment (https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapters/student-employment-and-assistantships/graduate-student-employment-campus/graduate-0).

a. Limit on Hours for U.S. Students

During autumn, winter and spring quarters, students on 50% assistantships may not be employed more than an additional eight hours a week inside Stanford and/or outside of Stanford; those eight hours cannot be in other assistantship positions. During summer quarter, enrolled graduate students are limited to 36 hours of employment weekly, combining hourly employment and assistantship.

b. Limit on Hours for International students

International students on F-1 or J-1 visas are subject to both university policies on employment and visa requirements that limit employment; in all cases, the more restrictive limitation will apply. International students are eligible for on-campus employment if they are maintaining their F-1 or J-1 status. During the academic year (autumn, winter and spring quarters), students on F-1 or J-1 visas are limited to a total of 20 hours of employment per week (except the break periods between quarters), including both hourly jobs and assistantship appointments), and including any off-campus employment that they may have been authorized to perform.

For further information regarding regulations for students with F-1 and J-1 visas, contact Bechtel International Center (https://bechtel.stanford.edu).

9. Cancellation, Termination, or Modification of Assistantship Appointments

For assistantships covered by the collective bargaining agreement, refer to the applicable agreement at Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining. The policies below apply to assistantships for non-bargaining unit members only.

a. Cancellation before the Start Date of the Assistantship

For all other assistantships, if an appointment is cancelled on or before the start date of the assistantship:

  1. no salary is paid;
  2. no tuition allowance is provided;
  3. if tuition allowance has been applied to the student's bill, it will be withdrawn;
  4. the student is responsible for any tuition charges for the quarter.

b. Cancellation after the start date of the assistantship

If the school or department terminates the assistantship for any reason during the quarter, other than for cause, salary will end but the student will receive the full quarter TAL. This includes circumstances where sponsored funding for an assistantship ends.

c. Termination of Appointment

If a graduate student voluntarily terminates an assistantship or is removed for just cause, salary ends, and TAL is withdrawn for the quarter.

Salary ends and TAL will be applied as needed to pay the student's bill for the quarter when an assistantship appointment is terminated because a student has:

  1. completed all of the degree requirements and leaves the University; or,
  2. formally withdrawn from a degree program and leaves the University; or,
  3. taken an approved Leave of Absence from the University (for emergency/medical needs).

10. Taxes and Tax Reporting

a. Salaries and Tuition Allowance

  • All salaries from assistantships are subject to federal and state income tax and tax withholding.
  • Tuition allowance associated with assistantships for degree-seeking students is not subject to tax.

b. Exemption from FICA and VDI Taxes

Enrollment and regular attendance in courses or fulfillment of other requirements associated with a degree program are required for all students in each quarter of their appointment(s), including summer, in order to qualify for exemption from FICA (Social Security) and VDI (Voluntary Disability Insurance) taxes.

11. Benefits

The graduate appointments described in this Guide Memo are designed for and available only to Stanford students.

a. Time Off

Assistantship appointments do not accrue vacation leave.

Students with research or teaching assistantships receive a lump sum of 40 hours of paid sick time per calendar year, which is available for use during any appointment period during the year. Sick time does not carry over from one calendar year to the next.

Arrangements for any variations in work hours, including time off for vacation, jury duty, illness, or related use of sick time should be made individually with the faculty supervisor. Requests for personal time off will be evaluated based on obligations attendant to a student’s work responsibilities, duration, and supervisor approval, and will not be unreasonably denied. To the extent possible, students are encouraged to make arrangements outside of their working hours and faculty supervisors are encouraged to offer flexibility in work hours.

Regular semi-monthly salary is paid during periods when sick time is used. When sick time is used, the student notifies Payroll via Help Ticket (https://stanford.service-now.com/finance_payroll_services?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=75209554135a4b008a9175c36144b0c9). Sick time accrued for an assistantship appointment is paid only when used to replace work hours during the course of employment as a research or teaching assistant. Otherwise, sick balances are not paid out. Graduate students who have student hourly employment, either concurrently or at different times of the year, will see a separate accounting of sick time accrued for the student hourly employment (see Administrative Guide Memo 10.3.1 (https://adminguide.stanford.edu/chapters/student-employment-and-assistantships/sick-time-student-hourly-employees/sick-time-student): Sick Time for Student Hourly Employees).

Students with research or teaching assistantship appointments may use sick time for themselves or a family member: for absences due to illness; for preventive care or diagnoses, care, or treatment of an existing health condition; or for purposes related to domestic violence, sexual assaults, or stalking.

b. Health Insurance

Eligibility for health insurance benefit is determined quarterly on the basis of assistantship and fellowship appointments approved as of the payroll deadline of each quarter. Students on assistantship are eligible for a health insurance subsidy as long as they do not waive Cardinal Care insurance or have their insurance paid fully by an outside source of funds.

The health insurance subsidy is as follows for eligible students on assistantship:

  • Students on assistantship appointments for 25% time or more per quarter will receive a subsidy paying 100% of the cost of the single-student Cardinal Care premium.
  • Students on assistantship appointments of less than 25% time per quarter will receive a subsidy paying 50% of the cost of the single-student Cardinal Care premium.

12. Resources for Additional Information

 

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