Graduate Assistants

Please be aware that information below is currently being revised for the 2024-2025 academic year. For specific questions, contact Beatrice DeBelen.

Requirements and Benefits

The official title of Graduate Assistant (GA) is used in all university documents, but, in general practice, Graduate Assistants are referred to either as Graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs), Graduate Research Assistants (RAs), or Graduate Administrative Assistants (AAs). Qualified graduate students often move between these kinds of appointments during their graduate education.

Assignments and Start Dates

Graduate assistantships for Master's students are typically awarded without an initial work assignment. Appointment dates are dependent on the appointment type. They are as follows:

Hours

The appointment may be full-time (an average of 20 hours per week) or half-time (an average of 10 hours per week).


Stipends

Three categories (called Steps) are currently used for the classification of graduate assistantships. These steps, based on a student’s experience and progress toward the degree, determine compensation levels. Graduate Assistants fall into one of the three steps: Step I is only for first-year GAs; Step II is for PhD students, as well as for those students, new or continuing, holding a master’s degree; and Step III is for PhD students who have reached candidacy.

The School of Public Policy determines their own increments for Step II and Step III within guidelines set annually by the Graduate School. All GAs working within a particular step, in a particular unit, should be paid the same assistantship stipend.

Health Benefits

Graduate assistants may choose to enroll in the State of Maryland's health benefits program to meet their health insurance needs. Premiums are deducted bi-weekly from your paycheck. 

The health benefits program has several different plans that can be chosen. Details of each plan, including their coverage levels and premium rates, can be found at University Human Resources.  

All full-time enrolled graduate students at College Park are required to have health insurance. Students holding a graduate assistantship have a choice to either enroll in a State of Maryland health insurance plan or the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).  More information about these health insurance options can be found on the Graduate School Health Insurance Information Page.

The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is the default plan for ALL students.  If you already have insurance, or if you choose to enroll in a State of Maryland health insurance plan, you must submit a waiver to opt out of the SHIP.  Waivers are required each year and must be submitted online during SHIP open enrollment by going to the Academic Health Plans website.

For questions about health benefits, contact Lori Ganey.

Tuition Remission

9.5 month graduate assistants on a full-time appointment (20 hours) are eligible for 10 credits of tuition remission in the Fall and Spring semesters, and 4 credits in Winter term. 

9.5 month graduate assistants on a half-time appointment (10 hours) are eligible for 5 credits of tuition remission in the Fall and Spring semesters, and 2 credits in Winter term. 

9.5 months GAs extend from mid-August to the end of May, with no GA responsibilities over the summer. There are also no employee benefits or tuition remission over the summer for 9.5 month GAs.

Tuition remission is credited at the prevailing standard in-state credit hour rate at the time the class is taken. Some programs, including the MPP, have higher credit hour rates. The tuition remission benefit does not cover this differential. 

Visit the Tuition Remission and Mandatory Fees website for more information. 

Graduate Assistants with an active PHR appointment who enroll in College Park classes will automatically receive “Tuition Assistance” (also referred to as “Tuition Remission” for GAs), provided they are registered for courses.  Tuition Assistance for GAs is automatically applied to the Graduate Assistant student account and does not require the GA to submit an application. GAs should please wait up to 4 weeks for tuition remission to apply to the account before inquiring.

Full-time graduate assistants (50%) are entitled to receive up to 10 total credit hours and part-time (25%) graduate assistants are entitled to receive up to 5 credit hours for the academic semester.  

GA’s should closely review the updated Tuition Assistance FAQs and General Info for Graduate Assistants (Updated January 2024): Graduate Assistant Tuition Remission FAQ's and General Information.pdf

Payroll Forms

After you have signed your appointment letter, the Payroll Coordinator will contact you with instructions.

School of Public Policy Graduate Assistantship Policies: Summary for Students

Last updated: 07/30/2019

1. Definition and purpose of SPP Graduate Assistantships 

In keeping with UMD’s assistantship policies, the School of Public Policy (SPP) awards graduate assistantships (GAships) to many of its graduate students. In addition to GA awards provided by individual centers and programs, the School draws funding from various sources to establish a centrally managed GA Fund. This document focuses on GAs awarded through the central GA Fund.  

Most centrally funded GA positions separate the awarding of assistantships from the assignment process.  This separation allows the School to use the centrally funded positions to attract students the admissions committees believe to be academically and/or professionally strong, and on occasion qualified students with very limited financial resources, well before the assignment needs of the School for an academic year are well known.  Then, after the pool of centrally funded GAs has been created, the GAs in the pool are given particular assignments to fulfill other strategic priorities of the School:

1. Accomplish important School functions, e.g., research, teaching, administration.
2. Leverage additional funding for the School by providing GA support for the funded activities.
3. Recruit and retain high-performing faculty by providing them GA support.

On occasion, however, a prospective student may be promised a certain assignment at the time of the award if doing so will further attract the student to the School.

2. Central GA funding sources and amounts 

A GA award provides students with four financial benefits:

1. A bi-weekly stipend
2. In-state tuition status for out-of-state students
3. Tuition remission for a set number of credits
4. Access to the same subsidized health plans as the faculty and staff.

3. Types and duration of GA assignments 

GAships are categorized in a number of ways. 

Full-time vs. half-time GA 

Half-time GAs (or “half GA”) are expected to perform 10 hours of work per week on average. Full-time GAs (or “full GA”) work 20 hours a week on average.  Both sets of students receive in-state tuition status and subsidized University health benefits.  

Administrative, research, course, and teaching assistants

The School hires three categories of GAs: Administrative Assistant (AA); Research Assistant (RA); and Teaching Assistant (TA). 

Required training for TAs 

TAs for PLCY courses are required to attend the Graduate Student Orientation to Teaching Orientation on Thursday August 22, 2024 2pm-4pm (online) offered by the University’s ​Teaching and Learning Transformation Center​ (TLTC). International students who serve as TAs must also attend the International Teaching Assistant Evaluation​. These sessions count as work hours. 

All TAs must complete the The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Training and submit their FERPA certificate 

SPP GA/RA/TA MANDATORY ORIENTATION

If you receive a GA/RA/TA appointment you must attend the SPP GA/RA/TA mandatory orientation on Thursday, August 28, 2025 9am-11:30am in Thurgood Marshall Hall - 0301 GPC Lecture Hall

STATEMENT OF MUTUAL EXPECTATIONS FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS AND SUPERVISORS

The supervisor and GA are responsible for submitting their Graduate Assistant Statement of Mutual Expectations to the Chair of the GA Committee before schedule adjustment each semester. 

By providing professional experience and mentorship, graduate assistantships are an integral part of the education of graduate students. A Statement of Mutual Expectations (SME) outlines in writing the nature of an assistantship and its supervision. It is not a formal contract, but rather a structured conversation to ensure that a graduate student and their supervisor share a clear understanding of what to expect from each other. The Graduate School requires supervisors to meet with the student at the start of their assistantship and at least once a year going forward, and are encouraged to use this template to structure this meeting and to record the understanding. Given the wide variety of research, administrative, and teaching assistantships, this template is meant to be customized as needed.

Single semester, 9.5-month GAships 

Centrally funded GAs may be assigned to either a 9.5 month assignment or single-semester GA position. The length of the assignment is specified in the GA appointment letter. The assignment does not exceed one year even if the student has an award for longer than one year. A student with an award longer than the term of the initial assignment may be reappointed to the same position or be assigned to a different position after that term.

The University’s employment dates for various assignments are as follows:

Employment dates of GA, RA and TA assistantships

4. Centrally funded GAship for master’s students 

Student eligibility 

To be eligible for a graduate assistantship (GA/RA/TA), you must meet the following requirements:

1. Be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

2. Be enrolled in at least 9 credits for the upcoming academic semester or full-time equivalent as defined by the UMD School of Public Policy

3. If your offer letter guarantees funding for your second year, you may need to enroll in more than 9 credits to meet the minimum requirement of completing 24 credits in your first year of MPP study, please refer to your award/offer letter.

Please note that your GA appointment is contingent upon maintaining these eligibility criteria throughout your assistantship. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the cancellation of their GA award.

For questions about SPP award/admission offer letters contact SPP Director of Graduate Admissions Taryn Faulkner.

For questions about the GA/RA/TA matching process contact Student Services Coordinator Beatrice DeBelen.

For questions about stipend/health insurance/benefits contact HR/Payroll Lori Ganey.

Please review the Policies for Graduate Assistantships

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Please review the English Language Proficiency Requirements

The Graduate School requires that ITAs who are non-native speakers of English be evaluated to have their proficiency in spoken English assessed. The ITA Evaluation is not required of students who serve only as graders or researchers, or whose entire education has been in the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland, English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Anglophone Africa, or the Commonwealth Caribbean. Candidates must pass the ITA Evaluation prior to being assigned teaching duties, including duties in labs.

ITAs can be exempted from the evaluation if they have already achieved the required minimum scores from the speaking section of the following standardized English tests:

TOEFL: 26 or higher, IELTS: 8 or higher, or PTE: 80 or higher

These scores must be submitted to MEI by the ITA’s academic department as described below

• All appointed ITAs should be referred to Maryland English Institute according to the current referral process (please see the linked form).
• MEI reviews each ITA's profile to determine if they are exempt from English language support. As of Spring 2024, ITAs can be exempted from spoken English support in one of two ways:
  • A speaking sub-score of 24 (iBT TOEFL), 7.5 (IELTS), or 76 (PTE) on their admission English proficiency exam.
  • Exempt from submitting English proficiency exams for admission, based on Graduate School guidelines.
• If an ITA is appointed for teaching duties and is not exempt from English language support, the ITA must be concurrently enrolled in UMEI 006 while serving as a TA. Full clearance for teaching for that ITA would come through successful completion of the UMEI 006 course. 

LENGTH OF AWARD 

At the time of admission to the Graduate School, MPP and MPM students with a strong application and in need of funding may be awarded anywhere from a one-semester to a four-semester central GA funding promise, always conditioned on meeting the requirements listed in the Student Eligibility section.

The School may also make GA awards to students post-admission in order to fulfill particular needs in the School that cannot be fulfilled by the pool of students awarded GAs upon admission. Typically such awards will be for a single semester, though might be renewable as long as the need persists. These awardees also must meet the requirements listed in the Student Eligibility section.

GA/TA/RA Matching Process

Any student interested in a GA/RA/TA position must complete a School of Public Policy GA/RA/TA Student application which will be reviewed by the Chair of the GA Committee. This will be shared with the SPP graduate listservs. It will not be posted on the SPP website or ejobs@umd.edu 

1.) For UMD School of Public Policy GA/RA/TA positions students that were guaranteed funding/centrally funded as part of their award/admissions offer will be placed into GA/RA/TA positions as first priority. Please refer to your admissions/award letter.

2.) Then specific students requested by SPP staff/faculty from their job description submission requests will be matched 

3.) Lastly, remaining open positions will be available for open competition and advertised to the graduate listservs for eligible students to apply for. This is also applicable for 2nd appointments.

External Fellowship GA requirements 

A number of MPP students each year are selected for external fellowships which sometimes carry special fellowship arrangements requiring the fellows to conduct GA work in specified areas.  The GA Committee may select centrally funded GA positions that are aligned with the intent of the fellow’s programs and invite the fellows to apply. The supervisors of these positions may only offer their positions to qualifying fellows. 

Appointment Letter 

To create an official appointment in the University’s payroll system, the School must have on file a GA appointment letter signed by the student and the associate dean. The letter specifies the length of the assignment, job duties, and benefits. It specifies the official employment dates, but the actual work dates may be negotiated between the GA and the supervisor. A template of the letter can be found on the Graduate School’s website.

5. GA performance and termination

As required by the Graduate School, the supervisor must meet with the GA to identify mutual expectations prior to the start of the assistantship. SPP requires this discussion be held before the end of the first week of the semester, and the results documented using the Mutual Expectations Statement template for ​TA​, ​AA​, and R​A​. The supervisor and GA are required to discuss, at the end of the semester, whether the mutual expectations have been met. The supervisor and GA are responsible for submitting their Graduate Assistant Statement of Mutual Expectations to the Chair of the GA Committee before schedule adjustment each semester. 

In addition to the Mutual Expectations Statement, the supervisor may develop other tools for timekeeping and performance management, such as timesheet and performance review form. These tools and any performance evaluation metrics, if used, must be identified in the Mutual Expectations Statement at the start of the semester.

Performance issues and termination

If a GA performs poorly, the supervisor should provide clear and timely feedback to the GA and discuss ways to improve. The supervisor should issue a warning to the GA and give the GA an opportunity to demonstrate improvements before initiating the process of terminating the GA.

Under the Graduate School’s assistantship policy, a GA appointment may be terminated before the expiration of its designated term for loss of funding, for cause, for academic delinquency, by written notice, and by voluntary mutual agreement.

TERMINATION OR LOSS OF SUPPORT

A Graduate Assistant's appointment may be terminated before the expiration of its designated term for loss of funding, for cause, for academic delinquency, by written notice, and by voluntary mutual agreement. Except under justifiable circumstances, as outlined in USM policy, graduate assistants whose appointments are for more than one term will be notified of decisions not to renew appointments at least 60 days before the date upon which the appointment is to begin.  

1. Loss of Funding. A graduate assistantship may be terminated on account of a loss, reduction, or reallocation in appropriation, grant, contract, gift, or other funds with which to support the appointment. Subject to the fiscal priorities of the unit, programs will make a good faith effort to find alternative funding for the full term of the appointment for a GA who is in good standing and making satisfactory progress to degree.
2. Cause. An appointment may be terminated immediately for cause. The following are examples of sufficient cause for removal: incompetence, inefficiency, wanton carelessness or neglect of duty, insubordination, repeated or extended absence, and misconduct related to the GA's suitability or capacity to continue to perform assignments. GAs who are charged with any violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, the Code of Student Conduct, another University policy, or with a criminal offense may be suspended from their positions with pay while the charges against them are pending. GAs found responsible for any violation or offense that is related to their GA duties will be terminated and any commitment to provide future GA appointments will be invalid.
3. Academic Delinquency. An appointment may be terminated if the GA is not making satisfactory academic progress to a degree or is otherwise not in good academic standing. The termination shall be in writing and may be immediate or with such notice as the University believes compatible with the GA's academic situation, not to exceed 30 calendar days.
4. Written Notice. An appointment may be terminated by delivery of 60 days written notice to the GA.
5. Voluntary Agreement. With the agreement of the University, an appointment may be terminated by the voluntary written resignation of the GA.

If the supervisor of a centrally-funded GA/RA/TA believes the appointment should be terminated for cause, the supervisor should send the recommendation to the School’s GA Committee. The supervisor should present documentation of the GA’s performance and failure to improve even after a warning was issued. Before approving the recommendation, the GA Committee will consider the evidence, seek additional documentation from the supervisor and/or GA if needed, and explore options other than termination to resolve the performance issue. If the GA appointment is to be terminated, the GA will be notified in writing.

Terminating a GA appointment after the semester has started will lead to several financial impacts on the student. The student will stop receiving GA stipend. The tuition remission that has been applied to the student’s account for the semester will be retracted. The health benefit will end. Out-of-state student will lose in-state tuition status.

6. GA grievance

If a GA at SPP has concerns about their workload or working condition, they should attempt to resolve these matters informally with the supervisor. If the concern cannot be resolved this way, the GA should report it to the Chair of the GA Committee, who will identify the appropriate procedures to follow depending on the nature of the issue. Such procedures may include the grievance procedures stated in the Graduate School’s assistantship policy.