Graduate Assistantships

The information below will answer basic questions about our assistantship process whether you are a student or supervisor. If you have questions regarding graduate assistantships not addressed below, please send an email to graduate.assistantships@sru.edu or call 724.738.2001. We are glad to help you.

The student application process for graduate assistantships is managed through Handshake. Instruction videos about using Handshake and searching for positions are available here. The FAQ list has additional information, including how to access positions as a prospective student without an SRU email.

Slippery Rock University offers over 90 full and part-time graduate assistantships each academic year for eligible graduate students. Students may be awarded up to four semesters of assistantship for one graduate degree. Graduate assistantships may be awarded for one semester or a year at a time at the discretion of the assistantship supervisor, so students are not guaranteed a specific placement for four semesters. You may find a list of assistantships offered in the first accordion below.

Full-time assistantships are assigned 3, 6, or 9 credits in tuition waiver depending on the complexity of the job duties. Position descriptions in Handshake indicate the tuition waiver and stipend hours. All full-time assistantships require 262.5 hours of paid work each semester, which averages to 17.5 hours per week, and the associated salary (stipend) is $10 per hour. Half-time assistantship waivers are half of the credits of the full-time waiver: 4.5, 3, or 1.5 credits, with half the full-time work hours required. Students can only have one assistantship at a time, and half-time assistantships cannot be stacked to provide additional tuition waivers or stipend hours.

Summer assistantships differ from fall and spring assistantships and do not come with a credit waiver. Graduate assistantships offered in the summer are very limited and students must apply for these positions separately. Summer positions do not count as part of the four- semester maximum mentioned above. Students cannot start their assistantship before the semester for which they are admitted to their graduate program. For example, students who are admitted for the fall semester cannot begin their assistantship during the previous summer.

Some Slippery Rock graduate programs are 100% online. Students enrolled in online graduate programs are eligible to have graduate assistantships, but are required to work on campus. Graduate assistantships are not appropriate for students who live beyond commuting distance to campus or for students who do not wish to work face-to-face.

SRU does not offer winter graduate assistantship positions. The winter term is short and campus offices are closed during most of the break.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP LIST

This list reflects the graduate assistantships we currently offer. Specific position descriptions and current availability are available through Handshake. The FAQ accordion has additional information, including how to access positions as a prospective student without an SRU email.

APPLICATION

Students apply for graduate assistantships through the Handshake platform, which can be found at www.joinhandshake.com. The supervisor responsible for overseeing the position will review applications, conduct interviews, and choose the candidate in alignment with the general eligibility requirements below. Students should be careful to provide all requested documentation.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for an assistantship (fall and spring semesters only), students must:

Gain admission to a graduate degree with a 3.0 GPA.
Apply for a graduate assistantship position(s) through Handshake. Students should review job expectations and qualifications to choose good matches for their interests and skills. They will be asked to upload documents which could include a cover letter, resume, and other documents. Most supervisors require qualified applicants to interview.

During your role as a graduate assistant, you:

Register and maintain enrollment as a graduate student. Your tuition waiver and stipend awards are listed in the postion description and in your contract. Please refer to the chart below under "Work Schedule—Fall and Spring.” Your compensation is a combination of your work stipend and your tuition waiver.
Earn a minimum grade point average (GPA) of a 3.0 each semester.
Meet the responsibilities in your job description and your supervisor’s expectations. Note that graduate assistants are required to work on campus and complete the required work hours listed in their contracts.

It’s important to understand that a graduate assistantship—even a full-time graduate assistantship—is not designed to cover all expenses you may have as a student. You should complete a FAFSA each year, which may unlock additional sources of aid for you. The FAFSA is free to complete. More information is available at www.sru.edu/admissions/financial-aid.

WORK SCHEDULE: FALL AND SPRING

We offer full-time and half-time assistantships. Tuition waivers are awarded based on the level of complexity of the position. The compensation for each assistantship, including the required work hours, can be found in the position description on Handshake and in the post-hire contract.

Available work weeks each semester start at the beginning of classes and continue through finals week. The specific schedule for a position will be determined with the supervisor.

Fall/spring assistantship awarded	Tuition waiver each semester	Stipend – paid in bi-weekly paychecks based on hours worked at $10/hour	Approximate work hours per week	Total work hours required per semester
Full-time	Up to 9 credits (specified in the position description and employment contract)	$2,625	17.5	262.5
Half-time	Up to 4.5 credits (specified in the position description and employment contract)	$1,312.50	8.75	131.25

Note: Graduate assistants must complete all work hours for the semester by the last day of finals week as defined by the official university academic calendar. You must enter your hours worked in e-Time weekly, electronically sign, and your supervisor must sign your entries documenting their approval. If you do not work, your bi-weekly paycheck will be affected. In addition, you must work the total work hours required for your position by the end of finals week. If you aren’t able to fulfill your work obligation, your tuition waiver may be affected.

Students cannot start their assistantship before the semester for which they are admitted to their graduate program. For example, students who are admitted for the fall semester cannot begin their assistantship during the previous summer even if they want to take a class.

WORK SCHEDULE: SUMMER

Beginning in Summer 2024, summer assistantships are compensated with hourly stipends only and will not receive tuition waivers. Summer assistantships earn $10 per hour.

Graduate assistantships offered in the summer are very limited and students must apply for these positions separately from the regular semester placements. Summer positions do not count as part of the four-semester maximum.

GA SUPERVISORS

General information for supervisors can be found here. Supervisors are now required to sign a contract indicating that they are aware of their duties, including ensuring that their GA (1) works on campus; (2) is adequately supervised and has sufficient work assignments; and (3) completes the required work hours as tracked through eTime.

Supervisors interview and hire graduate assistants for their area using the Handshake platform.

Setting up your position in Handshake:

The Handshake platform requires you to create an employer account. If you already have an employer account you have completed this step. Instructions are available at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCQPRnlcDYuLC-I0sT7ocdA or at https://www.sru.edu/offices/payroll/student-employees.
One of the advantages of Handshake is that supervisors have more control over the GA selection process. You can review your position description in Handshake and update it if necessary. You will also be able to open and close the position. Note that you will need to click the ‘save’ button when you have completed adjustments.
Graduate assistantship listings in Handshake are available to SRU students by default. You will need to add other schools where you might want to advertise to prospective students--one good way is to add your usual feeder schools. Once students are admitted they will have full access as an SRU student.
Through Handshake, you will be able to update the position description when you choose, and you will be able to mark the position as filled. Instructions are available in the YouTube video. You can also communicate with applicants by using the "status" on their applicant line in Handshake to send them pending, reviewed, and declined messages.

Hiring your graduate assistant:

Review and interview applicants through Handshake. Position descriptions indicate the position's compensation.
Complete the Appointment Request Form. The form must be completed yearly even if the same student is continuing in the position.
Be aware that PASSHE's Conflict of Interest Policy 2012-01 covers graduate assistantships. The policy states, "System employees may not use the authority of their employment, or any confidential information received as a System employee, for their private pecuniary benefit or for the private pecuniary benefit of a member of their immediate family, or a business with which the employee or a member of their immediate family is associated."
The Office of the Provost will send your selected student a contract and will notify student accounts and payroll. Encourage your student to respond promptly to all requests for paperwork.
Supervisors must approve the student’s work hours in e-Time each pay period (bi-weekly).
Beginning with the first day of the semester, students must log their work hours in e-Time or they will not receive payment (the stipend). Students who do not complete the work requirement by the end of finals week and document their hours in e-Time will receive a tuition bill.

Making changes to your assistantship

If your student resigns from your assistantship, you must notify the Office of the Provost at graduate.assistantships@sru.edu as soon after their resignation as possible. Delays could result in incorrect tuition waivers. You will also not be able to hire a replacement GA until the Office of the Provost processes the former student’s resignation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General

How do students apply for positions?
Slippery Rock uses the Handshake platform for the GA application process. Instruction videos are available at www.youtube.com/channel/UCCQPRnlcDYuLC-I0sT7ocdA.

Can 3+3 undergraduate students hold graduate assistantships?
No. Even though you are enrolled in graduate-level classes, you are still considered an undergraduate student since you have not earned your bachelor’s degree. You are eligible to apply for an assistantship once you complete your undergraduate degree at the end of your first year.

My graduate program is 100% online. Am I able to work from home for my assistantship?
Students enrolled in online graduate programs are eligible to have graduate assistantships, but are expected to work on campus for their required hours. Therefore, graduate assistantships are not appropriate for students who live beyond commuting distance to campus or for students who do not wish to work face-to-face.

I will be enrolled in a graduate-level certificate program rather than a full degree. Am I eligble to hold a graduate assistantship?

Students must be enrolled in a full graduate degree to hold a graduate assistantship.

How long can I have a graduate assistantship position?
Students may hold a graduate assistantship up to two years maximum (four academic semesters, fall and spring). Students are eligible to complete a maximum of one graduate degree through Slippery Rock's assistantship program.

Students are limited to one assistantship at a time.

If I have a current graduate assistantship position, how long am I guaranteed a position?
Some graduate assistantship contracts are issued for the fall and spring semesters (academic year) and require an application each year. Some graduate assistantship positions are semester by semester and require an application each semester. You may not have assistantship for more than four semesters.

Will my graduate assistantship cover all financial obligations?
Graduate assistants are required to pay tuition for credit hours exceeding their award, as well all fees each semester. GA positions do not cover housing, books, and other living expenses. The nature of each assistantship will be clarified in the position description and contract, and can be confirmed with the supervisor. Slippery Rock University encourages all graduate students, even those with full-time assistantships, to complete a FAFSA because no assistantship is designed to cover all expenses. The FAFSA will unlock other possible sources of aid.

How many positions may I apply for?
There is not a limit on the number of GA positions that you may apply for each semester. We recommend applying for multiple positions.

When are new positions posted?
Positions for the new academic year usually post by early March and are available in Handshake.

Do I have to take all graduate coursework to fulfill the GA course requirements?
Yes, only graduate coursework will fulfill the GA requirements. Undergraduate coursework is not covered by the tuition waiver and you will be billed for those courses.

Does SRU offer Winter graduate assistantship positions?
SRU does not offer winter graduate assistantship positions. The winter term is short and campus offices are closed during most of the break.

Work Hours

How should I document my work time?
Graduate assistants must enter their hours worked and electronically sign their entries in e-Time each day. Your supervisor must also sign your entries to document their approval. Please remember that your work time is paid through the stipend.

What if I am scheduled to work and I call off?
If you call off work, you must make up the hours. As a general rule of thumb, full-time graduate assistants work 17.5 hours per week based on a 15-week semester. If you miss work hours, you must make up the work hours. Please note that you are not expected to work during the fall or spring breaks, although you may do so with your supervisor's permission.

Do I have to work during finals week?
Finals week is part of the 15-week per semester and can be used to help you meet the semester’s required work hours. You should work with your supervisor to set your schedule for the semester.

When do I receive payment for my stipend hours?
Students are paid every two weeks based on the hours documented and approved in e-Time.

Graduate Contract

I just received my graduate assistantship offer. When will I receive my contract?
You will receive a contract shortly after your supervisor submits the Graduate Assistantship Appointment Request Form to Academic Affairs. You must be formally admitted to your graduate degree before you will be offered a GA contract. Carefully review the contract's compensation information and other material before signing it so you understand the expectations for your assistantship.

How will I receive my graduate assistantship contract?
Once you are selected, your supervisor must complete the Graduate Assistant Appointment Request Form. Once Academic Affairs approves the form, your contract is created and sent electronically to your SRU email. You must print, read, sign, and email/scan the contract to Academic Affairs (graduate.assistantships@sru.edu).

What happens once I submit my graduate assistant contract to Academic Affairs (graduate.assistantships@sru.edu)?
Once Academic Affairs receives your signed GA contract, we inform Student Accounts, Payroll, and Financial Aid. Student Accounts will apply the tuition waiver to your student account. Financial Aid will factor your award into your aid as appropriate. Payroll will email clearance and other employment paperwork for you to complete. Please go to the payroll page for more information.

I submitted my contract but I do not see my tuition waiver in my student account.
Please contact Student Accounts at 724.738.2088.

What if I do not work all of my hours during a week or the semester?
If you do not work all of your hours during a given week, you can make those up hours in subsequent weeks as long as the total hours worked during a given week does not exceed 20 hours. Hours not worked and documented in e-Time by the end of finals week may require your covered tuition to be partially billed to your account.

Can I work more hours each week than contracted?
If you are making up hours from a prior week you can work more than your contracted weekly hours as long as it does not exceed 20 hours in a given week. Hours worked over the contracted total hours each semester need to be entered separately in e-Time and will be paid through student wage funds rather than graduate assistantship funds. You must get your supervisor’s approval to work beyond your GA contract.

What if I resign from my GA position during the semester?
If you choose to resign from your position during the semester, your tuition waiver will be pro-rated and you will receive a partial tuition bill. In addition, you will not be eligible for your full stipend and will stop getting bi-weekly paychecks. Student Accounts and Student Employment can provide specific information for your situation, and you should discuss your intention with your supervisor since your departure has implications for completion of assigned work.

Academic Affairs

Graduate Assistantships

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