University of Arkansas

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The Graduate School

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Office of the Dean of the Graduate School

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GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK

Financial Aid and Graduate Student Benefits

Funding Your Graduate Degree

Doctoral Fellowships

For information about fellowships please contact the Graduate School at 479-575-4401, or visit our "Funding Your Degree" page.

Current Graduate Assistantships Available

Visit the Human Resources web-site for graduate assistant positions currently available.

Funding Your Research

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Graduate Assistantships/Fellowships

University of Arkansas Graduate School, Graduate Assistantship General Policies and Rules

  1. Preamble

    It is the policy of the University of Arkansas to promote graduate study by offering qualified students financial assistance via graduate assistantships without regard to race, color, sex, creed, sexual preference, or national origin. In addition, students qualifying for some Graduate Assistantships shall be further supported with the payment of non-resident tuition and general registration fees. In turn, Graduate Assistants make valuable contributions to the University’s teaching, research, and service programs.

    It is the duty of the University to administer its Graduate Assistantship program in a manner that: (1) insures that graduate students with such appointments will make satisfactory progress toward their graduate degrees; (2) insures that appointed students render appropriate service; (3) rewards the most diligent, dedicated, and qualified students; and (4) makes effective use of funds available to support graduate education.

    Therefore, it is incumbent upon the University to insure that: (1) all recipients of Graduate Assistantships progress toward completion of their programs in the most expeditious manner consistent with academic excellence; (2) all Graduate Assistants are treated equitably with regard to both their stipends and duties; and (3) in the administration of the foregoing, the University recognizes the diversities existing among programs within and among the departments and colleges of the University of Arkansas as well as the standards that have been established among universities with whom we compete for quality students. In order to implement the spirit of the foregoing stated policy, the following rules and regulations shall be applied.
  2. Obligations of Graduate Assistants
    1. Graduate Assistants may be assigned duties in the areas of teaching, research, and administrative assistance. The actual work requirements of a Graduate Assistant may consist of a combination of such duties. (See Appendix A for examples of duties in these areas.)
    2. Graduate Assistantships are normally granted for a 25% or a 50% appointment. Under unusual and extraordinary circumstances, appointments of a higher percentage may be requested in writing from the Dean of the Graduate School. For each assistantship appointment, the Graduate Assistant must perform assigned duties and make satisfactory progress toward the graduate degree. Satisfactory progress includes: 1) earning at least 6 credit hours per semester (for summer sessions, click here) (all degree-related registration, including thesis or dissertation, counts toward this requirement), and 2) maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 2.85 on all work taken for graduate credit. (Departmental standards may be higher than those listed here.)
    3. A Graduate Assistant must earn a minimum of 6 credit hours and may register for a maximum of 12 credit hours per semester, although this limit may be exceeded with approval of the Department Chair/Head. Registration for more than 15 credit hours per semester must be approved by the Department Chair/Head and the Dean of the Graduate School.
    4. Graduate Assistants who resign or are terminated from their graduate assistantship appointments, whether or not they withdraw from school, may, at the discretion of the funding source, be required to reimburse the appropriate University account for the tuition and fees paid on their behalf proportionate to the length of time remaining on the contract during the current semester.
  3. English Language Requirement for International Graduate Assistants

    International students and resident aliens whose native language is not English must demonstrate competency in spoken English by submitting a test score of at least 7 on the IELTS (speaking) sub-test, 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE), or “pass” on the Spoken Language Proficiency Test (SLPT) to be eligible for a graduate assistantship that requires direct contact with students in a teaching or tutorial role.
  4. Appointment Terms and Eligibility for Reappointment
    1. Appointment for Graduate Assistants should be for one or both semesters of a nine-month academic year or for a twelve-month fiscal year, when possible. Where appropriate, additional appointments may be made for summer periods.
    2. A Graduate Assistant who fails to maintain normal progress toward a degree or who fails to maintain a cumulative graduate gpa of 2.85 on all work taken at this University; or who fails to satisfactorily perform assigned duties may have the appointment terminated during or at the end of the semester in which the deficiency occurs.
    3. To be eligible for reappointment, a Graduate Assistant must have made satisfactory progress toward a degree with a cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 2.85; and must have demonstrated satisfactory performance of services normal to positions held.
  5. Limits on Number of Appointments to a Graduate Assistantship
    1. Students pursuing a master’s degree may receive financial support as a graduate assistant for no more than four semesters, excluding summer appointments.
    2. Students pursuing post-master’s degrees may receive financial support as a graduate assistant for no more than eight semesters beyond the master’s degree, excluding summer appointments.
  6. Terms on Stipends and Provision for Payment of Non-Resident Tuition and General Registration Fees
    1. All graduate students appointed to the position of graduate assistant, and whose percent appointment is equal to or greater than 25% shall, for tuition and fee purposes, be considered as residents of the State of Arkansas.
    2. The resident tuition and fees for all graduate students appointed to the position of graduate assistant whose percent appointment is equal to or greater than 50% shall be paid from the appropriate University fee account or by the division/department/grant which has funded the graduate assistant stipend. These fee benefits are limited to degree-related credit enrollment costs and do not encompass costs for non-degree related elective courses, audited courses, late registration fees, drop-add fees, international student fees or any other similar costs.
    3. Stipend Ranges. Stipend policies shall be established that are sufficient to attract and retain quality graduate students, and shall take into consideration such factors as differences in the needs of individual departmental programs, available funds, quality of applicants, and stipends offered by other universities.
    4. Stipends. Each department (or appropriate unit) shall insure that equivalent stipends shall be given for equivalent duties. Generally, this shall be interpreted to mean that within a department all pre-master’s assistants will be paid the same stipend for the same general type of duty (e.g., teaching or research or administration) and the same work load classification (25%, 50%, etc.), but that rates may differ from one type of duty to another. The same policy shall apply to post-master’s students, but post-master’s rates may differ from pre-master’s rates.
  7. Summer Session
    1. Graduate assistants who are on a 50% appointment for a six week summer term must earn at least 3 hours of graduate credit during the summer. However, these credits do not have to be earned in the same session as the appointment, and may be taken at any time during the summer. The tuition and fees (up to a maximum of 4 hours credit) for graduate assistants on 50% appointments for a six week summer tem will be paid from the appropriate University fee account or by the division/department/grant which has funded the graduate assistant stipend. These fee benefits are limited to degree-related credit enrollment costs and do not encompass costs for non-degree related courses, audited courses, late registration fees, drop-add fees, international student fees or any other similar costs. Payment of tuition and fees, and calculation of minimum number of hours that must be earned will be proportional to the standard cited above (i.e., 50% appointment for a 6 week term).
  8. Responsibilities for Implementation and Administration

    With the guidance of the Graduate Council, these policies and procedures shall be implemented and administered by the Dean of the Graduate School. Department chairpersons are responsible for monitoring eligibility requirements, course registration requirements, and the limits on the number of graduate assistant appointments per person at the master’s and doctoral level. Exceptions to these Graduate Assistantship policies can be made only by the Dean of the Graduate School.
  9. Appendix A: Examples of Graduate Assistant Duties:
    1. Classroom Instruction. Has instructional responsibility for a class, section, or a course; and has authority to assign grades.
    2. Research. Performs research duties under the direction of a faculty member.
    3. Specialized Instructional Services. Specialized professional teaching services in which responsibilities for directing or controlling others are intrinsic. Coaching, leading field parties, directing plays, etc.
    4. Laboratory Assistant or Leader of a Discussion or Recitation Section. Functions as a laboratory assistant or leader of a discussion or recitation section. May present a lecture to entire class. May contribute part of a course grade.
    5. Instructional Support Services. Preparation of demonstrations, reagents, lab materials for students’ costume-shop, storeroom, greenhouse; supervision and/or operation of specialized equipment, grading papers, etc.
    6. Administration. Carries out administrative duties as directed, i.e., administrative aide to deans, department chairpersons, program director, etc.

Graduate Assistant Policy

Stipends, Tuition, and Workloads

Graduate assistantships are intended to support graduate programs and students enrolled in such programs by providing formal training to students in professional activities related to teaching and research. To support consistent good practice in the treatment of graduate assistants and the allocation of graduate assistantships, the Graduate School has formally established the following policy guidelines concerning stipends, tuition, and workloads. Any variation from these policies must be recommended by the administrator of a graduate program and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

  1. Graduate assistants will be paid no less than the minimum salary established by the institution for such appointments (by percent of appointment). For 2005-06, the minimum stipend for a nine-month, half-time appointment (an appointment for 20 hours of work per week or the equivalent) is $5,000.
  2. Graduate assistantships (the positions, not the funds) will be allocated on the basis of need, the recommendation of the chairperson of the academic department or graduate program which the assistantships are intended to support, and the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. A request for new positions should be sent by e-mail to the Associate Dean of the Graduate School with this information: the duties of the position, the stipend amount, whether a nine-month or 12-month position is required, the percentage of the position (25% or 50%), and an assurance that a 50% g.a. will not be asked to work more than 20 hours per week. For non-academic units, the e-mail should also explain how the assistantship will contribute to the academic experience of the student.

    Graduate assistantships should involve work and assignments supportive of graduate degree programs, and in particular, an individual assistantship should be related to the graduate degree program in which the holder of the assistantship is enrolled. While there may be exceptions to this general rule, such as assigning graduate students to assistantships in related fields rather than in the primary field of study, exceptions will not be made which place assistantship positions in offices or areas of the University where work assignments are unrelated to any graduate degree program.
  3. Tuition for graduate assistants must be budgeted together with the stipend for the position, and paid by the office or program area.
  4. Graduate assistants appointed to half-time or 50 percent appointments will not be required or asked to work more than 20 hours (or the equivalent) a week. Graduate assistants appointed to quarter-time or 25 percent appointments will not be required or asked to work more than 10 hours (or the equivalent) a week.
  5. The Graduate School retains the right and responsibility to terminate any assistantship which violates these policies.
  6. Graduate Assistants may file a grievance pertaining to their assistantship, following the Grievance Policies and Procedures for Graduate Assistants.

Graduate Student Benefits

Health Insurance

Graduate assistants on 50% appointment (20 hours per week) or more are offered the benefit of health insurance in the form of 60% of the cost of the Student Health Insurance plan paid by the University and 40% of the cost of the plan by the individual. While spouses and children may also enroll in the plan, the 60% of the cost benefit applies to the graduate assistant only. Click here for more information about this policy.

Travel Allowances

Students who are scheduled to present a paper at a professional conference may apply to the Graduate School for travel funds.

Services Available to Minority Students

Please contact the Graduate School for information about the services available to diverse and underrrepresented students at the University of Arkansas: 119 Ozark Hall, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, telephone 479-575-3616 or toll-free 1-866-234-3957, fax number 501-575-5908, email: gradr@comp.uark.edu.

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