Graduate assistantships are funding packages awarded to degree-seeking students that involve teaching, research, or administrative activities. They are designed to support and enhance a graduate student’s overall educational experience, and are an opportunity for professional development, and provide financial support. Each graduate program or academic college is responsible for awarding assistantships to graduate students, and more than 4,500 graduate assistantships are awarded annually.
Students interested in internship opportunities should contact their graduate program for information, and can also note their interest on their J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School application.
- On this Page
- Funding Support
- Stipends
- Length
- Health Insurance Subsidies
- Time Off
Assistantship funding support
An assistantship includes:
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a stipend
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tuition remission
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insurance premium subsidies
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payment of Student-Initiated Fee
Stipend amounts
A stipend is commensurate with both the type (quarter, half, or three-quarters) and grade level of an assistantship, and these are determined by the department providing the assistantship. The type refers to the volume of activities associated with an assistantship.
Stipend amounts for each grade are set annually by the University, and the minimum recommended grade level for all assistantships is grade 12. To view stipend amounts, visit the Table of Graduate Assistant Stipends.
Length of assistantships and summer funding
Graduate assistantships last 18 weeks per semester, or 36 weeks for a fall and spring appointment. Students who had assistantships, fellowships, or traineeships in both the fall and spring are eligible to apply for summer tuition assistance (STAP) of up to 9 credits of required coursework during the subsequent summer. Many graduate students find additional funding for the summer through wage payroll, scholarship funds, summer graduate assistantships, or other means.
Required credit load
The table below lists the minimum and maximum credit load for each of the three types of assistantships: quarter-time, half-time, and three-quarters time. Post-comprehensive doctoral candidates should be enrolled in a 601 level course in place of the typical course load.
| Assistantship Type | Expected Hours Per Week | Typical Course Load |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter Time | 10 | 9–14 credits per semester (5–7 per summer semester) |
| Half Time | 20 | 9–12 credits per semester (4–6 per summer semester) |
| Three-Quarters Time | 30 | 6–8 credits per semester (3–4 per summer semester) |
Health insurance subsidies
Penn State subsidizes health insurance (medical, dental and vision) for graduate assistants and full-time fellows and trainees. Health insurance is required for international students. The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State provides robust coverage tailored to meet student needs for the entire academic year, including summer.
| Insurance Type | Amount subsidized for graduate assistants | Amount subsidized for dependents |
|---|---|---|
| Medical | 80 percent | 75–76 percent |
| Dental and Vision | 80 percent | 70 percent |
For more information, visit the Student Affairs website for dental and vision insurance or health insurance premiums.
The SHIP provides robust coverage tailored to meet student needs through input by graduate student representatives to the Student Insurance Advisory Board (SIAB) and the Student Insurance Administrative Council (SIAC). SHIP provides coverage for the entire academic year, including summer.
Total Estimated Value of 2024–25 GA Economic Benefits
For GAs Receiving Individual Insurance Coverage
| Benefit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average Stipend for Fall/Spring 2024-25 Half-Time Assistantships | $26,408.69 |
| 2024-25 Fall/Spring GA Tuition | $21,200 |
| 2024-25 Student Initiated Fee | $578 |
| *Summer 2024 University Park Tuition and Student Initiated Fee (9 credits) | $9,955–20,341 |
| Total Medical Insurance Subsidy (12 months of coverage) | $2,898.40 |
| Total Dental and Vision Subsidy (12 months of coverage) | $261 |
| Value of Total Support Package | $61,301.09–71,687.09 |
For GAs Receiving Family Insurance Coverage
| Benefit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average Stipend for Fall/Spring 2024-25 Half-Time Assistantships | $26,408.69 |
| 2024-25 Fall/Spring GA Tuition | $21,200 |
| 2024-25 Student Initiated Fee | $578 |
| Summer 2024 University Park Tuition and Student Initiated Fee (9 credits) | $9,955–20,341 |
| Total Medical Insurance Subsidy (12 months of coverage) | $11,158.84 |
| Total Dental and Vision Subsidy (12 months of coverage) | $634.65 |
| Value of Total Support Package | $69,935.18–80,321.18 |
*Summer stipend or part-time wage support is optional and at the discretion of the college and graduate program, and based on availability of funds. The University does not require enrollment during the summer; however, certain programs may, so please verify with your program if you are required to enroll in courses. If you enroll in the summer and have previously been appointed to a graduate assistantship or fellowship for both the previous fall and spring semesters, you are eligible for STAP (Summer Tuition Assistance Program) tuition coverage. This coverage is not automatic and the student must apply through the portal and be approved by their program.
Graduate students on fall/spring assistantship appointments often receive some form of additional support in the summer, so that total annual support is often greater than reflected for the fall/spring assistantship.
Actual support value will vary with assistantship type, stipend amount, number of summer credits taken and residency status, and choice of SHIP, Dental and Vision coverage (e.g., Individual, Individual & Dependent, Family, etc.).
Explanation of "Time Off" or "Vacation" Time
The Fox Graduate School frequently receives questions from graduate students and graduate faculty and staff regarding “time off” or “vacation time” for students supported by graduate assistantships. To help clarify this benefit, the Fox Graduate School put together the explanation below.
The expectations for time away from assistantship responsibilities are defined in the Terms of Offer (ToO), the legally binding agreement between the University and the graduate assistant (GA).
The ToO letter includes this language:
Students are expected to be involved in assistantship activities for an approximate total of 18 weeks per semester during the dates indicated on their Terms of Offer, not including official University holidays, campus closures (including for inclement weather, etc.) and during the spring break and the Thanksgiving holiday break.
GAs are not expected to be engaged in their assistantship activities during the following times:
Fall Semester
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving week
Spring Semester
- MLK Day
- Spring Break
Additionally, students appointed to consecutive fall/spring assistantships have no assistantship expectations during the University’s winter break (typically 7 weekdays).
The ToO does recognize important exceptions:
There may be exceptional circumstances such as with specialized maintenance and/or data collection from research animals, where assistantship activities must be conducted during University holidays/closures and cannot be delegated to other individuals, or when an experimental protocol runs over months and cannot be interrupted or suspended to allow time away. In such circumstances, the graduate student should be made aware prior to the start of the assistantship appointment involving the affected period, and other time away should be arranged in exchange.
While the academic calendar or research necessities may limit flexibility, supervisors of all assistantship types (research, teaching, and administrative) are encouraged to provide flexibility when possible if the GA would prefer a different week off than Thanksgiving week in the fall or Spring Break in the spring.
Thus, a student appointed to a fall and spring GA has 19 weekdays with no assistantship responsibilities.
If you have questions about time off, please contact Michael Verderame, senior associate dean of the Fox Graduate School, at mxv8@psu.edu.