Information for Graduate Assistants
Information for Graduate Assistants
- Stipend and Tuition Grant-In-Aid
- Health Insurance
- Total Estimated Value of GA Economic Benefits
- Student Exception to FICA Tax
- Paid Leave
- Social Media Support, Safety and Guidance for Penn State Graduate Students Serving as Instructors-of-Record or Teaching Assistants
Other Resources Available to all Graduate Students at Penn State
- Membership in and Representation by the Graduate and Professional Student Association
- Graduate School Alumni Society
- Professional Development Opportunities and Support Services
- Recognizing Graduate Student Excellence
- Miscellaneous Benefits
- Grievance Resolution: Pathway, the Role of the Graduate School, and Relevant Policies
- Graduate Student Due Process
- Other Questions, Concerns and Issues That May Relate to Graduate Students
Many graduate students at Penn State receive funding packages in the form of graduate assistantships that involve teaching-, research-, or (in a few cases) administrative support-related activities. Below are some important facts pertaining to graduate assistantships (and where applicable, graduate fellowships and traineeships):
Stipend and Tuition Grant-In-Aid
A graduate assistant (GA) receives a stipend commensurate with their appointment type (e.g., ¼, ½- or ¾-time) and grade level (e.g., grade 12), with stipend amounts for each grade established and approved annually by the University. Graduate students appointed to an assistantship are expected to participate in assistantship activities for a total of 18 weeks per semester (36 weeks for a fall/spring assistantship appointment). For example, for the 2022-2023 academic year the stipend for a ½-time, grade 12 assistantship is $22,005 and for a ½-time grade 14 assistantship is $24,210. For spring 2023, approximately 97 percent of all assistantships are ½-time appointments, averaging $24,822.65 (for 36 weeks of, on average, 20 hrs. of assistantship activities per week) for all students on ½-time appointments across the University.
In many cases, graduate students on fall/spring assistantship appointments receive some form of additional support in the summer (e.g., wage payroll, scholarship funds, Summer GA Lecturer/Researcher appointments, etc.), so that total annual support is often greater than the fall//spring assistantship alone.
Stipend amounts have been raised on an annual basis equivalent to or greater than the average University raise for that year with an average increase of approximately 3 percent.
In addition to the stipend, regardless of the type of assistantship (¼-, ½- or ¾-time), all graduate assistants (PA-Resident and Non-PA Resident) receive a grant-in-aid that covers the full cost of tuition for the semester in which the assistantship is awarded. Graduate students awarded a fellowship or traineeship also receive a stipend and typically a grant-in-aid for tuition. For 2022-2023, the GA rate tuition paid by an assistantship (non-601/611 registrations) totals $20,380 for a fall/spring appointment.
Graduate students who have held an assistantship, fellowship or traineeship appointment for the fall and spring are also eligible for summer tuition assistance (STAP) of up to 9 credits of required coursework during the subsequent summer (without needing to be on a summer appointment), at the prevailing applicable tuition rate depending upon their residency status and college/program/discipline.
Workload
- A graduate student on a ¼-time assistantship appointment normally registers for 9 to 14 credits per semester (5-7 per summer session) and is expected to provide teaching, research, or administrative assistance that, on average, consists of approximately 10 hours of assistantship activities a week.
- A graduate student on a ½-time assistantship appointment normally registers for 9 to 12 credits per semester (4-6 per summer session) and is expected to provide teaching, research, or administrative assistance that, on average, consists of approximately 20 hours of assistantship activities a week.
- A graduate student on a ¾-time assistantship appointment normally registers for 6-8 credits per semester (3-4 per summer session) and is expected to provide teaching, research, or administrative assistance that, on average, consists of approximately 30 hours of assistantship activities a week.
- The departments or programs awarding the assistantships provide the graduate assistant with the necessary training and mentorship to perform effectively and to render the assistantship a positive learning opportunity and an important component of the educational experience.
Health Insurance
Penn State subsidizes health insurance (medical, dental and vision) for graduate assistants and full-time fellows and trainees. Health insurance is required for our international students. The Penn State Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), which is underwritten by United Healthcare Student Resources, has a 93 percent actuarial value, equivalent to a “Platinum” plan as defined under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) metallic tiers. 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). The SHIP provides coverage for the entire academic year, including summer.
The University contributes 80 percent of the annual medical premium for graduate assistants, fellows and trainees, and 75-76 percent for dependent coverage. For 2022-2023, the University contribution for graduate assistants on fall/spring appointments is $2,684 for an individual plan and $10,333.40 for a family plan. Beginning in 2015-16, Federal law required “premium parity”, with premiums for dependents required to be the same rate as for the individual student. This resulted in a modest increase in individual rates, but a significant decrease in rates for family coverage.
The University also contributes 80 percent of the premium costs for Individual and 70 percent for Family plans for dental and vision insurance for graduate assistants (and typically for fellows and trainees, as well).
The University is committed to robust engagement and consultation with students in regard to the provision of affordable, quality health care coverage for our students.
| Individual Coverage |
Family Coverage |
|
|---|---|---|
| Average Stipend for Fall/Spring 2022-23 ½-time Assistantships1 | $24,822.65 | $24,822.65 |
| 2022-23 Fall/Spring GA Tuition | $20,380 | $20,380 |
| 2022-23 Student Initiated Fee | $549.48 | $549.48 |
| Summer 2023 UP Tuition & Student Initiated Fee (9 credits) |
$9,171-17,892 | $9,171-17,892 |
| Total Medical Insurance Subsidy (12 months of coverage) |
$2,684 | $10,333.40 |
| Total Dental & Vision Subsidy (12 months of coverage) |
$261 | $634.65 |
| Value of Total Support Package2,3 | $57,868.13-$66,589.13 | $65,891.18-$74,612.18 |
1 The table includes the average stipend amount across the University for the Fall/Spring 2022-23 academic year.
2 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.
3 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.).
Student Exception to FICA Tax
Paid Leave
For information about medical and other leaves during assistantship appointments, please review GSAD-906 Graduate Student Leave of Absence.
Social Media Support, Safety and Guidance for Penn State Graduate Students Serving as Instructors-of-Record or Teaching Assistants
Social media is increasingly integral to the daily operations of the University, its pedagogical and research activities, and as a general means of engagement with internal and external communities. It is a resource that enables Penn State instructors to more fully participate and lead in a global society. Yet, as a University, we recognize that this critical arena may sometimes present challenges to the well-being and perhaps even safety of our graduate student instructors-of-record (GSIR) and teaching assistants (TAs). With this in mind, we have worked to identify and develop resources of support and guidance for how best to manage concerns often related to the use of social media. This handbook is a reproduction of the Faculty Support Safety Guidance document developed by the University of Iowa, a best practice resource, that has been modified for use at Penn State by the Graduate School in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (Permission for the reproduction and revision of Faculty Support Safety Guidance was granted by the University of Iowa.)
- The following documents are available in Adobe PDF and accessible Microsoft Word (DOC) format. You may need to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat reader (free) to view and print the PDF documents.
THE FOLLOWING ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS AT PENN STATE, INCLUDING GRADUATE ASSISTANTS:
Membership in and Representation by the Graduate and Professional Student Association
The Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) is the representative body for all graduate students, including graduate assistants, and Penn State Law students (University Park campus).
The GPSA members elect graduate students to serve on the University Faculty Senate, University Park Allocation Committee, Student Insurance Advisory Board (SIAB), Student Insurance Administrative Council (SIAC), University Health Care Advisory Council to the President, and Graduate Council. Graduate students are elected to Graduate Council Committees, including the Committee on Research, Committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues, and the Joint Curricular Committee. In addition, the President of GPSA has regular meetings with the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, the Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs of the Graduate School, and serves on the University Board of Trustees.
All of the above assure a representative voice in affairs of the University that directly impact graduate and professional students. For example, in 2014, the President of the GPSA brought concerns regarding potential increases in the cost of the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act to the attention of University administrators. As a result, the University worked with its health insurance consultants and SHIP advisory groups that included graduate student representatives, to renegotiate a new contract and “Platinum” SHIP with modest premium increases. In addition, a Student Health Insurance Task Force was appointed and has issued a comprehensive report with recommendations for mechanisms to help mitigate rising costs for health insurance in the future (see Section III).
Graduate School Alumni Society
The Graduate School Alumni Society (GSAS) is a constituent society of the Penn State Alumni Association. The GSAS’ mission is to nurture relationships between Penn State graduate students and alumni, both nationally and internationally; advance graduate education and research; and increase graduate alumni membership in the Penn State Alumni Association. During each Graduate School Commencement Ceremony, all graduates are given a free one-year membership in the Penn State Alumni Association.
The GSAS strives to engage graduate students through programs and initiatives that enhance the educational experience, such as career planning and professional development workshops, networking receptions, and mentoring opportunities. Board members also support the priorities of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, which include raising the visibility of graduate education and support for graduate students, communicating the strengths of Penn State’s graduate programs, faculty and students, and the value of advanced degrees to society.
Four seats on the GSAS Board of Directors are designated for representatives from the Graduate and Professional Student Association; Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs; Office of Global Programs; and campuses with graduate programs other than University Park, including the World Campus. These volunteer leadership roles are vital to the creation of strategic goals that will influence the positioning of graduate students on a career trajectory distinguished by personal fulfillment and professional achievement.
Professional Development Opportunities and Support Services
Each fall, prior to the start of classes, all new graduate students across the University are invited to a Graduate School-sponsored New Graduate Student Orientation that provides a welcome by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School; overviews of important information related to student life, University technology systems, health insurance and services, and other important topics; and includes a reception with relevant University “Exhibitors” attending to provide information resources on a host of student services and support (University Libraries, LGBTQA Student Resource Center, Counseling and Psychological Services/CAPS, etc.).
The Graduate School also sponsors a variety of professional development opportunities for graduate students each year that are designed to assist students with their academic and career endeavors. Each fall, a series of Grant Writing workshops is conducted to provide advanced graduate students with an overview of the grant writing process within various broad disciplines. Additionally, a Career Exploration workshop is conducted, which provides an opportunity for students to network with Graduate School alumni and learn about career pathways outside of the academy. Every spring, the annual Graduate Exhibition is held, which showcases and celebrates graduate research and creative accomplishments across all disciplines. The Exhibition places special emphasis on communicating research and creative scholarship to a general audience, which presents an important professional development opportunity by challenging graduate students to present their work in clear, comprehensible terms to individuals outside of their fields. There are several workshops that take place prior to this event to assist students with developing their posters and their presentation skills.
In addition to the above, the Graduate School sponsors several workshops and conferences that are designed to focus on important emerging issues or topics of interest in any given year, including workshops to promote best practices for Graduate Faculty that have a student-centered focus (e.g. mentoring). Town Halls specifically for graduate students have also been hosted for the purposes of open dialogue and communication with the Provost, the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and the Vice President for Research, who all served as panelists for this open forum, Q&A event.
The Graduate School supports the Graduate Writing Center (GWC), an important resource to aid in students’ academic and career development by providing free one-to-one peer consultations and interactive workshops for Penn State graduate students across all disciplines and all levels of writing ability, in order to improve their writing skills.
The Graduate School also offers a Graduate School Teaching Certificate to provide graduate students with an avenue to enhance their teaching skills and gain formal recognition of their commitment to college teaching.
Recognizing Graduate Student Excellence
The Graduate School seeks to recognize and promote the achievements of our graduate students through a variety of award programs, with funding derived from institutional resources, as well as gifts from donors. Some awards are selected centrally from nominations and applications that are submitted to the Graduate School and others are offered by way of funding allocations to colleges in order to support recruitment and retention of high-achieving students. In all cases these seek to recognize and support excellence, and acknowledge the significant contributions that graduate students make to the teaching, research and outreach missions of the University, including their potential for a greater societal impact. A complete listing of graduate student awards and eligibility criteria is available in the Student Recognition Awards information under the Graduate School Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration.
Miscellaneous Benefits
Graduate students are eligible for various discounts, including a variety of national brands and businesses, cultural and athletic events, dining, use of recreational facilities and recreational classes, memberships in numerous extramural clubs, and many others. Further information on these benefits may be obtained from Penn State’s Discounts website.
Grievance Resolution: Pathway, the Role of the Graduate School, and Relevant Policies
Effective policies, a clear pathway, and delegated responsibility for assuring fair, expeditious and effective resolution of problems for graduate students are a priority for the Graduate School. For example, occasionally, problems arise between a graduate student and their adviser or committee member outside of the classroom. Whenever possible, disagreements between the student and adviser should be addressed within the department or program. If the problem is not resolved at this level, the student may file a written grievance with the college administrator for graduate education (generally an associate or assistant dean or director for academic affairs) of their college. In response to this grievance, the college administrator (or Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs of the Graduate School, in the case of a student in an intercollege graduate degree program housed in the Graduate School) will meet with the student, as well as with the faculty member(s) involved, in an effort to resolve the situation. If the problem cannot be resolved at the college level, the student may file a written grievance with the Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs of the Graduate School, who serves as a University–wide ombudsperson for all graduate students at Penn State. The Associate Dean will work with all parties involved, or who need to be consulted, in order to resolve the issue. This process includes consultation with the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School as needed. Additional details regarding steps in this grievance protocol are in GCAC-802 Procedures for Resolution of Problems.
Other relevant policies on the Graduate School web site include Guiding Principles for Good Practice in Graduate Education, and Grade Mediation and Adjudication and those in the University Policy Manual, especially RP02 (Addressing Allegations of Research Misconduct) and IP02 (Co-authorship of Scholarly Reports, Papers, and Publications).
Graduate Student Due Process
Graduate students should also be aware of additional conduct-related policies in the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin that delineate due process afforded to graduate students/assistants. These include: GCAC-801 Conduct, GCAC-803 Procedures for Termination of the Degree Program of a Graduate Student for Unsatisfactory Scholarship, and GCAC-804 Procedures for Termination of Assistantships due to Inadequate Performance.
Other Questions, Concerns and Issues That May Relate to Graduate Students
All graduate students, regardless of field of study, degree program, department/college or location, have a home in the Graduate School, which oversees graduate education across the University. Graduate students are the focal point of the priorities of the Graduate School, which advances opportunities for students’ professional development and intellectual growth, and strives to ensure students derive the maximum benefit from their graduate experience.
For any questions or concerns not addressed in the Fact Sheet above or by your graduate program, contact the Graduate School at: graddeansoffice@psu.edu.