Graduate Assistantship Appointment Packet Checklist
New Graduate Assistants:
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Assistantship Appointment
Pre-employment Data Collection Form
Employee & Graduate Assistant Data Collection and Data Change Form
Selective Service
Loan Default Statement, Release of Information Consent, Acknowledgement of Receipt
I-9 (Please ensure I-20 expiration date is on I-9)
W-4 Federal and State
Foreign National Tax Status (if applicable)
Mandated Child Abuse Reporting
Ethics
If a student will be a teaching assistant, the Oral English Proficiency form is needed.
Re-hire Graduate Assistants without a break in service
 Assistantship Appointment
 Loan Default Statement, Release of Information Consent, Acknowledgement of Receipt
Rehire Graduate Assistants WITH a break in service
(If more than a one calendar year break, please complete New Graduate Assistant packet)
 I-9
 Assistantship Appointment
 Loan Default Statement, Release of Information Consent, Acknowledgement of Receipt
Break in service: A new I-9 is needed when a student is terminated with no expectation of
future employment. If a graduate assistant is terminated for a seasonal break and signs their
future contract prior to their current contract ending, a new I-9 is not needed. An example
would be a current contract ending December 20 with a future contract beginning January 16
that is signed by the student, department, and Dean’s office before December 20. (*Please note
that the summer semester does not count as a seasonal break and a seasonal break does not
exceed thirty (30) days.)
Additional Information:
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If a student has not been issued a SSN (but has applied), please include a copy of the
receipt of application with the hiring packet. Students are allowed to work for 30 days
with this receipt until they receive their SSN card. Students are not authorized to begin
working until they have the receipt of application. Contract dates CANNOT start prior
to the date of application for SSN. International students’ social security cards are sent
to the International Student Services office, where the student receives a checklist
listing the offices they need to take their card to in order to update files.
Ethics Training (paper version) must be completed once per calendar year. At this time,
graduate assistants do not qualify for the annual online training completed by university
employees.
Mandated Child Abuse Reporting is completed one time.
All graduate assistants are required to set up Direct Deposit in a timely manner. This can
be done by the student in CougarNet (preferred method) OR the Direct Deposit form
may be submitted with the hiring documents. Please note, in order to set up direct
deposit, the University Direct Deposit form must be submitted. The direct deposit form
from a specific financial institution alone does not authorize the university to set-up
direct deposit.
I-9 Training may be found online at:
http://www.siue.edu/humanresources/pdf/I9.swf
Background Checks: At this time, Graduate Assistants are not required to have
background checks. The exception is if the GA will be working with minors. If a
background check form is submitted with GA paperwork, it will be forwarded to Human
Resources for completion.
DOCUMENTS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS MAY NOT BE SENT THROUGH CAMPUS MAIL.
More Graduate Assistant Information
Tentative Priority Deadlines:
Fall Semester: July 15th
Spring Semester: November 15th
Summer Semester: 4-6 weeks prior to start date
Current Salary Ranges: (2nd year level required at student’s 4th term. 3rd term is at the discretion
of the department.)
Full-time Base (50%)
First-Year
Second-Year
First Year
Second-Year
First-Year
Second-Year
Monthly Salary
$1792 – 2468
$1902 – 2622
$896 - 1234
$951 - 1311
Full-time Base (37.5%)
Monthly Salary
$1988 – 2740
$2195 – 2893
$745.50 – 1027.50
$823.12 – 1084.88
Full-time Base (25%)
Monthly Salary
$2380 – 3012
$2488 – 3164
$595 – 753
$622 – 791
To change salary or percent:
Use Job Change Request form (this is a HUMAN RESOURCES FORM)
Salary numbers are SEMI-MONTHLY, NOT MONTHLY.
Original line must match 100% with the original contract.
Termination Forms:
Form is found on Human Resources web page
Must be routed through the GRADUATE SCHOOL
If after a payroll cutoff, contact PAYROLL ASAP to avoid over payment. (Payroll schedule
may be found on the Human Resources web page. Graduate Assistants are paid semimonthly.)
Taxing of Tuition Waivers:
Only graduate assistants classified as GENERAL. (Description of duties must reflect the
expected distribution of duties.)
Payroll deducts the tax liability from approximately five (5) payrolls in Spring term, three
(3) in Summer term, and four (4) in Fall term.