10/15/2009
CIC INSTITUTIONS- Graduate Assistant Tuition Benefit Administration
University
Illinois
Type of Benefit
Tuition Waiver
Indiana
Fee Remission
Iowa
Graduate Assistant
Tuition Scholarship
Notes
-The majority of assistantship appointments ranging from 25 through 67 percent for three-quarters of the
academic term provide waivers of full tuition, regardless of the student’s residency classification.
-Under the current budget policy, each college receives the tuition income from its graduate students; that
income forms part of the college's operating budget. In these circumstances, an assistantship, through its
associated tuition waiver, represents a reduction in potential income for the student's enrolling college.
The policy allows colleges to demand, from the unit appointing the assistant, reimbursement for the value
of the tuition income lost through assistantships outside the college.
-All graduate students on academic appointment at or above 37.5%FTE (15 hours of duties per week) must
enroll in 6 credit hours each semester on appointment (summers excluded). Students appointed at less than
37.5% FTE must enroll in at least 1 credit hour each semester on appointment (summers excluded).
-Students with a total FTE of 50% to 75% must be awarded a full fee remission (less any mandatory,
course-related, or miscellaneous fees) and must enroll in 6 credit hours per semester. Fee remission will
cover no more than 12 credit hours per semester.
-Fee remission awards- Departments must first establish their remission source before being able to
authorize awards for students. Once steps have been completed to establish the sources, departments use
a Remission award site in order to provide the fee remission to the student account. The amount the
department pays is on a per credit basis and varies depending on whether the student is a resident or nonresident.
-Students who are on a total FTE of 50-75% for a full academic year must receive a fee remission for six hours
of summer enrollment if they enroll for summer session(s). Fee remissions may be awarded at departmental
discretion for lower FTE appointments.
-Students holding a 25% or greater teaching or research assistantship appointment will be assured a tuition
scholarship. The tuition scholarship is only applicable for the academic year and does not include
scholarships for summer semester enrollment. The tuition scholarship is not affected by the level of
appointment above 25%
-Students must be appointed as an RA/TA for at least 38 instructional days to be eligible for the tuition
scholarship.
-If a student has appointments in different departments, the tuition scholarship will be pro-rated according
to the percentage of appointment between the two departments.
-Payment of the tuition scholarship is made as a separate entry from the stipend and is credited to the
student’s university bill from a departmental account. This frequently is a different account than is used to
fund the assistantship appointment.
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10/15/2009
CIC INSTITUTIONS- Graduate Assistant Tuition Benefit Administration
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Graduate Associate
Tuition and Fee
Authorization
Tuition Remission
Tuition Benefit
-Graduate Associate appointments of at least 50 percent FTE include a full tuition and fee authorization
covering all instructional and general fees, including nonresident fees, and the technology (learning) fee. GA
appointments at 25 percent FTE include one-half of the instructional and general fees, including nonresident
fees.
-During a semester in an academic year, graduate students who hold appointments as Teaching,
Program/Project assistants shall have appointments at a level totaling at least one-third time. Total
appointments for employees may be less than one-third time with the agreement of the employee. Such
appointments must be approved by the Department and the Dean/Director.
-In accordance with Wisconsin Statute, the University remits full tuition for Teaching Assistants,
Program/Project assistants and Research Assistants. Students with these appointments must have the
equivalent of at least a 33.33% appointment for the length of Fall or Spring term to be eligible for the full
tuition remission for that term.
-The Student Accounts Office Fees Section (Bursar’s Office) will grant students tuition remission upon
notification from campus departments. When possible, the Fees Section should be notified of eligible
students early enough before the start of the term so students will receive correct bills. An audit will be
done against the UW Appointment System in mid-term to verify that students held the appropriate
percentage appointment during the term.
-Tuition benefits are calculated based on the number of hours in an appointment. Graduate assistants must
work at least 98 hours during the semester payroll dates to receive any tuition benefits. The maximum
tuition benefit is a fixed dollar amount and is achieved at 390 hours. Any hours over will not provide
additional benefit, and any hours under will achieve a pro-rated benefit. In order to be eligible to receive a
non-resident waiver, GAs must work at least 195 hours during the semester payroll dates.
-Departments are assessed an hourly fringe rate for each hour that the graduate assistant works. The
fringe assessment is based on classification and the number of hours worked, not on tuition benefit
eligibility. In other words, fringe is assessed even if the appointment falls below 98 hours in a given
semester. These funds are paid into a central fringe pool, where the money is used to pay tuition benefits
for graduate assistants with eligible appointments.
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