FAQ
Can you explain the pay rate and tuition waiver that appear in the Letter of Appointment for my teaching assistantship?
Effective Fall 2024: The figures in the Administrative Information Summary on the last page of your Letter of Appointment may require some explanation. If you are appointed as a teaching assistant at 0.50 FTE, you will be paid an annual stipend of $27,000. This is paid over 12 months. The stipend is paid biweekly, with 26.1 biweekly pay periods in a year (26.1 pay periods x 14 days/pay period = 365 days). Therefore the biweekly pay amount is $1034.48 (=$27,000/26.1).
The fall letter of appointment covers the 9-month academic year (August to May), which has 19.5 pay periods. Therefore it indicates a total stipend amount of (19.5x$1034.48=) $20,172.41 for the academic year. For the summer (May to August) you will receive a separate letter of appointment for the remaining $6,827.59 of your stipend.
In accordance with the provisions outlined in this letter of appointment, you will be enrolled for a minimum of 9 graduate credits. The university will cover the tuition costs associated with your registered credits separately. While you will not be responsible for tuition, it is important to note that student fees will still be your responsibility. This arrangement is commonly referred to as a ‘tuition waiver,’ wherein your teaching assistantship grants you both a stipend and a tuition waiver.