In order to be employed as a Graduate Assistant, the individual must be an active graduate student. Effective Fall 2018, the completion date for a graduate student appointed as a GA completing prior to the end of fall or spring semester defaults to the degree conferral date. This updated process means that a student with a graduate assistantship during the Fall or Spring semester can now submit all required final paperwork ahead of the final deadline without unintentionally terminating their active student status and, consequently, their employment eligibility. Unless the student requests otherwise, the completion date will default to the conferral date and the student may complete their appointment as a GA even if they have submitted all final paperwork. (International graduate students should consult with their ISSS advisor to determine how submitting all final paperwork mid-semester may affect their status.)

Some students may, however, want a completion date that is earlier than the conferral date (e.g., they have another job lined up, they must complete their degree by their I-20 end date, etc.). In those cases, students completing prior to the end of the fall or spring semester, can request an alternate completion date upon submission of all final paperwork and completion of academic engagement by submitting the Alternate Completion Date Request form to The Graduate School. The Graduate School will coordinate the student’s completion date and payroll termination date to ensure the dates are in alignment and the GA’s tuition waiver remains intact.

Graduates completing during the summer will have a completion date determined by the submission of their final approved paperwork and/or completion of their enrollment. As students are no longer eligible to work as Graduate Assistants after their completion date, students should coordinate the end date of any summer employment with the submission of their final paperwork and, if applicable, their ISSS advisor.

A tuition waiver is provided to a GA for the duration of the appointment. If the assistantship is terminated without degree completion within seven days of the date of termination, the student is responsible for pro-rated tuition according to the Partial Graduate Assistant Tuition Waiver Calculator.