Employee benefits
As a graduate assistant, you will be eligible for:
Tuition remission: Although tuition may vary between academic departments, in most cases, you are eligible for tuition remission for designated courses, along with the basic University fee. Your contract (Notice of Appointment to Graduate Assistantships) will outline the tuition fees to be covered.
On occasion, you may receive a bill for your tuition depending on the timing involved in processing your graduate assistantship contract. You can stop by or call the bursar's office if you are concerned. However, your next fee bill should show the tuition remission.
If your contract is for the academic year, you may request tuition remission for courses taken in the summer term. These requests are considered on an individual basis by your supervisor.
Insurance: You are eligible for medical and dental plan coverage through the University of Dayton. Graduate assistants are eligible for the Anthem Student HMO medical plan and the Superior Dental Care dental plan offered through Human Resources. You have 30 days from the start date of your contract to submit the paperwork to Human Resources to select health and/or dental coverage. Human Resources will provide you with information about your plan options upon receipt of your signed Graduate Assistant contract.
Stipend: Your stipend will be determined by ability, performance on previous assignments and related experience.
As a graduate assistant, your stipend is paid in semi-monthly installments on the 10th and 25th of each month. For a standard nine-month appointment payments begin on September 10 and end May 25. If you are employed during the summer, you will be reimbursed in six payments, beginning June 10 and ending August 25.
Length of time: The standard appointment is nine months, August 16 through May 15, although the time period may be modified. Appointments may be renewed for the next academic year or a modified time period. For your appointment to be renewed, you must achieve satisfactory performance on your assigned duties and sufficient progress in completion of your graduate curriculum. Appointment to a second year is not guaranteed and may be subject to funding availability.
Wellness: Graduate assistants are eligible to participate in the Wellness Program (sponsored by the University of Dayton). The program offers brown bag lectures, special events such as flu shots or cholesterol screenings, fitness classes such as yoga, aerobics and water walking, and more. Small fees may be associated with these programs.
Procedure for Obtaining an Assistantship