Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantship positions are offered through various academic departments and are paid by grants or state funds. Students interested in these positions must contact the department for specific requirements.
Graduate assistants perform a variety of duties including teaching undergraduate classes and grading papers. and conducting research in laboratories. Teaching assistants receive special teaching skills by training through the Graduate School. All graduate students holding an assistantship (teaching TA or research RA) are considered Nevada residents for tuition purposes. Non-resident tuition is only waived for the duration of the assistantship.
Status on GIA/fee waiver
As a TA or RA, you will receive a fee waiver on your bill – but it is your responsibility to make sure that the appropriate waivers are applied. Read the below information to prevent late fees on your account.
- To avoid late fees do not wait for GIA/Fee waiver to post. Pay your portion and mandatory fees!
- Check your account on MyNEVADA for GIA/Fee Waiver adjustment to your account.
- When uploaded to Workday and the compensation business process is complete, GIA/Fee waivers are automatically delivered to the Cashier’s Office.
- Students must pay their portion of tuition and mandatory fees at Cashiers or via MyNEVADA.
See also:
Eligibility
To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a degree-granting program and be in good academic standing. The student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and must be continuously enrolled in at least 6 graduate level credits (600-700) throughout the duration of the assistantship (upon approval of the Graduate Dean, English Bridge Course credits may be used to help satisfy the enrollment requirements.)
A student enrolled in a prescribed program is ineligible for a teaching or research assistantship.
State-funded assistantships (TA/RA) may be held for a maximum of:
- Three (3) years for master's degree students;
- Five (5) years for doctoral degree students
- Students who register for nine (9) graduate credits or more in a semester are considered full-time.
- For graduate assistants on any contract, six (6) graduate credits or more constitute full-time.
- To be considered full-time for financial aid purposes, all graduate students, including those on assistantships, must be enrolled in nine (9) graduate credits. To be considered part-time for financial aid reporting purposes, all graduate students must be enrolled in five (5) graduate credits.
- For those graduate students who are required to take Intensive English Language Center Bridge Courses, these courses can be considered part of full registration upon approval by the Dean of the Graduate School, but these courses will not count for Federal Financial Aid purposes.
While the Graduate School cannot monitor outside or additional employment for students on assistantships, such additional work is discouraged as it may impede academic success and timely progress towards degree completion. In some departments, acceptance of an assistantship is contingent upon agreeing to limited additional employment. All positions are contingent upon available funding.
International students serving as Teaching Assistants must meet minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. TOEFL and Test of Spoken English (TSE) minimum scores are below:
| Requirement Part A - Test | Score | Requirement Part B - Test | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOEFL paper version | 550 or better | Speak Test or Test of Spoken English (TSE) | 50 or better |
| TOEFL computer version | 213 or better | Speak Test or Test of Spoken English (TSE) | 50 or better |
| TOEFL Internet-based version (iBT) | 79/80 or better | TOEFL internet based – speaking section OR Speak Test or Test of Spoken English (TSE) | 7.5 or better/50 or better |
| International Language Testing System (IELTS) | 6.5 or better | Speak Test or Test of Spoken English (TSE) | 50 or better |
For more information about Graduate Assistantships, please visit the Graduate School.
Self-supporting programs and courses are not eligible for Grants-in-Aid.
This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Doctorate of Philosophy in Judicial Studies (JD)
- Executive MBA Program (EMBA)
- Gerontology classes (GERO)
- Intensive English Language classes
- Nevada English Language and Learning Institute (NELLI)
- Justice Management (JM)
- Master in Physician Assistant Studies (PA)
- Master of Justice (MS)
- Non-credit classes offered through Extended Studies
- Online Master of Accountancy (MAcc)
- Online Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)
- Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity (MSCY)
- Online Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Online Master of Social Work (MSW)
- Online Public Health certificates
- Sports Management Executive Certificate
Graduate Assistant health insurance questions and answers
You must be enrolled in at least 6 credits each semester (Fall/Spring), and your department must complete your hire in Workday to initiate your assistantship. Keep your email and mailing address up-to-date in MyNEVADA so that you can regularly receive information.
Once the department initiates the hire and receives HR approval (provided you are enrolled in 6 or more credits), it takes 2-3 weeks for the insurance carrier to have your information in their system.
A card will be mailed to the address on file in MyNEVADA 7-10 business days from the time the insurance carrier receives your information (United Healthcare). You may visit the carrier website to update your mailing address, print an insurance card, or verify you are covered by the plan as soon as they have received and uploaded your information. If you have an address change, be sure to also update MyNEVADA.
- Make sure you are enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits.
- Ensure with your department that your hire is complete in Workday a minimum of 2-3 weeks prior to the event requiring coverage.
- Students are covered retroactively to the plan beginning date and can be reimbursed for covered expenses.
- Even though you may not have a physical card at the time of service, as long as you are added to the plan, you will be covered for the entire plan period.
Log into MyNEVADA and select My Personal Information. Select “Addresses” where you can add and change email and mailing addresses. MyNEVADA retains the address of record information that is used for many purposes on campus and also lists your NSHE number. Additionally, HR retains email and mailing addresses for payroll purposes. This information can be updated by logging into your Workday account.
In most cases, you should work with your department on items related to your assistantship. Following is a list of additional contacts:
Insurance Questions
For plan dates, status, or vendor questions, contact the Student Health Center:
Julee DeMello
jdemello@unr.edu
(775) 682-9237
Special Circumstances
When unsure whom to contact, call the Graduate School:
Pam Moore
moorep@unr.edu
(775) 784-6869
Tuition and Insurance Billing
For questions about tuition, grant-in-aid, or insurance billing, contact the Cashier’s Office:
Shirley Chambers
schambers@unr.edu
(775) 784-6167
Status of Assistantship
If you would like to know the status of your assistantship, please see contact information below to reach Human Resources.