HIRING DEPARTMENT RESOURCES

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS & HOURLY PAYROLL

Graduate Assistantship Hiring Resources

Graduate Assistantship Deadlines

2025-26 Fall & Academic Year Appointment Deadlines2026 Spring Assistantship Appointment Deadlines
Deadline Description
May 25, 2025Sept. 28, 2025All Instructors of Record are to receive their letters of appointment three months before the beginning of their appointment (section 3.3 URIGAU)
July 25, 2025Nov. 28, 2025All graduate assistants must receive and sign their assistantship contract (section 3.3 URIGAU)
Aug. 15, 2025Dec. 19, 2025Contracts MUST be submitted to the Graduate School’s assistantship submission portal. (Assistantship waivers cannot be processed if contract is not received)

2025-2026 Graduate Assistantship Contracts

2025/26 ADMINISTRATIVE GA CONTRACT 2025/26 TEACHING GA CONTRACT 2025/26 RESEARCH GA CONTRACT 2025/26 GTA/GRA Contract

Submission Portal: Assistantship Contracts

REQUIRED: signed contract, an active job record and SGA-2G form if needed

SUBMIT GA CONTRACT Packet

Grad Assistantship Guide

Helpful information related to the GAU contract and Graduate School processes.

Read guide

Submission Portal: SGA-2G/1G

Only for SGA-2G and SGA-1G forms not related to initial GA contract

SUBMIT SGA-2G/1G FORM

2024-2025 GA Cheat Sheet

Quick guide that includes waiver amounts, stipend rates, and dates for processing assistantships.

VIEW CHEAT SHEET

Hiring Department To-Do Checklist

Checklist for hiring departments to use when hiring graduate assistants

view checklist

Adobe Contract Guide

Instructions for completing assistantship contracts through Adobe Sign, includes screenshots

LEARN MORE

Have questions? Submit an inquiry form

Eligibility & Benefits

Students appointed to an Administrative, Teaching, and Research Assistantship must:
  • Be enrolled in a graduate degree program
  • Register for 6-to-12 graduate credits or 3 graduate credits for approved ABD Status (ABD status is not automatic and the student must apply for this status. Click here for a FAQ and application.) prior to the start of the contract semester
  • Be in good academic standing
View the Cheat Sheet for a breakdown of costs.  

*PLEASE NOTE: For Academic Year and Fall assistantship contracts, once the Graduate School receives the contract for processing, Enrollment Services has until October 1st to post the waivers associated with the assistantship. Please remind students to focus on paying the percentage of the student responsibility. No late fees will be associated with assistantship waivers.


VIEW GAU CONTRACT ENROLLMENT SERVICES TUITION & FEES

2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR BENEFITS

Full-time (20 hours/week) Assistantship Waivers

Half-time (10 hours/week) Assistantship Waivers

Stipend Rates & Levels of Pay

*Please note: GAU contract is currently being negotiated. Stipend rates for 2025-2026 are subject to change based on the final Collective Bargaining Agreement.

2025-2026 Stipends*
2025-2026 Academic Year Full-time Graduate Assistants (20 hrs/wk)
Level I
Level II
Level III		$22,370.00
$23,030.00
$24,105.00
2025-2026 Academic Year Half-time Graduate Assistants (10 hrs/wk)
Level I
Level II
Level III		$11,185.00
$11,515.00
$12,052.50
One Semester (Fall 2025 or Spring 2026) Full-Time Graduate Assistants (20 hrs/wk)
Level I
Level II
Level III		$11,185.00
$11,515.00
$12,052.50
One Semester (Fall 2025 or Spring 2026) Half-time Graduate Assistants (10 hrs/wk)
Level I
Level II
Level III		$5,592.50
$5,757.50
$6,026.25

Levels of Appointment for Graduate Pay

Level I: All graduate students without a master’s degree.
Level II: - Graduate students with a Master’s degree
- INCOMING (new to URI) graduate students who have 30 graduate credits
- Graduate students who have passed a PhD qualifying examination or departmental equivalent. Promotion to level II takes effect immediately upon the Graduate School receiving the exam results.
Level III:All Graduate Assistants who are enrolled in a Ph.D. program and have passed both the oral and written portions of the Ph.D. comprehensive examinations prior to the date of appointment. Promotion to level III takes effect immediately upon the Graduate School receiving both written and oral exam results.

Additional Hours

Reference the Student Hiring Options web page to learn different ways to hire graduate students.

Academic Year & Summer Term Working Hours:

Academic Year: All graduate students can work up to 20 hours a week during the Fall and Spring term. Domestic students can work an additional 5 hours or 10 hours (level III students only). Reference below for additional information. Due to visa restrictions, international students can only work 20 hours a week during the academic year. International students should contact the Office of International Students and Scholars for additional information.

Summer Term: All graduate students can work up to 40 hours a week on hourly payroll during the summer term. Summer term begins the day after the commencement ceremony and ends the week before the Graduate Assistantship contracts begin.

Domestic students may receive employment outside of the university. International students may have restrictions, please contact the Office of International Students and Scholars for additional information.

Additional Working Hours

  • International Students: Due to visa restrictions, international students can only work 20 hours a week during the academic year. International students should contact the Office of International Students and Scholars for additional information.

  • Additional 5 hours: Domestic students with a Graduate Assistantship or 20 hour/week URI student employment requesting to work an additional 5 hours during the academic year would need their Major Professor’s or Program Director’s approval. Once approval is received (e.g. email acknowledgment), the hiring department may process as they normally would for hourly student payroll. Graduate School approval is not needed.

  • Additional 10 Hours: Domestic students with a Graduate Assistantship or 20 hour/week URI student employment requesting additional 10 hours during the academic year (only available to graduate students on level III) require Graduate School approval. Approval from the Graduate School must be received by completing the Additional 10 Hour Request & TA Overload Request Form.

  • Teaching Overload for Graduate Assistantships:If a graduate assistant is asked to teach a course beyond their assistantship, they must be paid on a teaching overload and not on hourly payroll. Please reference section 6.4 of the GAU contract. A PTF contract should not be used. Approval must be received from the Graduate School prior to hiring the student to teach the course. Approval from the Graduate School must be received by completing the Additional 10 Hour Request & TA Overload Request Form.

    • Forms & Resources

    Have questions? Submit an inquiry form

    ResourceDescription
    2024-2025 Cheat Sheet Graduate Assistantships Quick guide for hiring departments that includes waiver amounts, stipend rates, and dates for processing assistantships. (New versions are typically available in June)
    Additional 10 Hour Request & TA Overload Request FormRequest for additional 10 hours on hourly payroll (Level III students only) during the academic year and requests for Graduate Assistant Teaching Overloads
    Financial Strategy & Planning FormsSGA-1G/2G forms
    Checklist: Graduate Assistant To-Do ChecklistHelpful checklist for students to use when initiating their assistantship waivers and benefits.
    Checklist: Hiring Department To-Do CheckilistChecklist for hiring departments to use when hiring a graduate assistant
    Contract Changes Form IMPORTANT: When submitting form, please CC Kathy Kantor at kathykantor@uri.edu or provide her with a copy of this form. The Graduate School needs to know all changes related to Graduate Assistantships.
    Contract/Appointment Letter InstructionsStep-by-step guide on how to complete the GA contract letter.
    GAU ContractCollective Bargaining Agreement between Graduate Assistants United (URIGAU/NEARI) and the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education.
    Grant Budget GuideEstimated Student Wages and Tuition Rates for grants. THIS GUIDE IS FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES ONLY
    Health & Dental InsuranceURI Health & Dental Insurance certificate of coverage and to self-enroll. (Health and Dental Insurance is a contractual benefit and it cannot be waived. Students who currently have health and dental insurance should use this benefit as secondary insurance.)
    Human Resources Forms Hiring forms needed: Bar of Claims Form, Drug Free Workplace Policy Acknowledgment, and I-9 form
    Kingston Campus MapView the map of the Kingston Campus which also indicates parking lot areas.
    Payroll DepartmentView payroll schedule
    TAP Parking PermitsIMPORTANT: GA commuter students can only park in commuter lots (#4, #7, #25 & #26). Resident GAs must park in their assigned lot. GAs are NOT eligible to park in the Faculty/Staff parking lots.
    Tuition and Fees, Enrollment ServicesAnnual tuition and fees for full-time, part-time (per credit) students.