Graduate Assistantships Resource Center

Graduate Assistantships are intended to recruit quality students to graduate study at USF and to enhance the graduate learning experience. Graduate assistantships exist within academic departments or other university offices on campus. Graduate assistants may teach, conduct research, or perform other tasks that contribute to the student's professional development. Graduate students may be classified as Graduate Assistants (GAs), Graduate Teaching Assistants/Associates (GTAs), Graduate Instructional Assistants (GIAs), and/or Graduate Research Assistants/Associates (GRAs)

All graduate assistants at USF work under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiated by the Graduate Assistants United (GAU) and the USF Board of Trustees. The GAU is the labor union certified as the exclusive bargaining agent for graduate assistants at USF. The CBA should be used as a tool to ensure proper administration of graduate assistantships.

Office of Graduate Studies and University financial resources are used to support full-time, degree-seeking graduate students. Eligibility requirements are applicable to all graduate assistant classification codes regardless of classification code and/or funding source. To receive an assistantship, the graduate student must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Accepted in a graduate degree program;
• Maintain an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) and degree program GPA of 3.00;
• Enrolled full-time during the semester(s) appointed as a graduate assistant. Full-time enrollment is considered 9 graduate credit hours in the fall semester, 9 graduate credit hours in the spring semester, and 6 graduate credit hours in the summer semester. If a graduate assistant is enrolled in the last semester of his/her program of study, the number of registered semester hours may be less than the full-time requirement. Graduate assistants must comply with all Office of Graduate Studies enrollment requirements to retain their assistantship as stated in the Office of Graduate Studies Graduate Catalog.

Graduate assistantships are highly competitive. Specific eligibility requirements and application guidelines for graduate assistants are established by the colleges and departments. To apply for an assistantship, students should contact their Graduate Program Director in the department of study. (Refer to the "Contact Information" for the Graduate Program email address and telephone number available under Graduate Programs. Programs that wish to advertise graduate assistant opportunities to the USF student community are encouraged to use USF Career Services. More information about posting job opportunities can be found on the Career Services website.

The Office of Graduate Studies encourages and strongly recommends that departments hire graduate students to full-time appointments (.50 FTE). The USF-GAU Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Article 6.1(A) states "No employee shall be assigned employment responsibilities during a semester that exceed an average of ten (10) hours per week for one-fourth time; thirteen and one third (13.3) hours per week for one-third time; twenty (20) hours per week for a one half time appointment; or tweny-nine (29) hours for a .73 FTE appointment. The same proportional relationship applies to all other FTE's."

The Office of Graduate Studies's philosophy is that full-time graduate assistants with a full-time course load should not pursue outside employment. This includes positions on and off campus. Full-time USF employees, regardless of classification (Temporary, Staff, Administration, or other) are prohibited from simultaneously receiving a graduate assistantship while working full-time

All graduate assistants must maintain good academic standing with an overall graduate and degree program GPA of 3.00 or higher each term. Inability to maintain good academic standing with the university may result in academic dismissal. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog and the Academic Probation Policy and Procedures section for more information.

If a graduate assistant's overall GPA falls below 3.00, they will automatically be placed on academic probation (P1). Students on academic probation (P1) are eligible to maintain their graduate assistantship for one additional semester. Graduate assistants who advance to the next level of academic probation (P2) will be ineligible to maintain or renew a graduate assistantship, without the consent of their college along with a program improvement plan. Exceptions to this policy will be made only in very rare circumstances on a case-by- case basis, with final approval made by the Office of Graduate Studies Dean or designee. Students on Probation 3 (P3) will not be eligible for a Graduate Assistantship.

Academic standing status can be found on the General Student Screen in Banner, SGASTDN. In addition, the Office of Graduate Studies will provide an Academic Probation Status Report to the colleges at the end of each semester following the Registrar's processing and posting of grades. This report will list all active students that are on academic probation and the level of probation (P1, P2, or P3). It will also indicate if the student is currently appointed as a graduate assistant.

All graduate assistants must make satisfactory progress toward their degree. Satisfactory progress is determined on a case-by-case basis by the graduate assistant's Graduate Program Director and/or College Graduate Program Coordinator. If it is determined that satisfactory progress is not being made, even if the student is meeting other requirements (i.e., GPA, fulltime status), the graduate assistant may lose their assistantship.

Graduate assistants appointed in job classification codes 9181, 9182, 9183, 9184, and 9550 are employed as salaried employees and are not eligible for overtime compensation. Graduate assistants appointed in job classification code 9185 are employed as non- exempt hourly employees and will be required to complete time sheets. Non-exempt hourly employees are eligible for overtime compensation for time worked beyond 40 hours in a single work week.

Time clocks shall not be used to record graduate assistant work hours. (Class codes are described on pages 8-17.) The Graduate Assistant United (GAU) contract and University policy require minimum stipend allowances as set forth in the contract.

There is no new agreement (CBA) and no amendments have been agreed to by the USF Administration and GAU at this time. Consequently, the rates in effect at present should be used going forward (Fall 2021) until a new CBA is agreed to and ratified. Should that happen, an announcement will be sent out and it will be noted in the handbook.

• Effective Fall 2019 – Master's level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $12,503.40 ($16.03/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.
• Effective Fall 2019 – Doctoral level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $17,830.80 ($22.86/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE but no less than .25 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.

• Effective beginning with the Fall 2022 Semester, or no later than six (6) weeks after ratification by the Board of Trustees, whichever is later,: Master's level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $13,750 ($17.63/hour).  Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.
• Effective beginning with the Fall 2022 Semester, or no later than six (6) weeks after ratification by the Board of Trustees, whichever is later,: Doctoral level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $19,613 ($25.15/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.

• Effective Fall 2023 – Master's level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $14,575 ($18.69/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.
• Effective Fall 2023 – Doctoral level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $20,594 ($26.41/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE but no less than .25 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.

• Effective Fall 2024 – Master's level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $15,304 ($19.62/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.
• Effective Fall 2024 – Doctoral level: Each nine-month employee (19.5 pay periods) on a .50 FTE appointment shall be guaranteed a minimum stipend of $21,624 ($27.72/hour). Appointments greater or less than .50 FTE but no less than .25 FTE shall be paid at a stipend rate representing a proportion of this minimum as determined by the fractional FTE appointment and the budgeted weeks of activity.

Stipend rates vary across disciplines, but cannot be less than the minimum as stated in the GAU contract. Departments are strongly encouraged to provide stipends that are considered competitive within their discipline. Graduate assistantship stipends are paid through the university payroll system. Graduate students who have assistantships will receive biweekly payments following the schedule set by Human Resources Payroll. If a student retains multiple assistantship appointments from more than one University office, the student will receive a single payment combining the amounts paid by each office.  The maximum pay rate for any GA is $99.00 an hour.

A comprehensive annual performance appraisal for each graduate assistant, whose term of appointment is one (1) semester or longer, shall be evaluated in writing once during each such appointment. The University-wide comprehensive annual performance appraisal format will be used for all appraisals. The employment evaluation shall include evaluation of assigned duties and such other responsibilities as are appropriate to the assignment. Additional consideration will be given to the satisfactory progress towards completion of the degree program according to University policy. Personnel decisions shall take such employment evaluations into account, provided that personnel decisions need not be based solely on written employment performance evaluations. The Graduate Program Director will certify completion of the annual performance appraisal for each employee to the Office of Graduate Studies and send the original document to Human Resources for inclusion in the graduate assistant's personnel file

Graduate assistants receive a stipend and are eligible for tuition payment and an employer contribution toward health insurance. Tuition payment refers to the matriculation fees only. The University does not provide payment for the cost of other student fees (i.e., flat fee athletic, flat fee A&S, student union enhancement fee, lab fees, comprehensive new graduate fee). For greater detail, refer to the Financial Aid website.

Graduate assistants are responsible for paying the student fees assessed to their account. Fees may include, but are not limited to, flat fee athletic, flat fee A&S, student union enhancement fee, lab fees, and/or comprehensive new graduate fee. Students are responsible for paying the balance on their account by the payment deadline published in the academic calendar. Failure to pay on time will result in a late payment charge. To determine fees and balances owed, refer to OASIS.

Please note that all GA's receive a tuition and fees deferral until the end of the 7th week of the each semester per 12.5 part A in the GAU CBA.

The University has six classification codes for graduate assistants. They are:

Using the class code descriptions and requirements below, the department, college and/or university unit shall select an appropriate graduate assistant job classification code that is both descriptive of the work to be performed by the graduate assistant and for which the graduate student qualifies.

The hiring department will provide the graduate assistant with an offer letter for all appointments and reappointments. A valid letter of offer must accompany the Appointment Status Form (ASF) when it is sent to Human Resources.

It is the responsibility of the hiring unit to ensure that graduate assistants in their department meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies during each semester that they are employed (refer to the Graduate Assistantship Eligibility section). The hiring unit and the graduate student's academic department are responsible for making sure that the student is enrolled full time and is not on academic probation at the beginning of each semester.

The following graduate assistant job classification codes and qualifications are adapted from the State University System Faculty Classification Specifications and supplemented by the Office of Graduate Studies and Human Resources. Eligibility requirements noted are the Office of Graduate Studies minimums, allowing departments and/or colleges to set additional eligibility requirements as required.

For a position to be classified as a graduate assistantship and for the employee to be eligible for benefits afforded to qualifying graduate assistants, the duties performed must directly contribute to the graduate student's program of study. The graduate assistant must perform duties under the supervision of at least one faculty member and/or university employee experienced in the discipline. As a graduate assistant the employee must receive planned, periodic written evaluations. A student must meet ALL Office of Graduate Studies eligibility requirements to be hired as a graduate assistant.

Appointments may be for any period of time up to one (1) calendar year. The University shall appoint the majority of the 0.5 FTE employees in Graduate Assistant positions (9183, 9184, 9185, 9550) to an appointment of at least one (1) academic year, consistent with the faculty calendar (19.5 pay periods). Graduate assistants (9181, 9182) who are supported on grants and contracts will only be appointed for one (1) academic year dependent upon the availability and duration of the grant or contract funding. Please contact Human Resources at (813) 974-2970 for more information on appointment dates.

To be appointed as a graduate assistant outside the student's academic department, the position duties must be directly related to the student's academic program either through teaching or research experiences or duties related to the student's academic discipline. The graduate assistant must perform duties under the supervision of at least one faculty member and/or university employee experienced in the discipline of the student's major.

The graduate student's academic department will review the duties of a given appointment to determine if they meet the criteria for appointment as a graduate assistant as part of the normal employment process, and thus eligibility for a tuition payment and/or health insurance. Therefore:

• Graduate assistant appointments made by a non-college unit (i.e., CUTR, Academic Affairs, ATLE, Academic Computing, Financial Aid) or a college other than the home college of the student must be pre-approved by the student's academic department as being appropriate for a graduate assistant appointment.
• Graduate assistant appointments by a non-college employing unit are required to follow the guidelines set for appointing a graduate assistant.
• Graduate assistant appointments by a college other than the home college of the student are required to follow the guidelines set for appointing a graduate assistant. All Out-of-College Graduate Assistant appointments must be approved by the Graduate student's academic department, academic department's college dean (or designee), employing department/unit supervisor, and the Office of Graduate Studies Dean (or designee), in order for the student to be classified as a graduate assistant and be eligible for tuition payment and/or health insurance. Refer to the Tuition Waiver Forms Information page on our website. To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, tuition payment, and/or health insurance, this online process must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies no later than the 4th week of classes. The hiring unit will work with the graduate assistant's academic department and college to ensure that the graduate assistant is complying with graduate assistant eligibility criteria (i.e., enrollment status, academic good standing). It is the hiring unit's responsibility to ensure that the graduate assistant is assigned to the appropriate classification code.

A new letter of offer is required, regardless of the period of unemployment, for any of the following six situations:

• A new appointment;
• A reappointment;
• A change in job classification code;
• A change in department;
• A change in supervisor;
• A change in job responsibilities.

A valid letter of offer must accompany the Appointment Status Form (ASF) when it is sent to HR.

Minor changes to a valid, existing graduate assistant appointment involving only FTE, standard hours, compensation, compensation frequency, campus mail point, campus location building/room, or campus phone may be made with a new letter of offer along with a signature of the graduate assistant in the block on the GEMS appointment status form entitled "Graduate Assistant's acceptance of changes to the current letter of offer." Since this is a minor change, an email from the student is also valid form of acceptance along with a new letter of offer.

GRADUATE ASSISTANT REAPPOINTMENTS AND CHANGES denotes their agreement with the changes to the original letter of offer for the aforementioned items. Details of changes are to be provided in the remarks section.

International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) are teaching assistants seeking employment in the 9550/9183/9184 job codes at USF who are from countries which are not predominantly English-speaking (view list of countries considered 'English-speaking'). In order to teach, these international students must demonstrate proficiency in speaking English.

This proficiency has been established by the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) as a minimum score of 26 on the spoken portion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) or a 160 on the spoken portion of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The Office of Graduate Studies will consider these scores valid for up to 5 years after administration, so long as the student has dated supporting/official documentation. 

Students who receive a 20-25 on the TOEFL iBT or 110-150 on the TOEIC must be enrolled in the ITA Assessment/Workshop, which is funded by the Office of Graduate Studies, is staffed by an INTO instructor, and is offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. Students are assessed at the beginning of the semester to determine the level of instruction needed. Once the student completes the requested training modules, they are required to do a Microteaching Demonstration, which has the potential to serve as an alternative to either the TOEFL iBT or the TOEIC requirement. At least two trained spoken and pragmatic English proficiency raters will rate this assessment. The results of the assessment will lead to a recommendation regarding the student's eligibility for a TA-ship. These recommendations may include:

1. no recommendation for TA-ship; more individual development needed; or
2. recommendation for unconditional TA-ship with sufficient proof of English spoken and pragmatic teaching proficiency.

If the student falls into the first category, they cannot continue as a TA and must retake the ITA Workshop. If the ITA falls into the second category, they can then be appointed as either a Graduate Teaching Assistant or Associate (9183/9184 job codes). These scores will be entered into the Banner system so that the level of proficiency is documented.

Refer to the ITA Handbook for more details.

The University is committed to providing a competitive graduate assistant package that includes not only competitive stipend rates, but also tuition payment, and University (or sometimes referred to as employer) contribution toward USF student health insurance premiums to attract the best graduate students to the University of South Florida. GAs are also provided with up to five days of paid leave per semester appointment with supervisor's approval which is covered under "Article 10 - Leaves of Absence and Other Leave" in the CBA.

Graduate assistants must meet all of the Office of Graduate Studies eligibility requirements (refer to Graduate Assistantship Eligibility section) and be appointed for at least 0.25 FTE (10 hours per week) to be eligible for tuition payment. Each job classification has specific requirements; refer to detailed graduate assistantship classification descriptions to determine eligibility.

A graduate assistant, regardless of job classification code or funding source, is required to work a minimum of 150 hours during the fall or spring appointment, and a minimum of 100 hours during a summer appointment to be eligible for tuition payment. The college, department, and/or unit may retract any tuition paid on behalf of the graduate assistant should the graduate assistant not fulfill their GA responsibilities. In this circumstance, the student will be responsible for tuition payment. The graduate program is responsible for monitoring the fulfillment of graduate assistant duties and hours. If these requirements are not met, the department must appropriately notify the student that they have not fulfilled their GA responsibilities and will have their tuition payment retracted.

Example 1: A GTA (9184) appointed at 0.25 FTE for the fall semester withdraws from the University or resigns from the assistantship in October and has only completed 100 hours of work. The GTA is liable for the tuition payment provided because they did not fulfill the minimum 150 hour requirement for a fall or spring appointment.

Example 2: A GRA (9182) appointed at 0.50 FTE for the fall semester and who has committed, via contract, to work 300 hours for the semester (i.e., 20 hours per week for 15 weeks), withdraws from the University or resigns from the assistantship at the end of September and has only completed 120 hours of work. The GRA is liable for the tuition payment provided because they did not fulfill the minimum 150 hour requirement for a fall or spring appointment.

Example 3: A GTA (9184) appointed at 0.50 FTE for the fall semester is contracted to work 300 hours (i.e., 20 hours per week for 15 weeks), withdraws from the University in week 12, and has completed 240 work hours. This graduate assistant has fulfilled the minimum of 150 hours worked in the fall semester appointment and therefore, tuition payment will not be retracted.

The Office of Graduate Studies currently oversees tuition payment for all Graduate Assistants, regardless of job classification code or funding source, for USF Tampa. The Office of Graduate Studies will monitor tuition payment costs for the USF Tampa (non-USF Health) campus by college and regularly report tuition payments made on the behalf of graduate assistants to the appropriate college.

Regardless of the funding source of the stipend, USF Tampa graduate assistants can typically expect, at minimum, a tuition payment for the number of credit hours required to hold a graduate assistantship. This is nine (9) graduate credit hours for the fall semester; nine (9) graduate credit hours for the spring semester; six (6) graduate credit hours for the summer semester. The home academic college Dean, Associate Dean, or equivalent must approve the tuition waiver.

Tuition payment will only be provided for graduate level coursework required for the degree program.

For more details about graduate tuition payment and fees, refer to the University Controller's Office website.

For more details about graduate tuition waivers, refer to the Tuition Waiver Forms Information page on our website.

Graduate Assistants (9185), Graduate Instructional Assistants (9550), and Graduate Teaching Assistants/Associates (9184 and 9183) funded from non-C&G accounts are eligible to request tuition payment through the Office of Graduate Studies.

Subject to funding availability, tuition payment will be provided for the number of credit hours necessary to hold the graduate assistant appointment (9 graduate credit hours fall; 9 graduate credit hours spring; 6 graduate credit hours summer). There may be instances when the University has the funding to provide tuition payment in excess of the number of hours required to hold the graduate assistantship. This will be handled by exception on a case by case basis. Funding offered for tuition payment beyond full- time requirements will be communicated to the College Associate Deans, Program Directors, and Chairs by the Office of Graduate Studies, upon availability.

GRAs (9182 and 9181) are expected to receive stipend and tuition payment from C&G (grant) funds. For USF Tampa only, verification, in the form of the budget portion of the grant must be provided to the Office of Graduate Studies by the College when a contract or grant will not provide tuition. In these cases, the College must request tuition payment from the Office of Graduate Studies. If approved, the Office of Graduate Studies will provide tuition payment. Refer to the GRA Tuition Payment Request Form. The Office of Graduate Studies must receive requests no later than the Monday prior to the start of the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

In some cases, university faculty are provided Graduate Research Assistants/Associates through start-up packages or other agreements in which the GRA's stipend is provided by department E&G or auxiliary funds. In these instances, the College must request tuition payment from the Office of Graduate Studies. If approved, the Office of Graduate Studies will provide tuition payment. The Office of Graduate Studies must receive requests no later than the Monday prior to the start of the Fall, Spring and Summer C semesters.

In some instances, faculty use personal overhead/RO accounts to provide the GRA (9181/9182) stipend. In these cases, the College must request tuition payment from the Office of Graduate Studies. If approved, the Office of Graduate Studies will provide tuition payment. Refer to the GRA Tuition Payment Request Form. The Office of Graduate Studies must receive requests no later than the Monday prior to the start of the Fall, Spring and Summer C semesters.

It is not uncommon for a graduate student to have multiple graduate assistantship appointments simultaneously. In instances where a graduate student has a Teaching Assistantship (9183 and 9184) and a Research Assistantship (9181 and 9182), it is required that the tuition payment be prorated appropriately between the E&G funded teaching assistantship and the C&G (grant) funded research assistantship where funds are available. If grant funds are not available or the grant does not support tuition costs at all, the E&G funds should provide the full waiver.

Example: A doctoral student has a 0.25 FTE Graduate Research Associate (GRA 9181) appointment and her stipend is provided by a federally funded grant. The same doctoral student is also appointed at 0.25 FTE as a Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA 9183). The second stipend is provided by the department in which she is receiving her degree. The C&G (grant) where funded must provide 50% of the student's tuition and 50% of the employer contribution toward health insurance costs in the near future. The university (i.e., Office of Graduate Studies) will provide the remaining 50% of the tuition and employer contribution toward health insurance costs.

Approved Out-of-College graduate assistants not funded through a contract or grant will be eligible for tuition payment through the Office of Graduate Studies if their academic home resides within USF Tampa Academic Affairs. For example, if a USF Tampa Arts & Sciences student is working in the College of Medicine, he/she will be eligible for tuition payment through the Office of Graduate Studies. However, if a College of Public Health (COPH) Student is working at the Student Health Service Center, he/she will not be eligible for tuition payment through the Office of Graduate Studies. The COPH student is eligible for tuition payment and for health insurance; however, both must be provided for through USF Health. Refer to Out-of-College Appointments section for more detail.

A graduate assistant may request to not receive tuition payment. This is acceptable; however, documentation with the student's signature must accompany this request. Even though requesting to not receive tuition payment, the Graduate Assistant will still be required to meet all the Office of Graduate Studies eligibility requirements and classification code requirements to maintain their specific graduate assistant assignment.

Departments, colleges, and/or non-academic units may increase a graduate assistant's stipend to compensate for tuition and health insurance expenses. Graduate assistants receiving an increased stipend must be advised, in writing, by the hiring unit that the increase is for compensation of tuition and health insurance expenses, and should they receive an assistantship where the tuition and health insurance is provided by the University, the stipend rate may be affected

One benefit of being a Graduate Assistant (Class Code 9181, 9182, 9183, 9184, 9185 or 9550) is eligibility to receive a subsidy from the university to help offset part of the cost of individual health insurance and make it more affordable for GAs who participate in the USF Student Health Insurance Plan. For details about the insurance, refer to the Human Resources website. GAs must enroll in the Plan during the Open Enrollment period to be eligible and insurable for the semester(s) of employment, and must maintain eligibility throughout the semester(s).

Payment of the University contribution will be discontinued under the following circumstances:

• Cessation of the appointment; or,
• Reduction of the total appointment(s) to less than 0.25 FTE; or,
• Completion of the hours specified for the degree requirements of the program in which the employee is enrolled; or,
• Failure of the employee to pay the employee portion of the insurance premium when due.

When hiring graduate assistants, the graduate programs should be apprised of time limitations of open enrollment in the student health insurance plan for the student to be eligible and insurable for the semester of employment.

Student Health Services (SHS) Insurance Office (located in the SHS Annex) administers the student insurance programs and should be contacted regarding questions about the content of the plan (i.e., coverage, benefits, claim's procedures, etc.). The SHS Insurance Office can be contacted at (813) 974-5407 or by email.

A department and/or college may pay the remaining portion of the health insurance cost directly to the insurance company on behalf of a graduate student by registering with the Student Health Insurance Office and receiving a departmental code to allow their students to enroll online, and the department to be billed directly. For questions or to register your department, contact the Student Health Insurance Office at (813) 974-5407 or by email.

The Office of Graduate Studies will conduct the following audits for the USF Tampa campus each semester to ensure compliance with the Office of Graduate Studies's guidelines and policies regarding graduate assistants:

• The Graduate Assistant Appointment FTE (full time equivalent) Status Audit confirms that graduate assistants are meeting the .25 FTE requirements necessary to receive tuition payment. This audit will be performed during week 5 of each semester. Colleges will be notified if they have any students who are receiving tuition payment yet are appointed less than .25 FTE.
• The Registration Status Audit determines which graduate assistants are not meeting the full-time requirement of 9 graduate credit hours respectively for the fall and spring semesters; 6 graduate credit hours for the summer semester. Graduate assistants indicated by their college to be either in their last semester of study or have an exemption of full-time enrollment status (see Exemption of Full-time Enrollment Status section), will be granted an exception to this policy. This audit will be performed during week 5 of each semester. Colleges will be notified so action can be taken to bring enrollment status up to required fulltime status.
• The Academic Probation Status Audit will verify that graduate assistants are not on academic probation level P2 or P3. During week 5 of every semester a report will be sent to each college. This report will list all graduate assistants that are on academic probation. Graduate assistants on P1 will be eligible to maintain their graduate assistantship for the remainder of the semester. Graduate Assistants on P2 will not be permitted to retain their graduate assistantship unless the student has been granted an approved exception. Graduate Assistants on P3 will not be permitted to retain their graduate assistantship. The Office of Graduate Studies will notify the student in writing that they are no longer meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and the date that they will be terminated if they no longer qualify. The following may result in a tuition charge to the Department and/or College:
  
  • Graduate assistantship is funded through a contract or grant but receives tuition payment through E&G funds without approval of the Office of Graduate Studies; and/or,
  • Tuition is paid from E&G funds for graduate assistants that do not meet the eligibility requirements for agraduate assistantship (i.e., under .25 FTE, P2 or P3 academic probation, or not enrolled full-time).

These audits are provided by the Office of Human Resources, will be conducted bi-weekly to determine the graduate assistant's eligibility for the employer contribution health insurance. Health insurance may be discontinued for the following reasons:

• Cessation of the appointment; or
• Reduction of the appointment to less than 0.25 FTE; or
• Falling below full-time enrollment, or
• Failure of the employee to pay the employee portion of the insurance premium when due.

If there are questions regarding employer contribution for health insurance, contact Le'Danjeanette Frazier, Human Resources Benefits at (813) 974-2970.