Graduate assistantship offers are determined by your department. All Graduate Assistants must meet the Graduate Assistantship – Terms and Conditions of Appointment as detailed in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
For each fall and spring semester that a graduate assistantship appointment is in effect, you must be registered for at least one resident-instruction credit.
There are three types of graduate assistantships:
- Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) help in the provision of education services to undergraduates. Responsibilities may include grading papers, leading discussions/lab sessions, or independent teaching of a class.
- Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) typically work with a professor on a project of importance to scholarship.
- Graduate Support Assistants (GSAs) provide administrative services. The assistantships are typically located in non-academic units such as Housing and Dining, or Athletics.
Graduate Assistant Benefits
Stipends
Assistantship awards offer a stipend to the student in return for certain specified services to Colorado State University. The stipend is treated as income (subject to withholding taxes) and both the University and the student agree to a formal appointment when an assistantship is arranged. Graduate Assistant Minimum Stipends are published each spring.
Graduate Assistant Tuition Benefit
CSU’s standard practice is to cover in-state (Colorado resident) base tuition for graduate assistants. Tuition benefits do NOT apply to CSU Online courses.
If specified on a Graduate Assistant Appointment and Certification Form, this benefit is provided in the form of financial aid, independently of the stipend, as a qualified base tuition reduction given for educational purposes under Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code. This benefit is only provided in the Fall and Spring semesters.
Base tuition amounts are published on the Hub’s Tuition and Fee webpage in the Graduate Tuition and General Fees section. The tuition benefit does not cover the Graduate Differential Tuition amounts published in this section. Learn more about the tuition benefit by assistantship type:
Tuition Benefit for Graduate Teaching and Support Assistants
Tuition benefits for Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Support Assistant appointments are administered by the Graduate School. Reference eligibility and requirements on the Tuition Benefit for GTAS and GSAs web page.
Graduate Research Assistants Tuition Premium Program
This program was created specifically for GRAs to supplement the Tuition Benefit, as CSU’s standard practice is to cover in-state (Colorado resident) base tuition for graduate assistants. The GRA Tuition Premium Program covers the difference between in-state and non-resident tuition and only applies in the Fall and Spring terms. Reference eligibility and requirements on the Graduate Research Assistantship Tuition Premium Program page.
Waived Student Late Fee for First Billing Cycle
The Graduate School, in partnership with Business and Financial Services, implemented a program to waive late fees for Graduate Assistants in the first billing cycle of each fall and spring semester. The program was implemented because we understand many GAs do not receive their first paycheck until after the first billing cycle due to processing delays in the student’s department or other units involved in processing appointments.
GAs may disregard the first eBilling notification of each semester indicating that you will receive a late charge if your balance is not paid by the first billing date of the semester.
Mandatory Fee Coverage Plan
Mandatory fees for graduate teaching and service assistants are covered by the Graduate School. Mandatory fees include General Fees, University Technology Fee, University Facility Fee, and the University Alternative Transportation Fee.
The internal CSU SEVIS fee charged each semester (including summer) for international GAs will also be covered.
Some partial-fee paying GAs (5 credits or fewer) are also charged the Health Network Fee and the Counseling Fee. These two fees will be covered for partial-fee paying students when relevant. GAs with less than a 0.5 FTE will receive the same level of coverage available to 0.5 FTE.
GRAs fees are covered by the sponsored program. Sponsored programs are required to budget for fee coverage, if allowable by the grant. Please refer to your sponsor program contact for more details.
Student Employee Retirement Plan
SERP is an alternative to Social Security for student employees at Colorado Public Higher Education Institutions who would have been required to participate in Social Security.
Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI)
All CSU employees, including GAs, who work and live in Colorado are eligible for the program including Graduate Assistants. Income replacement under FAMLI is not 100% of an employee’s salary, but other leave-related programs can supplement what FAMLI provides, “topping off” the FAMLI wage reimbursement if eligible. FAMLI leave must be used before other leave program options and runs concurrently with FMLA. CSU employees should not turn to the state’s FAMLI program for assistance, but to the University’s HR division instead.
Information about qualifying events and additional details regarding CSU’s FAMLI plan can be found on the Human Resources website, as well as specific required notices in English and Spanish.
Assistantship Health Insurance Contribution
The Graduate School funds this benefit as a way of helping you protect your educational investment. Even a relatively minor health event, such as a knee injury, could create a situation where medical debt precludes the ability to continue in your program. Criteria for the benefit is detailed on the Assistantship Health Insurance Contribution webpage.
Employee Assistance Program
Graduate Assistants are eligible to utilize the CSU Employee Assistance Program / ComPsych. These CSU resources help with many aspects of your life – financial, physical, emotional, medical, family, and workplace wellness.
Graduate Assistants must currently be enrolled in at least 1 credit (resident-instruction) with a minimum 0.25 full-time employment assistantship. GAs must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
Benefits are available to GAs in addition to student services provided by the CSU Health Network and through the Student Health Insurance Plan (as opposed to being a replacement or substitute).
Sick Leave
The State of Colorado provides a leave option (Health Families & Workplaces Act) for State employees, including GAs.
- Sick leave is accrued at one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 48 hours per year.
- The leave may be kept for 6 months after separation and can then be reinstated.
- Leave must be requested from supervisor or HR liaison in order to apply sick leave to correct assignment (as some people have multiple).
Workers’ Compensation
Graduate Assistants performing work for which they are hired through and paid by CSU are eligible for Workers’ Compensation. Workers’ Compensation is an exclusive remedy for workplace injuries or illnesses. It provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course and scope of employment.
Professional Development Offerings
Dozens of workshops and networking events are offered in person and virtually each year, and there are multiple self-paced platforms available to you to help you search for and land a job, build industry-specific skills. Explore professional development resources here.
Volunteer Service Hours
This program allows graduate assistants and CSU employees eight hours of paid administrative leave each fiscal year to perform volunteer work at a broad range of designated community organizations.
For more information about the program, including the list of designated community organizations, visit the Volunteer Service Hours program webpage.
Policy
Graduate Assistantship – Terms and Conditions of Appointment
Required Training for New Graduate Teaching Assistants
Required Responsible Conduct of Research Training Requirements
Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows funded by NIH, NSF or USDA-NIFA are required to take both online RCR training and an approved face-to-face research ethics course. Details are provided on the Research Integrity and Compliance Review Office of Research Integrity webpage, and click on the Training Requirements section.