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Grad Student Assist Employment/Contract

Guideline: Graduate Student Assistant (GSA) Employment And Contracts

Related Policies & Guidelines:

Prepared by:  Office of the Provost

Original Date:  January 25, 2022

Current Guideline Date:  August 16, 2025

Applicable to:  All Graduate Students enrolled in Melbourne Campus Graduate Programs

Context: 

Academic Units at Florida Tech provide Graduate Student Assistantship opportunities to full-time, degree-seeking graduate students on a competitive basis. Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs) play an important role at Florida Tech and function both as graduate students and as professionals whose formal graduate studies are complemented through teaching, conducting research under the supervision of a faculty member, and/or other tasks assigned by the employing Academic Unit.

The number of GSA positions available in an Academic Unit are determined by available funding from the University and external grant funding awarded to individual faculty members.

This guideline provides a concise source of information concerning the procedures related to the employment of GSAs at Florida Tech.

Guidelines: 

For the purposes of payroll processing Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs) are classified as non-faculty contract employees. Therefore, under normal circumstances GSAs would not be eligible for supplemental compensation outside the terms of their contracts. It is recognized, however, that there may be instances when a GSA could provide specific expertise for which additional compensation might be warranted. Directors, department heads or program chairs wishing to provide such additional compensation to a GSA must request approval, in advance and in writing, from the Office of the Provost.  All approvals must be granted in advance of the activity for which the GSA is proposed to be paid supplemental compensation.

Types of Graduate Student Assistantships

Depending on the duties and responsibilities, Graduate Student Assistantships at Florida Tech are categorized as

  • Teaching Assistants (TAs): Serve in many roles to help faculty teach both undergraduate and graduate lecture courses and laboratory sections. TA roles may include teaching, grading, holding office hours, tutoring, training undergraduate students, and other tasks involving interaction with students. TAs are directly supervised by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline and receive regular in-service training and planned and periodic evaluations by their faculty supervisor(s) as a condition of the renewal of their appointment normally once per academic semester. These evaluations become a part of the TA's record. Eligibility and qualification requirements for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship are outlined below.
  • Research Assistants (RAs): Work with faculty members on research projects supported by governmental and private sponsors and university research funds. In many cases, these projects are directly related to the student's thesis or dissertation research. Full tuition scholarships are available for graduate research assistants working toward a doctoral degree through the Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant Tuition Scholarship (DGRATS) Program. Periodic evaluation by the faculty supervisor(s) is required as part of the renewal of an RA appointment. Eligibility and qualification requirements for a Graduate Research Assistantship are outlined below.

Contract Requirements for Graduate Student Assistantships

Graduate Student Assistantships can be awarded by academic semester (Fall or Spring), by academic year (Fall-Spring), or by summer term. It is the responsibility of both supervisors and GSAs to ensure the policy on Student Employment and the procedures detailed in this guideline are followed.

The university deems a student’s primary role while attending Florida Tech is the pursuit of an education and, ultimately, a degree. As such, the university limits full-time students who are also employees as defined by Student Employment Policy to a maximum of twenty (20) hours of work per week during the academic year defined as fall and spring semesters. The only exceptions to this general limitation are outlined below:

  • During break periods (winter break, spring break, and summer semester), GSAs may exceed the twenty (20) hour per week limitation provided that they are enrolled full-time in the following academic semester. The maximum combined hours in all positions held during these break periods is forty (40) hours per week (see Student Employment Policy for more information).
  • GSAs in the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts performing counseling as part of a degree program may hold other student employment that, when combined, may result in more than twenty (20) hours of work per week even during the academic year. The academic unit must request approval in advance and in writing from the Office of the Provost. All approvals must be granted in advance of the activity.
  • The combined hours worked of a GSA cannot exceed twenty-seven (27) per week during the academic year.

Student employees are considered employees of Florida Tech and must be paid through the Human Resources/Payroll system. For the purposes of payroll processing graduate student assistants (GSAs) are classified as non-faculty contract employees. Therefore, under normal circumstances GSAs would not be eligible for supplemental compensation outside the terms of their contracts. It is recognized, however, that there may be instances when a GSA could provide specific expertise for which additional compensation might be warranted. Directors, department heads or program chairs wishing to provide such additional compensation to a GSA must request approval, in advance and in writing, from the Office of the Provost.  All approvals must be granted in advance of the activity. See Student Employment Policy for more information.

Graduate students are employed with the understanding work will occur on-site. A Telecommuting Agreement, facilitated through the Office of Human Resources, is required prior to a remote work arrangement. Teaching Assistants are NOT eligible to work remotely. See Telecommuting Policy for more information.

Eligibility Requirements for Graduate Student Assistantships

All graduate students seeking assistantships must meet the university-wide minimum academic standards for graduate students and any additional qualifications as required by the employing Academic Unit.

To be eligible for a GSA (Teaching or Research) contract, the graduate student must meet the following standards:

  • Be a full-time, degree-seeking student in or accepted into a (Melbourne campus) graduate degree program at Florida Tech. Full-time enrollment is considered to be 9-credit hours graduate coursework or a Full Load Graduate Course in academic semesters including Fall, Spring, and Summer.
    • If a graduate assistant is enrolled in the final semester of the program of study, the number of registered semester hours may be less than the full-time load requirement.
    • Graduate students enrolled in full-load in the upcoming Fall semester are considered full-time for the Summer Graduate Student Assistant contract.
  • Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Students who are not in good academic standing may not hold a graduate teaching or research assistantship. See Graduate Academic Standing Policy for more information.
  • Meet any additional academic qualifications for the GSA position as specified by the hiring Academic Unit.
  • First-time Teaching Assistants: All newly hired Teaching Assistants (TAs) are required to successfully complete the Teaching Assistant Seminar prior to the semester they are expected to teach.
  • International Students: Before an international graduate student may start to work, his/her proposed appointment must be reviewed by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services to clear the international student for employment, dependent upon the limitations that may exist with his/her visa. See Student Employment Policy for more information.

If the student’s home language is not English, evidence of proficiency in both written and spoken English must be provided as described below. See English Language Proficiency and Language Requirements for Graduate Student Employment Policy for reference.

Teaching Assistantship: a minimum score on at least one of the following proficiency tests (taken no more than two years before attendance at Florida Tech):

iBT

IELTS

PTE Academic

Cambridge English: Advanced

Duolingo English Test

Embassy English

100

7.0

70

193

(Grade of B)

120

C1

The Florida Institute of Technology’s International Proficiency Speaking Assessment (IPSA) with a passing score is required for all Teaching Assistants whose home language is NOT English.

Research Assistantship: A minimum score on at least one of the following proficiency tests (taken no more than two years before attendance at Florida Tech):

iBT

IELTS

PTE Academic

Cambridge English: Advanced

Duolingo English Test

Embassy English

80

6.5

58

180

(Grade of C)

105

B2

GSA eligibility requirement exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis and requires the approval of the Office of the Provost. GSA eligibility waiver requests must be submitted to the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs by the Academic Unit Head through the respective College Dean for review and approval.

Graduate assistantship contracts must be received from the academic unit at least two weeks prior to the date of the first paycheck. Contracts received late may result in a delay of payment. All students must sign and submit their teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA) contracts prior to starting work.

Eligibility Requirements for Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant Tuition Scholarships (DGRATS 2.0)

Effective August 4, 2024, Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant Tuition Scholarships (DGRATS) may be awarded to full-time Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) doctoral students who are supported a research grant or contract which includes

  • full Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rate (or indirect cost-IDC rate) of 44.87% for federal, 50% non-federal or national fellowships,
  • minimum of 3-credits of tuition remission, and
  • a stipend for minimum of 15 hours but no more than 20 hours per week with a rate of $22 per hour.

Requests for any exception to the DGRATS requirements outlined above must be submitted to the Chief Research Officer by the Academic Unit Head through the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, the respective College Dean for review and approval.

For all qualified grants (with full Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rate (or indirect cost-IDC rate) of 44.87% for federal, 50% non-federal or national fellowships) awarded or submitted prior to August 5, 2024, the university will honor its previous DGRATS commitments: (1) Total tuition scholarship will be capped at 45 credit hours for those doctoral students who have a conferred Master’s degree in identical or related disciplines or 57 credit hours for those doctoral students who have a conferred Bachelor’s degree and have a minimum of 18 credits towards their doctoral degree program. (2) A stipend for minimum of 15 hours but no more than 20 hours per week with a rate of $15 per hour must accompany the DGRATS award.

Reduced or waived IDC rate grants or contracts are NOT eligible to participate in DGRATS program.

To be eligible for a DGRATS contract, a graduate student must meet the following academic requirements:

  • Be a full-time student in a doctoral degree program at Florida Tech.
  • Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
  • International Students: If the student’s home language is not English, evidence of proficiency in both written and spoken English must be provided as outlined below. See English Language Proficiency and Language Requirements for Graduate Student Employment Policy for reference.
    • DGRATS: a minimum score on at least one of the following proficiency tests (taken no more than two years before attendance at Florida Tech):

iBT

IELTS

PTE Academic

Cambridge English: Advanced

Florida Tech TOEFL

Duolingo English Test

Embassy English

80

6.5

58

180

(Grade of C)

550

105

B2

For more information, see DGRATS FAQs.

Pay Rates for Graduate Student Assistantships

Active, full-time graduate students in good academic standing are eligible for Graduate Student Assistant (GSA) contracts (Teaching, Research, and DGRATS).

For all types of GSA including Teaching Assistantship (TA), Grant-funded Research Assistantship (RA), and DGRATS, the minimum and maximum hourly stipends are shown below.

Master’s and Doctoral Minimum Hourly Rate:

Florida minimum wage

Master’s Maximum Hourly Rate:

$25.64

DGRATS Minimum Hourly Rate:

$22.00

Doctoral Maximum Hourly Rate:

$32.05

Work Expectation for Tuition Remission Only

Number of credit hours

Work Expectation

3

4 hour/week

6

8 hours/week

9

12 hours/week
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