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Graduate assistantships provide students with the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience while helping cover the cost of their education.
Many academic units and other administrative areas employ graduate students on a part-time basis as graduate assistants. Graduate assistantships are awarded and governed by the individual appointing units. Some assistantships are open for student applications and are posted on the student job board. For questions about assistantship opportunities, contact your graduate program.
Graduate Assistants who will be reappointed for Fall need to complete payroll paperwork, including a new I-9 and Loyalty Oath, in early August if they were terminated by their department for the summer. In order to be paid on the August Monthly payroll, the necessary paperwork must be in OU Payroll by the August deadline. This means your reappointment paperwork, new I-9 and Loyalty Oath must be completed and in OU Human Resources, Nuclear Engineering Lab (NEL), 905 Asp Ave., Room 122 or through Remote Onboarding with OU Human Resources.
Graduate Assistants who are placed on Leave of Absence Without Pay for the summer and return to their GTA or GRA position in the Fall will not be required to complete a new I-9 or Loyalty Oath. The department must provide OU Payroll with a Personnel Action Form returning the GTA or GRA from the Leave of Absence Without Pay.
To be eligible for the Student Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) Exemption, students must be enrolled at least half-time by August 5 for fall semester, January 5 for spring semester, or June 5 for summer semester. FICA taxes will not be refunded to student employees who fail to be enrolled in the appropriate number of class hours by the aforementioned deadlines.
Note: Courses through the Extended Campus, this includes the College of Professional and Continuing Studies (formerly OU Outreach/College of Continuing Education) and OU North America and Europe (formerly Advanced Programs) courses OU North America & Europe (Advanced Programs) and/or the Center for Independent and Distance Learning (whether online or in-person) are not eligible credit hours for exemption from FICA.
In order to be a Qualifying Graduate Assistant (QGA) and eligible for QGA benefits, students must:
*A .50 FTE graduate assistantship may consist of a combined appointment from multiple units on campus (e.g., two .25 FTE assistantships).
Students must be enrolled in classes by August 5 in the fall and January 5 in the spring to be eligible for the Student FICA Exemption on the August and January paychecks. The FICA payroll taxes cannot be refunded for late class enrollment.
| Fall or Spring | Summer | Final Semester |
|---|---|---|
The minimum enrollment requirement for full-time status is 5 credit hours. | Enrollment requirements for summer GAs differ depending on the student’s circumstances. Not all summer GAs need to be enrolled. See section 4.3.2.2 of the Graduate College Bulletin for more details. | The minimum enrollment requirement for the final semester is 2 credit hours.
|
Qualifying graduate assistants are eligible for a waiver of up to the total number of hours required for the graduate program, provided they meet the eligibility requirements for QGAs.
Tuition waivers do not cover:
Students and courses in the following programs are not eligible for tuition waivers:
More details on tuition waivers and costs not covered can be found in section 4.3.3.1 of the Graduate College Bulletin.
Qualifying graduate assistants (QGAs) are eligible for a student health insurance waiver. To participate in the health insurance plan, students must enroll by certain deadlines. For more information, contact the Student Health Plan Office at shp@ou.edu, 405-325-9196, or visit their website.
Student health insurance through the Student Health Plan Office cannot be provided to students who reside outside of Oklahoma.
Qualifying Graduate Assistants (QGAs) who reside outside of Oklahoma and have approved remote work agreements* are not eligible for coverage under the Student Health Plan (SHP). Instead, these QGAs qualify for a taxable benefit subsidy payment equal to the value of the SHP waiver.
To receive this benefit, the QGA must have an approved remote work agreement* and submit the SHP subsidy request by the designated deadlines for each term. Your request may be submitted by email to gradgra@ou.edu with the subject line “Student Subsidy Payment Request” along with the following information:
Name/ID number
Copy of out of state remote work agreement (as a PDF attachment)
There will be two SHP processing dates per fall and spring terms. Failure to submit a request by these dates will result in forfeiture of the subsidy payment for the term.
The QGA must also be in active student status at the time of SHP subsidy processing (e.g., the payment must be processed before graduation).
Upon loss of healthcare coverage, you may become eligible to enroll in a plan via the Healthcare Exchange or directly with an insurance carrier. Changes may be made either 30- or 60-days after the loss of coverage. Please check with either the carrier or the Exchange to confirm. Due to the timing, the QGA may need to purchase their insurance option prior to receiving the SHP subsidy payment.
Deadlines for SHP Subsidy Payment Processing
Fall Semester – September 1 and November 1
Spring (Spring/Summer) Semester – February 1 and April 1
Subsidy Amounts**
Fall subsidy = $1,019.00
Spring/Summer subsidy = $1,455.00
*Remote work agreements should be submitted and approved before the semester begins, and the remote work dates should generally correspond to the semester or academic calendar (e.g., not starting or ending in the middle of a semester).
**Amounts are subject to change annually
To work more than .50 FTE (full-time equivalent), graduate research and teaching assistants must have prior approval of the OU Graduate College. Approval is required for any .50 FTE graduate assistant who does any additional paid work for OU, including supplemental pay.
How to Request to Appoint a Graduate Assistant Over .50 FTE
Responsibility of the Graduate Student to Submit the Request to Appoint a Graduate Assistant Over .50 FTE
Eligibility
Tracking Compliance of Graduate Assistantships Exceeding .50 FTE
Supplemental Pay
Graduate assistants with a total .50 FTE (full-time equivalent) or greater, may be eligible to enroll in fewer than 5 hours of coursework (3 hours for summer) during their final semester and still be considered full-time for the purpose of maintaining eligibility for a tuition waiver and FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax exemption. This helps students avoid paying fees for coursework beyond the hours needed for completion of their degree.
Graduate assistants may receive a one-semester exemption from the FICA tax if they declare their final semester with the Graduate College by completing the online Graduate Assistant Final Semester Declaration form below. This form may be completed one time only.
Should a student declare their final semester with the Graduate College but not graduate in that semester, the student will no longer be eligible to retain full-time student status with reduced enrollment.
Students with financial aid should contact the Student Financial Center for enrollment requirements regarding financial aid eligibility and student loan deferment information.
For International Graduate Assistants
All international graduate students must also obtain separate approval for a reduced course load from International Student Services in their final semester.
A graduate assistant (GA) is a graduate student appointed to the title Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) or Graduate Research Assistant (GRA). To qualify for Graduate Assistant Benefits, GAs must hold a minimum .50FTE (full-time equivalent) appointment the entire semester and be enrolled in at least 5 credit hours during the fall and spring terms. See the Final Semester Enrollment requirements below for more details.
Qualifying graduate assistants (QGAs) are eligible for a stipend, tuition waiver, and basic student health insurance.
Tuition waivers are called waivers because your tuition is “waived.” Tuition is still charged to your account until the waiver is applied. Tuition waivers do not cover university fees. Estimate the cost of fees using the Tuition and Fees Calculator.
All newly appointed GTAs at OU are required to complete the Graduate College's New GTA Orientation. This includes GTAs whose duties are grading-only.
This training is not the same as ETCS certification for some international GAs. For questions about orientation, contact ngtao@ou.edu.
Tuition waivers for qualifying graduate assistants (QGA) are automatically applied to a student's account within the first three weeks of classes. If a graduate assistant changes enrollment after a tuition waiver has been applied, the waiver will automatically get adjusted within 5 business days.
Email gradgra@ou.edu with questions about tuition waivers.
TUITION WAIVER LIMITS
Qualifying GAs are eligible for a waiver of up to the total number of hours required for the graduate program. Doctoral students also in a master’s program are eligible for the total number of hours required for the doctoral degree.
CHANGE IN ENROLLMENT
Tuition waivers are calculated on the number of hours a student is enrolled in at the time the waiver is awarded. If a student's enrollment increases or decreases, tuition waiver adjustments will be made within five business days.
SUMMER WAIVERS
Students who held or will hold a qualifying appointment in the preceding spring or following fall semester will be eligible for a waiver in the summer, provided they have not exhausted their maximum allowable waiver.
The OU Graduate College provides the New Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation each fall and spring semester for all newly appointed GTAs.
The New GTA Orientation is required for all newly appointed GTAs, including those in supporting roles where their duties are primarily grading and/or holding office hours.
Failure to complete this orientation will result in an enrollment hold being placed on the GTA's account for the following semester.
The New GTA Orientation has an online and in-person component. The online component will be hosted via Canvas asynchronously. For the in-person component of the orientation, all participants must attend one of the synchronous New GTA Orientation workshops, offered in the first five weeks of the semester. Workshop details will be provided via the Canvas platform approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
Registrants will be added to the Spring 2026 orientation's Canvas platform starting on December 1st of 2025, and they will have between 3 and 5 weeks to complete the online component of the orientation, depending on when they register.
For questions regarding the New GTA Orientation, email ngtao@ou.edu.
All new Spring 2026 GTAs should register for the new GTA orientation via the link below.
This orientation is not the same as the English language certification required for some international teaching assistants. For information about this certification, visit the ETCS website.
For additional questions regarding the New GTA Orientation, please email ngtao@ou.edu.
To access the registration form, you must use your OU Net ID and password. You can set up your OU Net ID and password by following the instructions at OU Information Technology.
If you are experiencing any issues obtaining your OU Net ID and password, please contact OU Internet Technology.
If you have questions about offer letters, contact the Graduate Personnel and Finance Coordinator, Ashley Herndon.
For offering applicants admission to the university with the invitation to participate as a Research Assistant.
For inviting students admitted to the university to participate as a Graduate Research Assistant.
For offering applicants admission to the university with the invitation to participate as a Teaching Assistant.
For inviting students admitted to the university to participate as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
They are eligible for the waiver in the semesters they are appointed (plus summer) as a qualifying GA (.50 FTE assistantship for the full semester).
Starting July 1, 2025, the OU Provost's minimum rate for .50 FTE graduate assistants is $893.72 bi-weekly or $23,237 annually.
Contact your hiring unit to verify your remaining hours of waiver.
If you have credit hours remaining, and the waiver is still not showing on your OU Bursar statement after the third week of the semester, contact the Graduate College at gradgra@ou.edu or 405-325-3811 for assistance.
Hiring units have access to a report of each student and their remaining hours of waiver. Students can also contact gradgra@ou.edu to verify waiver eligibility.
If a student is placed on academic probation or fails to make satisfactory progress toward their degree, the student may lose the tuition waiver award. A student who fails to enroll in the minimum number of required hours for the entire semester (fall and spring) will lose the tuition waiver award. If a student fails to have a qualifying graduate assistantship appointment for the entire semester (fall and spring), the student will lose any waiver dependent on that appointment.
OU Bursar Services will send you an e-refund or a check for the amount of your waiver(s) once it appears on your bill.
The hours from the uncompleted degree that apply to the new degree will reduce the limit for the new degree.
All QGAs must be appointed for the entire academic semester, although these academic start dates may differ slightly from the payroll start dates. These dates may not always align. For more information, please contact Payroll at payroll@ou.edu or find more information on the Payroll website.
PTO (Paid Time Off) for GAs should not be managed through the time sheet or online system. Instead, it should be tracked at the department or supervisor level.
All GAs that meet Qualifying Graduate Assistant (QGA) status as defined by the Graduate Bulletin 4.3.2.
Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) should coordinate leave requests with their research or other designated supervisors.
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) should consult both their teaching supervisor and their academic unit leadership (chair, director, or graduate liaison) to understand the unit’s process for approving, managing, and tracking PTO.
Graduate Advising Assistants, Graduate Housing Advisors, and Graduate Resident Coordinators should consult with their designated supervisors.
No. GAs should not be placed on LOA simply for using all of their PTO. LOAs should only occur:
During the summer if the GA does not hold an active appointment, or after consultation with, and approval from, the Graduate College at gradgra@ou.edu.
No. Attending a conference with your advisor is considered part of your academic and research responsibilities.
If you are a GTA, coordinate with your supervisor and academic unit to ensure class coverage and minimize disruption.
University holidays or closures do not require PTO.
If you wish to extend your break beyond official closures, you must use PTO.
Remember: As a GA, your employment status is separate from your student role, and student holidays may not always apply to your job duties.
GAs can “flex” holiday time—this means you may use the hours worked to take off another day.
No. GAs are eligible for both PTO and Paid Parental Leave immediately upon appointment.
If you are on a 9-month appointment, your PTO is prorated, and you will receive 7.5 days of PTO during your appointment period.
No. While 10 days is the minimum required by policy; supervisors may offer additional leave at their discretion.
Yes, PTO can be used in addition to Paid Parental Leave, depending on your specific circumstances. Paid parental leave can also be combined with the Family and Medical GA Release.
Yes. We recommend contacting gradgra@ou.edu to be connected with your Associate Dean liaison. They can provide a confidential consultation to help determine the most appropriate course of action based on your academic and personal situation.
