Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships provide students with valuable professional experience while supporting the teaching, research and service mission of the university. Through assistantships, graduate students work closely with faculty and university staff while developing skills related to their academic and career goals.
Assistantship are awarded by the Associate Provost of Graduate Studies upon recommendation from the student’s academic department.
Applications for assistantships must be accompanied or preceded by an application for admission to Graduate Studies. All applicants, newly admitted and continuing graduate students with superior credentials including first-year international graduate students, are eligible to apply for graduate assistantships.
In those instances, in which the student indicates acceptance of an assistantship award after April 15, the student may not accept another appointment without first obtaining formal release for this purpose.
Types of Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) are appointed to assist with or perform instructional duties under faculty supervision. Depending on the assignment and program approval, teaching assistants may assist with course delivery or serve as the instructor of record for designated courses or sections.
Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) are employed to perform research and scholarly activities under the supervision of a faculty member or research supervisor that support the research mission of the university or a faculty member’s funded research agenda, and contributing to knowledge creation, analysis, or scholarly output, regardless of discipline.
Graduate Administrative Assistants (GAA)/Assistant Interns (GAI) are appointed to provide administrative, programmatic, operational or professional support within an academic, non-academic university unit or for an external sponsor. These roles are designed to offer structured, supervised professional experience aligned with the student’s field of study.
Additional academic or program related service responsibilities may be assigned as appropriate for any assistantship appointment.
Benefits
Graduate assistants appointed during the Fall or Spring semesters will be paid a stipend and receive tuition remission of instructional fees, remission of non-resident surcharge (if applicable), and the parking permit fee refund. Tuition remission does not apply to summer courses, audited courses, undergraduate courses (even if needed as a prerequisite coursework), or graduate courses that are not required for degree completion. Students remain responsible for the general and program-specific fees or other university charges not covered by the assistantship.
Tax implications
Under IRS regulations, tuition remission benefits that exceed a certain annual limit may be considered taxable income. When this limit is reached, the taxable amount is added to the student’s earnings and increases tax withholding, which impacts the stipend amount later in the calendar year. Students are encouraged to prepare for this adjustment. For general questions on tuition remission please contact the YSU Payroll Office. For specific, individual related tax questions please consult a licensed tax professional or preparer.
Work Requirements
Graduate assistantships require a commitment of 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semester, including exam week. Assigned duties are determined by the department chair or supervisor.
Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to classroom or laboratory duties are under the direct supervision of a full-time faculty member who maintains responsibility for course quality and academic and pedagogical standards.
Teaching Assistant eligibility
The department chair will be responsible for assessing the oral proficiency in English. Students who do not achieve a satisfactory rating will not be permitted to teach. International graduate students appointed as Teaching Assistants must demonstrate oral English proficiency. Departments assess proficiency using the speaking subsection of a standardized test. A minimum of 23 on the TOEFL or a score of 7 on the IBT are considered satisfactory.
Graduate students admitted with provisional status because of undergraduate coursework deficiencies are generally not eligible for teaching assistantships until the required coursework is completed. Such students may be considered for research assistantships. Exceptions require review and approval by the Associate Provost.
Enrollment and Academic Requirements
To remain eligible for a graduate assistantship, students must maintain enrollment of minimum 6 semester hours (9 semester hours preferred) of degree credit coursework during both Fall and Spring semester, remain in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress towards degree completion. Approval is required to enroll in more than 12 semester hours or fewer than 6 semester hours during the Fall or Spring semesters. Exceptions may be granted by the Associate Provost, Research Services and Graduate Studies upon recommendation from the program director or department chair. Graduate assistants must maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete duties satisfactorily.
Employment Restrictions
Graduate assistants may not hold other full-time employment while receiving an assistantship. Occasional or temporary employment outside the University may be permitted with approval from the department chair or the program director. Other employment on the YSU campus requires approval of the Associate Provost, Research Services and Graduate Studies.
Students in the following programs are not eligible for Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantships:
Doctor of Education
Master of Respiratory Care
Master of Science in Business Analytics
Master of Science in Education in Education Administration
Master of Science in Education in Education Administration (with Principal Licensure Option)
Master of Science in Nursing
Master of Business Administration
Master of Science in Education in Special Education
Master of Science in Education in Teacher Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Graduate Administrative Assistantships or Graduate Assistantship Interns (GAA/GAIs) may be offered upon approval.
Frequently Asked Questions About Graduate Assistantship*
Complete the Online Graduate Assistantship application. Letter of Recommendation requests are made from the same online system where the application is submitted.
Employment Paperwork Appointments — All students previously not employed on campus must complete required employment forms, and present Employment Eligibility Verification documents. See the link below for the Form I-9 Acceptable Documents. All documents from the Employment Forms Package must be completed, signed, and submitted together. Failure to complete all required documents by the deadline may result in a delayed payroll payment. Students are not permitted to begin work until I-9 and all employment paperwork is complete.
International students (Not-Citizen) – All admitted International Students should follow procedures regarding mandatory check-in and orientation for important information regarding health policies, arrival dates, etc. The International Programs Office contact information is:
Jones Hall 1042
1 Tressel Way,
Youngstown, OH 44555
330-941-2336
ipo@ysu.edu
All students (Citizen and Legal Permanent Resident and Non-Citizen) - Austin Haddon will send an email to schedule an appointment to complete the required E-Verify I-9. All appointments are scheduled on the 2nd floor of Coffelt Hall. Completed employment paperwork must be emailed back to Austin prior to the E-Verify I-9 appointment.
Important Links
Form I-9 Acceptable Documents — Please see the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services list of acceptable documents to present at your appointment to complete the Form-I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
YSU Graduate Assistant Leave Form*
Graduate Assistants are paid a semi-monthly stipend for the duration of the appointment period indicated on the contract. The table below shows the scheduled pay dates associated with each term that might be part of the appointment period. Please note: If the appointment period crosses terms, there will likely be a break in pay between those terms so please budget accordingly.
| Term | Contract Dates | Pay Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | 8/24/2026-12/11/2026 | 9/15/26, 9/30/26, 10/15/26, 10/30/26, 11/13/26, 11/30/26, & 12/15/26 |
| Spring 2027 | 1/4/2027-5/1/2027 | 1/31/27, 2/14/27, 2/28/27, 3/14/27, 3/31/27, 4/15/27, 4/30/27, & 5/15/27 |
| Summer 2027 | 5/11/2027 – 8/15/2027 | 5/29/27, 6/15/27, 6/30/27, 7/15/27, 7/31/27, & 8/14/27 |
*Not required to work during breaks OR University closings
Log into the Online Application System console found on your Penguin Portal to evaluate and make a recommendation on Graduate Assistantship applications.
The Cushwa Fellowship is available to STEM students only. The Cushwa family, in conjunction with the YSU Foundation, established the Charles B. Cushwa, Jr./Commercial Shearing Inc. Graduate Student Scholarship/Fellowship Fund in 2003 to provide students the opportunity to pursue advanced degrees, acquire career experience, and offset some of the financial challenges of continuing their education. In addition, the community benefits from these scholars’ interactions with local businesses that bring the resources of the University into the local economy.
For more information on the Cushwa/Commercial Shearing Graduate Fellowship go to the following link: Cushwa/Commercial Shearing Graduate Fellowships
Please be sure to contact your graduate program director if you are interested in the Cushwa Fellowship. Application deadline is February 15th. If interested, please complete the application.
Appointments to doctoral fellowships are made by Graduate Studies upon recommendation of the program. No award may be committed to or made until the student has been admitted to Graduate Studies.
If you are interested in applying for a PhD fellowship, please reach out to Dr. Deschenes at radeschenes@ysu.edu.
The areas of Student Experience, Student Success and Enrollment Management award several graduate assistant internships (GAI) each academic year to eligible graduate students. Contact these departments to inquire about openings.
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