Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Waiver FAQs

Graduate assistantships are an outstanding way to fund graduate education while simultaneously developing professional skills. Graduate assistants perform vital teaching, research, and service duties to their program and earn a stipend for their work.

• Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) have primary responsibility in an instructional capacity. Services provided by a graduate teaching assistant may include lecturing, serving as an assistant faculty in classes, proctoring examinations, grading assignments, tests, papers, and helping and providing general assistance in the instructional process.
• Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) undertake part-time research as a portion of their training under direct supervision of faculty members and support the research initiatives of the institution.  GRAs are selected for excellence in scholarship and promise as researchers.
• Graduate Service Assistants (GSA) assist in a service unit whose mission is closely related to the student’s area of academic study and interest. GSAs report to a full-time employee who supervises and trains the student.

To be considered for a graduate assistantship, students must be admitted full-time, graduate degree-seeking students, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Students that are conditionally admitted to a graduate program due to a GPA below 3.0 upon admission are not eligible to receive a graduate assistantship.

• Contact the graduate coordinator or department chair in your program area for information on open opportunities and qualifications. Use the NAU Directory to find your program’s graduate coordinator.
• Each unit fills its assistantship positions, so requirements and application processes vary.
• Assistantship opportunities are determined by staffing needs and internal budgets.
• Check the Graduate Assistantships and Tuition Waivers webpage for “at-large” assistantships.

NAU tuition waivers are scholarships which pay for all or part of a student’s tuition. There is no work requirement for tuition waivers as there is for graduate assistantship tuition remission. For online students, tuition waivers pay for up to 9 credits per semester. See SDAS online tuition rates for more information.

• Resident tuition waivers: Cover a portion or the full, in-state tuition (excluding university and program fees).
• Non-resident tuition waivers: Cover a portion or the full out-of-state tuition (excluding university and program fees).
• Students are responsible for paying any remaining tuition balance, if a balance and university and program fees.

To be eligible for a tuition waiver, students must:

• Be a graduate degree-seeking student in good academic standing.
• Meet the academic unit requirements.
• Important notes:
  • Tuition waivers may be awarded to both resident and non-resident graduate students.
  • Eligibility requirements and application processes are managed by individual academic units, so they may vary.
  • Awards may be based on academic merit and/or financial need, as determined by each academic unit.

• The application process is available through individual academic units.
• Not all academic units offer tuition waivers.
• Students should contact their program’s graduate coordinator or department chair for information on waiver requirements and the application process.

• Read your contract. Once you have accepted your assistantship appointment, you will receive a contract (Letter of Appointment) to your NAU email. Review it and reach out to your graduate coordinator or supervisor with any questions. 
• Read the Graduate Assistantship Handbook. Understand the policies that relate to your assistantship appointment and reach out to your graduate coordinator or supervisor with any questions or concerns. 
• Check your NAU email regularly. The Graduate Assistantships and Tuition Waiver (GATW) team sends out communications to GAs from GATW@nau.edu prior to the semester starting with detailed instructions on course enrollment, health insurance enrollment, university and program fees, and your stipend. 
• Review the Important Dates for GA’s
• Enroll in a minimum of 6 units of credit or more based on your program enrollment requirements. Your award will not disburse unless you have met the minimum enrollment requirements. 
• Enroll in the semester only Student Health Care Plan (SHIP) if you are a 20-hour GA who accepted the health insurance benefit by the SHIP enrollment deadline (14 days after the semester start date). Don’t know if you accepted the health insurance benefit? Please check your contract!
• Pay your university and program fees. See the SDAS Tutorials for resources on understanding your eBill. 
• Check in with your supervisor about your start day, orientation, and what you should know before your first day.

• Know who your graduate coordinator is and get to know your supervisor!
• The Graduate Assistantship Handbook.
• The Office of Graduate & Professional Studies Newsletter has resources for professional growth, funding, events, and a section for GA updates. Always review the Newsletter!
• SDAS
• Career Development 
• The Teaching and Learning Center
• The University Writing Commons
• Louie’s Cupboard
• Health Promotions
• NAU Counseling Center

The Graduate Assistantship Handbook.

All stipend and pay issues should be communicated with your supervisor and Human Resources.

Tuition remission

• Check that you are enrolled per your tuition waiver requirements.
• Make sure there are no holds on your account.

Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

• If eligible, please ensure that you have enrolled in SHIP by the deadline, which is typically 14 days after the start of each semester. Electing “Enrolling” on the Letter of Appointment does not automatically enroll you in SHIP.
• Confirm with Campus Health Services that you are enrolled in the semester only SHIP.
• Reach out to your supervisor or graduate coordinator.
• Contact Campus Health Services (928-523-6343) for student health insurance-related questions.

• If you are scheduled to work on a day that falls on a university holiday, you are not required to make up those hours.
• If the university closes due to inclement weather and you are scheduled to work on campus, you do not need to make up those hours.
• Please check with your supervisor regarding your work requirements during university closures as some GAs are required to work during these times.

Graduate assistantships are for one semester, one academic year, or one fiscal year only. The policy related to this question can be found in the Graduate Assistantship Handbook.