Waiver of Nonresident Portion of Tuition. Graduate Assistants who work a minimum of 25% time (10 hours per week) per semester and are properly registered are eligible to receive resident rate tuition during that semester. Resident rate tuition also applies to eligible students’ immediate family members (spouse or registered same sex domestic partner, children, parents, or legal guardian or ward living in the household).
Maximum Benefits per Semester. A graduate assistant appointed 50% time (an average of 20 hours per week) for the full-semester payroll period (which begins before the start of classes and extends beyond finals week) typically receives a tuition benefit equivalent to the Graduate School’s tuition band level (at resident rates). This benefit would cover 6-14 credits per semester. Those in the Advanced Masters or Ph.D. Candidate job classes receive a benefit equal to one credit of Graduate School tuition. Legal Project Assistants with Tuition Benefits receive the equivalent of Law School tuition. Medical Fellows must work 100% time for the full semester to receive the equivalent of the Graduate School’s tuition band level.
Prorated Tuition Benefits. Graduate assistants appointed for less than 50% time or for less than the full semester payroll period will not receive the maximum tuition benefits. Their benefits are prorated according to the total number of hours worked over the 19.5 week payroll semester. Maximum benefits require appointments of at least 390 hours per semester (20 hours x 19.5 weeks). Appointments for fewer than 97.5 hours per semester (equivalent to a 12.5% appointment for the full term) do not qualify for any tuition benefit.
The tuition benefit percentage can be calculated by dividing total semester hours of employment by 390. A full-semester 25% appointment (195 hours) receives half of the Graduate School tuition band level. Full term appointments between 25% and 50% receive prorated tuition benefits, the percentage equivalent to double their appointment percentage (e.g., a 40% appointment receiving 80% tuition benefit).
Appointments Beginning After or Ending Before the Official Semester Appointment Dates. Appointments that begin after or end before the official semester appointment dates will be prorated according to total hours worked for the semester payroll period. The student will have the unearned portion of tuition benefits billed to them, at non-resident rates if applicable. If the shortened appointment falls below the 97.5-hour eligibility threshold (equivalent to a 12.5% time appointment for the full semester period), 100% of the tuition will be billed to the student, at non-resident rates.
Appointments Ending Due to Graduation. If an appointment ends early because of graduation, the student will receive the full tuition benefit awarded for that final term of employment as a graduate assistant. The benefit will not be prorated and charged back to the student.
Summer Tuition Benefits. Nine-month academic year assistantships carry no summer tuition benefit. Summer benefits are earned only from hours of assistantship employment during the 13-week summer period between spring and fall semesters. In order to provide comparable maximum benefits to those earned during an academic year semester, summer benefits accrue at a 50% faster rate; maximum benefits (typically, the Graduate School’s tuition band level) are earned for 260 hours of summer employment (i.e. 20 hours x 13 weeks) and lesser hours are prorated according to that 260 hour norm. The minimum summer appointment threshold for tuition benefits is 65 hours. Benefits are higher for the 9574 job class, Summer Session Teaching Assistant, and are calculated differently. See the GAO website (http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/gae/) for details.
Extended Waiver of Nonresident Portion of Tuition. Former graduate assistants, their immediate family members, and/or domestic partners are eligible to receive extended resident rate reductions if the graduate assistant has held at least two semesters of qualifying appointments (at least 25% time). This benefit is extended to graduate assistants who are no longer employed as graduate assistants for a maximum of four semesters, one term of extended benefit earned for each term of employment. Extended benefits must be used within three years of the last term of assistantship appointment. |