Assistantship Policies

Award Conditions

Graduate Award Requirements

All assistantship award letters include a link to this Graduate Award Requirements document. Students agree to the requirements in this document by accepting their award. 

Graduate Award Requirements

Working in Multiple Positions

Fall and Spring Semester Restrictions

Graduate Assistants may hold multiple assistantships as well as a student employment job or a non-GW-affiliated job, subject to the following restrictions: 

• The total assistantship hours cannot exceed 20 hours per week.
• Graduate assistants who are fully-funded may not work more than 20 hours per week during fall and spring semesters. Fully-funded graduate assistants interested in pursuing employment in excess of 20 hours per week may appeal for exemption using the Request for Permission to Work Process.
• Graduate assistants who are not fully funded may not work more than 40 hours per week during fall and spring semesters between all positions (assistantships, student employment and non-GW affiliated jobs). 

Summer Semester Restrictions

Graduate Assistants at all funding levels may hold multiple assistantships in combination with a student employment job or a non-GW-affiliated job, subject to the following restriction: 

• Between all positions (assistantships, student employment and non-GW affiliated jobs), a student may not work more than 40 hours per week during the summer semester.

International Students: Please note many international student visas are subject to additional employment restrictions. Most F-1 visa holders are limited to working no more than 20 hours per week during semesters they are enrolled in coursework. Please consult the International Services Office to verify any visa requirements prior to accepting employment.

---

 

Definition of Fully Funded:

For Academic Year 2023-2024

Master's students: receiving a minimum of $8,000 (for fall, spring or summer semester) or $16,000 (for the entire academic year) in a combination of assistantship service payment and/or stipend.
Doctoral students: receiving a minimum of $10,000 (for fall, spring or summer semester) or $20,000 (for the entire academic year) in a combination of assistantship service payment and/or stipend.
 

For Academic Year 2024-2025

Master's students: receiving a minimum of $8,550 (for fall, spring or summer semester) or $17,100 (for the entire academic year) in a combination of assistantship service payment and/or stipend.
Doctoral students: receiving a minimum of $13,050 (for fall, spring or summer semester) or $26,100 (for the entire academic year) in a combination of assistantship service payment and/or stipend.

*Please note that tuition awards do not count toward the funding thresholds listed above. 

Compensation

Salary Payments

Assistantship salary payments may vary by school and department. Assistantship salary checks are issued on the last business day of each month, beginning on the first day of a month and ending on the last day of a month. Checks can be electronically deposited in a U.S. bank or mailed to a student’s local address if direct deposit is not set up.

All questions on payments should be directed to your awarding office. Your awarding office is indicated by the contact information listed at the bottom of your award letter. If you do not have an award letter, please contact the department that has appointed you as soon as possible. If any problems cannot be resolved, please contact [email protected].

Stipend Payments

Some graduate assistants may have a stipend award in addition to their assistantship salary. A stipend is awarded to cover living expenses, requires no services and is a merit award intended to support your academic study. Stipends are paid monthly and are transferred via direct deposit to graduate assistants' personal bank accounts on or before the first business day of the month. 

Tuition Payments

Some graduate assistants may have a tuition fellowship award in addition to their assistantship salary. Tuition fellowships are applied directly to your GW account. A tuition award covers all or part of the cost of tuition. If you have been awarded a tuition fellowship, it will be entered into the Banner system by authorized University staff and post to your student account after you have registered for the required number of credits. If you receive a bill for tuition and you think you should not, please contact your awarding office. Most awards do not cover fees.

Taxes

If you have questions about taxes related to your salary and/or stipend, please contact the GW Tax Department.

Benefits & Support

Health Insurance

The George Washington University (GW) offers a comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through Aetna Student Health.

In accordance with the Affordable Care Act, some of the benefits that are offered by the GW SHIP include:

• An unlimited lifetime maximum benefit
• Prescription coverage after $100 deductible
• Preventative services covered at 100% (at preferred providers)
• Contraception covered 100% (at preferred providers)

Graduate students can learn more about the GW Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) on the SHIP website. Fully funded graduate students in certain schools are eligible for a health insurance subsidy. For more information about the health insurance subsidy, please visit the OGSAF website

Sick Time

Sick time provides graduate assistants with paid time off to take care of their basic health and safety needs as well as those of their family members.

Sick time begins accruing on the date of your appointment and any accrued but unused sick time can be used during the appointment period with manager approval. Accrued sick time is credited on the last working day of each month and may not be used prior to its actual accrual.

Graduate assistants accrue sick time at a rate of 2.25 hours each month up to 20 hours per year and can carry over up to their maximum annual accrual of sick time each year.

Sick Time is tracked via Kronos.

Sick time policy information is in the Time Off and Leave Guide. Please refer only to the sick time sections specific to Graduate Assistants, beginning on page 10. You can also contact GW Benefits at [email protected] for questions related to sick time.

Parking

Graduate assistants can park on campus with a parking pass purchased through the GW Parking Office. Please visit the GW Business Services Office website to learn more.

Support for Pregnant Students

The Title IX Office provides individualized support to students experiencing pregnancy-related conditions (pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, and termination of pregnancy). 

 

You can learn more about Title IX and Pregnancy on the Title IX website.  If you are experiencing a pregnancy-related complication, you may also be entitled to accommodations through Disability Support Services.

 

To learn more about what resources they may be entitled to, please connect with the Title IX team by filling out their online report form or by emailing [email protected].  

 

Resources for further support:

Student Health Center (Medical and Counseling Services)

GW Lactation Rooms 

Disability Support Services 

Reporting Harassment/ Discrimination Based on Pregnancy 

If you would like to report harassment and/or Discrimination based on pregnancy or parental status, and you are a student, please see the Student Grievance Procedures.

Technology

Faculty Email Account

Student Email

As a GW student, you received an e-mail address through GWMail, the university’s Google-based e-mail and calendar system for students. GW student e-mail addresses appear as [email protected], and any message sent to a student’s [email protected] will automatically be directed to their GWMail address. GWMail features state-of-the-art communication tools, increased storage space and greater mobility and can be easily configured on mobile devices.

Your NetID is the portion of your email address before @gwu.edu (for example: if your email address is [email protected], your NetID is johnsmith)

Faculty & Staff Email

As a GW Graduate Assistant you also received, or will receive, access to a GWemail, the faculty and staff e-mail system. Each Graduate Assistant has the e-mail address [email protected] through GWemail. When a student becomes a Graduate Assistant, they receive a GWemail account in addition to their GWMail account.

These systems are very similar, and it is important to keep this in mind so that you receive all needed messages. Once you receive your GWemail account, any messages sent to [email protected] will continue going to your student account. However, if someone writes to you at [email protected] (which is a default for them in their Google address book), you may miss important communications unless you take an active role in checking both e-mail accounts.

*Note that when your Graduate Assistant position ends, you will no longer have access to GWemail. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you do not correspond with your professors or others with your GWemail account regarding your personal academic work.

Accessing Both Email Accounts

• To access your student email account, sign into Gmail as [email protected].
• To access your faculty/staff email account, sign into Gmail as [email protected].

(your current password will work for both accounts)