Assistantship Requirements

Research assistantships (RAs) and teaching assistantships (TAs) are one of the best financial aid deals for graduate and doctoral students.

Your time in a graduate or doctoral program should be intellectually challenging. You'll have increased responsibilities in your classes, and more accountability with your professors and peers. Add an assistantship to that responsibility, and you can understand why many first-time graduate or doctoral students feel overwhelmed.

Balance Your Work
Though they typically arrive in part-time assignments, teaching a class or assisting a faculty member with research may feel like its own full-time job. With the stress and excitement of an assistantship, it's important to prioritize your own work first; your first responsibility in school is to yourself, after all.

If you ever find you're overwhelmed with work, evaluate your priorities. Are you spending too much time on student papers and one-on-one tutoring? Is your faculty advisor requiring too many late hours dedicated to their research? If you need to make an adjustment, don't be afraid to ask for help from your academic advisor.

Keep Current Records
Be sure you're aware of contract requirements in your TA or RA. You may have a contract for the full term of your graduate or doctoral degree, or you may need to re-apply every year. Additionally, your contract may come with other requirements such as prohibiting you from taking on additional work outside the school.

Student status can also mean the difference between keeping an assistantship and losing it. You may receive less of a stipend or lose your assignment entirely if you drop below full-time status. The terms of your RA or TA should be fully explained in your contract. Talk to your department chair or graduate financial aid office if you have more questions regarding TA or RA. Because assistantships can affect your employment search later on, it's important to leave a good impression on your educational institution.