Graduate Assistantships

**IMPORTANT UPDATES**

  • It is the responsibility of graduate assistants to ensure hours reported are correctly reporting the hours actually worked.
  • It is the responsibility of graduate assistants to ensure supervisors have approved time cards by the deadline communicated in appointment confirmations.
  • Holds may be placed on student accounts when time reporting has not been met at the conclusion of all appointments paid by the College of Law.
  • It is the responsibility of students on academic year appointments to ensure that updated appointment forms have been submitted to the College of Law's human resources department when a change in supervisor has occurred during the year.
Graduate Assistantship Opportunities
  • Click here to view available Graduate Research Assistant positions

Graduate Assistantship Opportunities in the College of Law

  • Faculty Research Support
Centers & Clinics
  • Capital Defender Clinic
  • Center for Access to Justice
  • Center for Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth
  • Center for Intellectual Property
  • Center for Law, Health & Society
  • Entertainment, Sports, & Media Law Initiative
  • Health Law Partnerships (HeLP) Clinic
  • Immigration Clinic
  • Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative
  • Low-Income Tax Payer Clinic
Departments
  • Admissions
  • Center for Professional Development & Career Strategies
  • Communications
  • Externship
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Library
  • Registrar - Non-Law Graduate Students Only

Graduate Assistantship Opportunities in Other Departments/Programs

Graduate research and teaching assistantships in other colleges and departments may be available to qualified law students. These students must be enrolled at the College of Law, be in good academic standing and have approval from the College to work outside of the home department.

Inquiries about non-law graduate assistantships may be made directly to the deans' or administrative offices of the other colleges:

Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Athletic Association
Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing & Health Professions
College of Arts & Sciences
College of Education & Human Development
Legal Affairs
IP & Higher Education Matters
Robinson College of Business
-Department of Risk Management
University Housing
International Student and Scholar Services

 

**Before formally accepting any position outside the College of Law, you must complete the Request to Work Outside Home Department Policy and Form for approval.

 

Application and Selection Process

Graduate Assistant (GA) positions are limited and preference is given to current law students. Students may be appointed directly by law faculty or graduate assistant managers, or selected competitively via applicant pool based on research or professional experience, academic record, and the correlation between the applicant's specific experience and the particular assistantship positions that are available.

Once selected, students may be reappointed for subsequent terms, subject to academic and/or work performance, departmental policy and position availability. All newly and reappointed GAs must complete and submit a Graduate Assistant Form.

The University has recently moved to a new onboarding platform for graduate assistant hires to receive and complete employment onboarding paperwork.  New hires will receive an email from onboarding@gsu.edu that provides them with a link to complete all of their paperwork inside the new onboarding portal with the exception of the State Security Questionnaire and verification of I-9 documents (eligibility to work in the US). These two documents require additional verification and cannot be fully completed online.  An appointment with the University's Human Resources Office is required for this step.

The following Departmental Appointment and Personnel Action forms, with original and/or electronic signatures, are to be completed by both student and supervisor and submitted to Tina Blanks

If you have any questions regarding the hiring process, please contact LawGRA.

Special Instructions for Lawyering Advocacy Program GAs - Spring Only

Professor Corneill Stephens, advocacy program director, appoints a limited number of Lawyering Advocacy Program GAs each year. Contact Professor Stephens for more information.

The University has recently moved to a new onboarding platform for graduate assistant hires to receive and complete employment onboarding paperwork.  New hires will receive an email from onboarding@gsu.edu that provides them with a link to complete all of their paperwork inside the new onboarding portal with the exception of the State Security Questionnaire and verification of I-9 documents (eligibility to work in the US). These two documents require additional verification and cannot be fully completed online.  An appointment with the University's Human Resources Office is required for this step.  Not completing your hiring packet may result in a delay in compensation or a loss of appointment.

The following appointment form, with original and/or electronic signatures, are to be completed by both student and Professor Stephens and submitted to LawGRA:

Deadlines

For appointments

Priority deadlines for GA appointments are as follows:

  • Fall semester: July 1
  • Spring semester: November 15
  • Summer semester: April 1
For tuition waivers

To remain eligible for tuition waivers, you must have submitted your completed appointment forms by:

  • Fall semester: First Monday in August
  • Spring semester: First Friday in January
  • Summer semester: First Friday in June

It is the student's responsibility to verify that a tuition waiver has been applied to his/her account by the dates above. Waivers will not be applied to student registration records after these dates.

Note: Not completing your hiring packet with the Office of Human Resources (HR) may result in a delay in compensation or a loss of appointment.

Special Instructions for Summer Hourly GAs

A limited number of summer semester assistantships are available for pre-approved students who do not otherwise qualify for summer positions because of non-enrollment or enrollment below half-time.

Students who work in this employment category are classified by the university as temporary non-student employees and earn an average $12.00 per hour for approximately 10 hours of work per week over the 10-week summer session.

Students who work an hourly appointment are required to log in hours through OneUSG Connect online, and are subject to payroll deductions including federal and state taxes, FICA and contributions to the Georgia Defined Contribution Plan.

Note: Not completing your hiring packet may result in a delay in compensation or a loss of appointment.

Employment Eligibility & Requirements
All graduate assistants, including international students who currently hold the J-1 or F-1 visa, must have a U.S. social security number in order to be considered for a GA position. International students who do not have a U.S. social security number should request a commitment to employment letter from their hiring department once they’ve been awarded an assistantship.

Please take this letter to a local Social Security Administration office to complete an application for a U.S. social security number. An online application for a social security card is available. More information about applying for a U.S. social security card as an international student is available online.

At the College of Law, graduate assistants are typically recruited and appointed by individual faculty members and department heads.  GAs can be employed either annually or on a per-semester basis and receive a stipend and tuition waiver.  General eligibility and requirements are below:

  • Student's employed as research assistants must have completed the first year full-time program.
  • May not take an academic overload during the semester of employment.
  • Students must maintain satisfactory academic standing during the period(s) of their appointment including having a minimum 2.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA).
    • Please note:  Students awarded a graduate assistantship as part of a scholarship award must have a minimum of a 2.50 GPA effective with the new 2017-18 cohort.
  • May not be simultaneously employed as a student assistant or other employee with another department or college - except as a graduate assistant.
  • All faculty graduate assistants are required to attend research training offered through the College of Law Library. For dates, times, or additional information on research training please contact Patrick Parsons.
  • All graduate assistants are required to attend a mandatory College of Law human resources training.  For additional information on HR training please contact lawgra@gsu.edu.

Registration Requirements

  • Students awarded a full tuition waiver must enroll in a minimum of twelve credit hours during the fall or spring semester, or six credit hours during the summer term.
  • Students awarded a half-tuition waiver the student must be enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours during the fall or spring semester, or three credit hours during the summer.
  • International students must verify summer semester registration requirements with International Student Scholar Services.

**Registering for less than the required minimum credit hours of academic coursework and/or having a GPA below 2.20 will result in loss of assistantship.

**Dropping below the required minimum credit hours of academic coursework during the term and/or having a GPA below requirement may result in loss of assistantship appointment as well as additional financial obligations to the University. As such, graduate assistants are encouraged to discuss these potential impacts with the College of Law HR Department prior to making any adjustments to their total number of credit hours.

Non-Law Students

Non-Law students must have the permission of their degree program to hold a graduate assistantship in the College of Law and may not exceed their program’s limitation on the number of hours to be worked.

These students must meet the same requirements as law students with the exception of having completed the first year full-time program.

Student Fees & Tuition Waivers

GAs may receive a maximum of 2.5 appointments per semester. This can be done by simultaneously engaging in dual assistantship appointments within other departments in the College of Law, or with other departments across the university.

Even though graduate assistants receive tuition waivers, they still must pay their graduate assistant registration fee, mandatory student fees, and health insurance fee. Nonpayment of applicable fees will result in cancellation of course registrations, and loss of assistantship and tuition waiver.

For a complete breakdown of costs please visit the Student Financial Services website.

Note: Increases in mandatory student fees generally occur in fall semester.

Health Insurance

Graduate Assistants receiving full tuition waivers are required to have health insurance coverage and are automatically assessed a health insurance premium upon registration. The University System of Georgia contracts with outside providers to offer student health insurance at a reduced premium students who hold graduate assistantships during spring semester pay in advance their health insurance premium for summer semester. Students who receive their first graduate assistantship during summer semester will be charged a pro-rated (reduced) health insurance premium for summer.

There is usually an increase in health insurance premium each fall semester. Students also have the option to purchase health insurance from an outside agency. If you are already covered under another health insurance plan, you may waive out of the insurance plan. Click here to review your options.

Time-Tracking

Time tracking is mandatory for University System of Georgia employees.  In accepting your GA appointment, you have agreed to the departmental time tracking policy.  Georgia State University uses an online reporting system for Human Resources information management and time reporting called OneUSG Connect. This systemwide initiative provides centralized and consistent human resources policies, procedures and support to all employees in the University System of Georgia.  For helpful registration and troubleshooting guides, please refer to Helpful Documents and Links at the end of the site.

 

Time Requirements

Students must complete all time requirements prior to the start of the next [re]appointment and/or the final appointment.

General Graduate Assistants
  • Students awarded a half-tuition waiver are expected to work a minimum of 75-90 hours for fall and/or spring semester and 38-45 hours in the summer.
  • Students awarded a full tuition waiver are expected to work a minimum of 150-180 hours for fall and/or spring semester and  75-90 hours in the summer.
    • Students in need of more clarification regarding full tuition waiver time requirements should contact a member of our team at LawGRA.
Graduate Assistantships as Part of Scholarship Awards
  • Students awarded a half-tuition waiver are expected to work a minimum of 75-90 hours for fall and/or spring semester and 38-45 hours in the summer.  Students at this level are not to exceed the aforementioned hours.
  • Students awarded a full tuition waiver are expected to work a minimum of 150-180 hours for fall and/or spring semester and 75-90 hours in the summer.  Students may be required to work up to 10-12 hours per week. Students with this type of assistantship are not eligible for summer appointments without written permission/notification from the Office of Law Admissions
  • If a student in this category seeks an assistantship for the summer, he/she must refer to the time requirements under General Graduate Assistants. 

Time Card Approval Deadlines

It is the responsibility of the student and supervisor to ensure time sheets reflect actual hours worked.  Paper time sheets and approvals from both student and supervisor must be made via email to Law GRA by the deadlines listed below. Graduate Assistants must approve and seek approval from supervisors by the last day of the month in which compensation is being received.

  • Fall:              September 8, October 5, November 9, and December 7
  • Spring:          February 8, March 8, April 5, and May 3
  • Summer:      June 7 and July 6

To aid with expedient responses, all emails should originate from your GSU issued student email.

Graduate Assistant Stipends

Stipends are determined by the budgetary allowance of each unit.  However, the University has set the minimum stipend requirements as follows:

  • Half-tuition waiver and $1,000 stipend in the fall and spring semester; Half-tuition waiver and $500 stipend in the summer semester;
  • Full tuition waiver and $2,000 stipend in the fall and spring semesters; Full-tuition waiver and $1,000 stipend in the summer semester.

Semester                  Pay Dates

  • Fall                       Last business day of September, October, November, and December
  • Spring                  Last business day of January, February, March, and April
  • Summer              Last business day of June and July

Newly hired GAs may receive their first compensation payment via paper check.  All subsequent compensation checks will be received via  direct deposit. You have the ability to change your individual checking/savings account information in OneUSG Connect.

Graduate Assistant Information for Managers
For Managers Only
Helpful Documents and Links