Assistantship offers are extended by the schools or support units on campus to graduate students who have been accepted for regular admission to the program of their choice, and all hiring paperwork and tuition waivers are approved through the Graduate School. If you have accepted a graduate assistantship (GA) and signed a GA memorandum, your next steps are as follows:

1. Complete a background check.
   All graduate students being hired as a GA for the first time are required to complete and successfully clear a background check. Once your hiring paperwork is submitted in the SOARHR system by your school and/or unit, you will receive an email from the university's background check vendor, REDTAIL. Please complete the necessary information through the link provided to initiate the background check as soon as possible. The background checks typically take a minimum of two weeks to clear from the time the student submits their portion.
2. Meet with University Human Resources and complete new hire forms.
   An email will be sent to your USM email address with a link to schedule an appointment with an HR representative to complete the new hire forms. Instructions from Human Resources detailing the hiring process are available on the Human Resources website under "Graduate Assistant" along with links to the new hire forms.
3. Complete Form I-9.
   This document is required to prove your eligibility to work in the United States. Acceptable forms of identification must be provided to complete this form when meeting with Human Resources. Photocopies cannot be accepted.

All hiring paperwork must be completed, a clear background check received, and enrolled full-time before graduate assistants can be loaded to job by Human Resources. Graduate Assistants should not begin working until a "clear for hire" has been received by their supervisor.

For the fall and spring semesters, full-time graduate assistants (0.5 FTE; 20 hours/week) are eligible to receive a full tuition waiver (covering 9-13 hours), including non-resident tuition if needed. Half-time GAs (0.25 FTE; 10 hours/week) will receive a 50% tuition waiver, including non-resident tuition if needed, and the student is responsible for the remaining 50%. Summer tuition waivers cover up to 1 – 3 credit hours of tuition depending on employment status (full or half-time), enrollment and days worked. Prorated tuition will apply if students are not working the full summer term.

Both full-time and half-time GAs are responsible for all additional fees each semester. To be eligible to receive the tuition waiver, GAs must be actively employed and enrolled in a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours in the fall & spring, and 1 graduate credit hour during the summer term. 

Waivers are awarded to student accounts through the hiring process. When GAs have been cleared for hire by Human Resources, the waiver information is sent to Financial Aid for awarding as anticipated aid. Once classes begin, Financial Aid then disburses the anticipated aid to student accounts. All waivers should be awarded and distributed by the 10th day of class as long as all requirements have been met.

Information regarding fee payment, billing, student expenses and refunds is available on the Business Services website.

The student health insurance provide is UnitedHealthcare and is managed by Holland Insurance. Domestic Graduate Assistants may choose to waiver enrollment in the policy or they will be automatically enrolled. International GAs do not have the option to waive enrollment and will be automatically enrolled by International Student and Scholar Services. The health insurance policy premium is subsidized by 50% for all GAs enrolled with USM's GA health insurance provider. Details regarding the current GA Health Insurance plan can be reviewed on the Employment and Human Resources website linked below.

GA, RA, Domestic & International Student Information

Prior to the start of the fall semester (typically during Fall First Week), the Graduate School partners with the Center for Faculty Development (CFD) to host a one-day orientation for teaching assistants (TA). TAs attend the CFD’s morning session with new faculty learning about academic policies such as FERPA, Academic Integrity, Student Accessibility Services, etc.  In the afternoon, TAs hear presentations from ACUE-credentialed faculty on various aspects of course management, professional behavior in the TA role, and other topics that equip them for the classroom.  Attendance is mandatory for new TA’s, excluding those who receive comparable training from their home school. Dates and times are announced during early summer.

Details related to TA Orientation are available on the Professional Development and Leadership page of the Graduate School website, and questions should be directed to the Associate Director of Professional Development and Outreach, Shaadi Shoubaki at Shaadi.ShoubakiFREEMississippi.

Any student holding a graduate assistantship must be enrolled as a full-time student. Therefore, any employment outside the university (external employment) is discouraged, and external full-time employment is prohibited for graduate assistants. Graduate assistants who wish to participate in external employment must obtain written permission from their major professor, graduate coordinator, school director, dean of the academic college, and dean of the Graduate School. The nature and extent of the external employment may be considered in granting permission. Renewal of external employment must be requested and approved annually. If, while engaging in external employment the student is unable to maintain good academic standing or fulfill the required duties of the assistantship, the graduate assistant appointment may be terminated. Failure to comply with this policy will result in loss of the assistantship.

If you would like to request to participate in external employment as a GA, the form linked below should be completed and signed by all areas listed prior to being submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School for consideration. Once all signatures have been secured, email the completed form to graduateschoolFREEMississippi. 

GA External Employment (PDF)

The following information identifies ways a pregnant graduate assistant can access work release during and after pregnancy as needed:

1. Request a leave of absence for a full semester.  The leave of absence form (see below) must be completed and signed by appropriate approvers, and documentation from a healthcare provider may be required.  The student will be reinstated in the graduate assistant (GA) position when she returns.  The student will not receive a stipend or tuition waiver while on leave.  There is no time penalty for the leave period, i.e. the clock stops for the approved leave period, so there is no negative impact on the time limit to degree completion.
2. Request to work from home.  The request must be made in writing and approved by the Graduate School, and documentation from a healthcare provider may be required.  There will be no break in stipend or tuition waiver, and the student must produce a deliverable (i.e. proof that work was done).  A release to perform such work is required from the healthcare provider.
3. Request a leave of absence for part of a semester with no work required.  The leave of absence form (see below) must be completed and signed by appropriate approvers, and documentation from a healthcare provider may be required.  The student will not be paid for missed time, and the tuition waiver will be prorated.

International Students:  Please contact the International Student and Scholar Services office at 601.266.4841 to determine eligibility and for additional information.

Classroom accommodations due to pregnancy can be requested by contacting Student Accessibility Services at 601.266.5024.

Leave of Absence Form (PDF)

The resources linked below are available to all graduate students and tend to be especially helpful to graduate assistants assisting in the classroom as part of their assignment. Explore each area at your leisure and be a resource for others by sharing this information with other students.

• Center for Faculty Development
• Teaching Resources
• Student Help
• Eagle Alert Sign-up
• Student Accessibility Services
• Academic Integrity
• Title IX