Graduate Studies

* These are the maximum stipend amounts for graduate assistants or graduate associates (GA) and for graduate instructors (GI) in their first or second year. Most awards are for GA positions. See below for an explanation of these three categories. Not all appointments include a full stipend; check with your department.

The GSA Application Form is available in .pdf format or .doc format. Applications should be submitted directly to the department or office in which the applicant seeks an appointment.

Graduate Service Appointments (GSAs) are awarded on a competitive basis to students of outstanding promise by an academic program or administrative office. Interested students should apply by March 1 directly to the appropriate department for fall term. Earlier application is encouraged, and may be required by some departments. Please review this PDF document for detailed information about requirements and conditions of these awards:

GSA information

Graduate Service Appointments are awarded in one of three categories. Graduate assistants teach or support teaching. Graduate associates provide various forms of administrative support consistent with their academic programs. Students in each of these first two categories are required to complete at least 10 credits per quarter. Graduate instructors teach two classes per quarter and are required to complete at least eight credits per quarter. All students with a GSA work 20 hours per week and may not accept any other employment or compensation from the University. Terms of these awards vary, but they usually include a tuition waiver and a stipend. GSA tuition waivers do not cover the quarterly building fee, services and activities fee, health fee, technology fee, transportation fee, recreation center fee or possible course or program fees. Because non-resident tuition is significantly higher than resident tuition, relatively few GSAs are allocated for nonresident students. Occasionally, a non-resident student accepts a GSA award with a resident-level waiver, since these awards are more widely available. In such cases, the student is responsible for paying the difference between the total charge for non-resident tuition and fees and the resident-level tuition waiver.

A portion of the total funding for GSA waivers is allocated for outstanding students who demonstrate financial need. Only Washington residents are eligible for this subset of overall GSA funds. To be considered for a need-based GSA waiver, applicants must have completed the FAFSA. Washington resident students who have completed the FAFSA and applied for a GSA need not take any other steps to be considered for a need-based GSA.

Recipients of GSAs are eligible to enroll in a health insurance program with the annual premium of approximately $1,246 paid by Graduate Studies. GSA students are not automatically enrolled in this plan; they must opt in by completing the online enrollment form before the end of the first week of classes at the start of their appointment. The Graduate Studies Office provides information on this insurance program by e-mail in late summer and coordinates the premium payments.

Following are the non-program specific Graduate Service Appointments available for the 2012-2013 school year (open to applicants from all graduate programs - please contact the department directly for more information):

• Academic Success Center: Theresa Davis, MON 111, 509.359.6149 or tdavis@ewu.edu

• American Indian Studies Program: Dr. Deirdre Almeida, EWU Longhouse, MS-21EC, 509.359.2441

• Housing & Residential Life: Michael Bowers, 121 TAW, 509.359.4462

• Office of Global Initiatives: 103 HAR, via http://global.ewu.edu/ogi/news.html/2012/04/27/graduate-assistant-opening/

• Office of Student Involvement & Leadership: Samantha Armstrong, 320 PUB, 509.359.4711 - Follow this link for more information.  The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership also has an open position for a graduate student (hourly position - not a GSA) that begins in the summer.  Please follow this link for more information on the hourly position.

• Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities: Stacey Reece, 320 PUB, 509.359.6960