Recent Searches

Close

History

Close

Recent Pages

Recent Searches

EIU Graduate School

Procedures for hiring a graduate assistant

Initial Steps to Hiring:

  • Prior to preparing the position, contact the Dean of the Graduate School for approval of a graduate assistant tuition waiver scholarship
  • Determine the duties you need the student to perform and the skills required to complete them
  • Post the position on your website
  • Determine the account number in which you wish to pay the student
  • Determine the contract period (exact start and end dates) and stipend level
  • transfer funds into the personal services graduate assistant line (61160)

Documents for all new graduate assistants:

  • I-9 with two forms of identification, such as driver's license, social security card, passport, birth certificate (return to the Graduate School)
  • Statement of Student Loan Default (return to the Graduate School)
  • W-4 form (return to the Payroll Office)
  • Direct Deposit form with a canceled check attached (return to the Payroll Office)
  • International Students are required to bring, in addition to the forms listed above, their VISA and I20 to the Graduate School

Things to consider when hiring a graduate assistant:

  • Graduate assistants may apply online through their MyEIU portal.
  • Graduate assistant contracts will not be issued for a period less than nine months (an academic year position) or four months (one semester position); summer term contracts will be issued for no less than one month and no more than three months
  • Graduate assistants are:
    • paid on the last working day of each month
    • not eligible for employment benefits
    • exempt from overtime
    • exempt from unemployment
  • Supplemental payments may be made to graduate assistants for special events
  • The supplemental contract and regulations are posted at the Graduate School website: https://www.eiu.edu/graduate/forms/assistantships_contract.html  (contract form) https://www.eiu.edu/graduate/students_assistantships_contractregulations.php (regulations)
  • Work Load: Maximum work load for graduate assistants shall not exceed nineteen (19) clock hours per week (academic year) and/or fifteen (15) clock hours per week (summer team)
  • Academic Load: Fall and Spring assistantship appointments require enrollment in a minimum of nine (9) semester hours, and a maximum of sixteen (16) semester hours of graduate course work (courses numbered 4750 or above). Summer assistantship appointments require that graduate assistants remain enrolled in a minimum of three (3) semester hours, and a maximum of thirteen (13) semesters hours of graduate course work
  • Resignation must be submitted in writing to the Graduate School and the sponsoring unit
  • Resignation prior to mid-term will include loss of the stipend as specified by the supervisor and loss of the tuition waiver scholarship for that term
  • Resignation after mid-term will include loss of the stipend as specified by the supervisor but the tuition waiver scholarship will remain intact
  • Additional questions should be addressed to the Graduate School, 581-2220 or 581-7490.

Related Pages

Contact Information

The Graduate School

1201 Blair Hall
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue Charleston, IL 61920
217-581-2220
Fax: 217-581-6020
graduate@eiu.edu


Take the next step

apply now
schedule a visit