Eligibility
Students must be admitted to a graduate degree program and be enrolled in classified graduate status in order to hold an assistantship. Students must maintain a cumulative 3.0 grade point average during the assistantship and meet the minimum class load requirements listed under Enrollment and Class Load Requirements in this document. If a student has an extended contract (lasting more than one term), their eligibility will be reassessed at the beginning of each term.
Students who have graduated from their graduate degree program are no longer eligible to work a graduate assistantship position unless they are enrolled in a second graduate degree program. Students completing their graduate degree must be terminated from their graduate assistantship by the last date of the term in which they will graduate.
Undergraduate students are allowed to hold appointments only with permission of the Dean of the Graduate School. This permission may be granted only in exceptional circumstances, such as to a qualified student in an approved combined baccalaureate and graduate program when they are within two academic terms (a maximum of 24 semester hours) of receiving a baccalaureate degree.
See Policy 4A3 for more information on graduate assistant eligibility.
Type of Graduate Student
The following student classifications may qualify for a graduate assistantship contract:
Type
Definition
Special Considerations
Classified Graduate Student
Admitted into an SIUE graduate program.
Co-op Phd Student
Admitted into a SIUE/SIUC cooperative doctoral program.
SIUC enrollment should be sent to the Graduate School.
Combined Bachelor/Graduate Degree Students
Undergraduate student admitted into an early entry or accelerated graduate program.
Even though part of the enrollment may be undergraduate courses, the student still must follow the normal graduate assistantship enrollment requirements.
Enrollment
See Graduate Student Course Loads Policy – 1L1 for current information on course load requirements for assistants.
Undergraduate courses, courses listed as “Not for Graduate Credit,” UNIV 500, and courses taken for AUDIT do not count toward satisfying the minimum course load. Enrollment in such courses must be authorized if it will cause a student’s class load to exceed the maximum.
For students enrolled in a cooperative Ph.D. program, courses at both SIUE and SIUC will count toward the minimum and maximum requirements.
If a graduate assistant withdraws from the University, his or her assistantship appointment is terminated immediately, along with the related tuition waiver. The individual may be responsible for repaying tuition previously waived. Exceptions to this condition may be granted upon recommendation from the original hiring unit and approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Excessive withdrawals may affect your eligibility for a future Earned Summer Tuition Waiver or graduate assistantship.
Minimum Graduate Assistant Enrollment
Term
Minimum Graduate Credit Hour Enrollment
Fall/Spring
6 hours
Summer
3 hours
Students enrolled in less than the minimum graduate credit hour requirement may submit the Underload/Overload approval form for graduate assistantship eligibility consideration. All Graduate Assistants must be enrolled in at least one graduate course during any term. UNIV 500 does not meet this eligibility requirement.
Maintaining Eligibility
In order to remain eligible to hold an assistantship, Graduate Assistants must comply with the below requirements:
- Grade point average - The cumulative graduate GPA must remain in good standing at a 3.0 or higher. If the GPA falls below the 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA requirement, the Graduate School may terminate the Graduate Assistant appointment.
- Satisfactory Progress - Satisfactory progress toward degree completion must be evident. If excessive hours of Incomplete or Deferred grades are accumulated, a graduate assistant will become ineligible for future appointments. Completion of the degree may not be delayed in order to prolong an assistantship appointment.
- Enrollment - Graduate Assistants must meet the graduate assistant enrollment requirements specified in Policy 1L1 every term that they are a graduate assistant. UNIV 500, Continuing Enrollment, does not satisfy enrollment requirements.
