A Graduate Assistantship at USM is a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and develop professional skills that enhance a student’s academic and career goals, while also providing them with financial support.

Graduate Assistants (GAs) are, first and foremost, students – so each Assistantship is designed to serve the needs and cater to the lives of graduate students. However, GAs are also highly valued employees of the University, who support faculty scholarship and teaching; serve as mentors to undergraduate students; conduct meaningful research, outreach, and analysis; and uphold USM’s Service Promise of being “Student focused every day.”

GA appointments are for either 10 or 20 hours per week during the 15-week fall and spring semesters.

Our Graduate Assistants work in a variety of University settings, from academic departments to student service offices to research divisions. The positions are carefully allocated to the most qualified students through an application and hiring process. Many assistantships positions are remote or offer flexible schedules and working modalities.

Click here for more information about our current GA positions!

Categories of Assistantships

Under the umbrella of Graduate Assistantships there are three categories that differ according to the type of work, but are at the same level of employment and follow the same policies and procedures: Graduate Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant, and Graduate Teaching Assistant.

Graduate Assistants are appointed to perform various types of duties other than those related directly to teaching or research. Most commonly, these duties relate to administrative functions for the college and/or department, such as academic and student advising, recruiting, event planning, and data management.

Graduate Research Assistants perform duties in support of college, departmental, or faculty research, which may or may not relate directly to the student’s thesis or program of study. Research assistantships may be financed through funds from gifts, grants, contracts, state appropriations designated for research, or through an academic program’s resources.

Graduate Teaching Assistants work under the direct supervision of faculty members and are assigned duties related to instruction. These include activities such as assisting in the preparation of lectures, assignments, and exams, leading discussion sections, conducting laboratory exercises, holding office hours and review sessions, grading papers, and keeping class records. In consultation with the supervisor, the teaching assistant works to gain teaching skills and an increased understanding of the discipline.

GA Financial Support

All graduate assistant hires (regardless of funding source) are subject to the following minimum stipend requirements:

  • Full-time (20 hrs/week) $9,000 per academic year ($1,000/month)
  • 1/2 time (10 hrs/week) $4,500 per academic year ($500/month)

These stipends are based on 15 weeks of work during each semester.

Stipend payments are monthly, and disbursed on the last business day of the month

Most (but not all) Graduate Assistants receive a scholarship or tuition assistance in addition to the monthly stipend. Scholarship amounts vary, but the recommended minimum amounts are:

  • $3,000 per academic year for 10 hrs/week positions
  • $6,000 per academic year for 20 hrs/week positions

Effective fall 2021, positions funded by the Office of Graduate Studies’ academic department allocations process include scholarship funding based on the hired student’s tuition residency. For reference, those tiers are as follows:

  • In-State
    • $3,000 per academic year for 10 hrs/week positions
    • $6,000 per academic year for 20 hrs/week positions
  • Out-of-State
    • $5,000 per academic year for 10 hrs/week positions
    • $10,000 per academic year for 20 hrs/week positions
  • E-Tuition or Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
    • $3,500 per academic year for 10 hrs/week positions
    • $7,000 per academic year for 20 hrs/week positions
  • New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE)
    • $4,000 per academic year for 10 hrs/week positions
    • $8,000 per academic year for 20 hrs/week positions
  • Accelerated Online Maine Programs
    • Stipend only

 Scholarships are distributed evenly between the fall and spring semesters. 

The Office of Graduate Studies reports scholarships to the Student Financial Services Office. This may impact the student’s financial aid award, so it is recommended that students notify their financial aid advisor upon receiving their GA appointment letter.

Application Process and Eligibility

In order to be eligible for and maintain a Graduate Assistantship position, students must:

  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
  • Enroll in 6 graduate credits or more during each semester that they are employed as a GA.
  • Be matriculated in a graduate degree program at USM (students in certificate-only programs are not eligible).
  • Remain in good academic standing and be making acceptable progress towards their degree.
  • Not be a University of Maine System employee.

NOTE: Maine Law students and University of Maine students are not eligible for most USM Graduate Assistantships. 

Students who withdraw from the University, are dismissed from their degree program, or are released from their Graduate Assistant position due to inadequate performance, will forfeit their assistantship. If the status change occurs during a semester, the student may be required to reimburse the University for any unearned stipend and scholarship benefit associated with that semester.

Returning students are not guaranteed their previous assistantships. Re-appointments, approved through the department’s or program’s normal processes, are made at the discretion of the supervisor.

There are a few ways to inquire about and apply for Graduate Assistantships: 

  1. When applying for graduate admission, you have the option of indicating interest in an Assistantship. This information goes to your academic department and to the Office of Graduate Studies, who will then contact you about opportunities.
  2. Graduate Assistantship openings are posted on the Office of Graduate Studies website. 
  3. Contact your faculty advisor to inquire about potential Graduate Assistantship opportunities in your academic area.

For specific step-by-step instructions for how to apply for a Graduate Assistantship, please review this document.

When a student is hired as a Graduate Assistant, they are sent an official notification of appointment from the Office of Graduate Studies, which includes the name of the supervisor, the length of the appointment, amount of compensation, and the type of assistantship (teaching, research, or other). You may also receive a letter about your award from your academic program.

Hiring paperwork (the I-9 paperwork, confidentiality statement, direct deposit form, and required tax documents) will be completed by the student and supervisor or HR liaison.

  • The confidentiality statement and I-9 forms are available on the Human Resources website.
  • The tax documents and direct deposit form can be accessed via MaineStreet once the GA has received an email notification from HR confirming that the GA position has been set-up in the system.

Onboarding and Training

Your supervisor or another appropriate person within your employing department will conduct training for your Graduate Assistantship. Specific expectations of your job performance should be explained in detail before you begin work. You should also familiarize yourself with the Graduate Assistant Handbook (below).

As student employees, Graduate Assistants are required to complete the “UMS Academy” mandatory annual compliance training called “UMS Compliance Pathway for Employees and Student Employees” before starting their job duties. Instructions for accessing these trainings are included in each Graduate Assistant’s appointment letter.

The Graduate Assistant Handbook will help you understand what to expect as a Graduate Assistant and provide you with all the information you need to know about your rights as a student; the policies and procedures you and your supervisors are expected to follow; and where to go for questions or concerns.