Graduate School: Assistantship Stipend Minimums and Rates by Program/Department

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Policy Number:
UW-1238
Responsible Office:
Graduate School

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy establishes authority for the determination of assistantship stipends.

Definitions:
Academic Program
An area of study that leads to a degree/major, certificate, minor or named option.
Academic Unit
The academic and administrative home for an academic program or subject listing, also known as an academic department, housed within an academic division (school/college). The academic unit originates all program and curricular changes through academic governance; ensures the curriculum is appropriate and that courses are offered regularly; provides student support services such as advising; prepares all content for the Guide and assures the program and subject listing is represented accurately at all times; oversees the course evaluation process; coordinates assessment and program review; and receives allocation for program enrollment, degrees, certificates and credits in the information systems.
Graduate Assistantship
A position that pays students to work for the department that employs them. There are generally three types of assistantships:
  • Project Assistant (PA): A graduate student enrolled at UW–Madison who is employed to assist with research, training, administrative responsibilities or other academic programs or projects under the supervision of a member or members of the faculty or academic staff, as defined in s. 36.05(1) or (8), Wis. Stats. Work performed is primarily for the benefit of the university. This title does not include a graduate student whose work is primarily for the benefit of the student’s own learning and research which is independent or self-directed.
  • Project Assistant-grader/reader: A graduate student enrolled at UW-Madison who is employed to assist with grading at UW-Madison. This position is paid a fixed hourly rate.
  • Research Assistant (RA): A UW–Madison graduate student working towards a master’s or Ph.D. degree. An appointment as a research assistant is appropriate when the activity performed by the research assistant is primarily for the benefit of the individual’s course of study and research and applicable to the individual’s thesis or dissertation. Tasks which are irrelevant to the appointee’s academic program or repetitive beyond that which is necessary to achieve excellence in the activity are not appropriate for an individual appointed as a research assistant. The appointee is required to register for the appropriate number of graduate courses and research credits to satisfy full-time enrollment. The appointee must maintain enrollment commensurate with their program requirements. A research assistant should be supported from research funds only if the activities of the research assistant are necessary for the research project objectives providing funding. Research assistants are defined as employees by s. 111.81(7)(gm) Wisc. Stats.
  • Teaching Assistant (TA): A graduate student enrolled at UW–Madison who is assigned teaching or curriculum development responsibilities in an instructional department under the supervision of an academic staff or faculty member as defined in s 36.05(8), Wis. Stats who has instructional responsibilities for the course. The teaching assistant title is not to be used for a graduate student who is responsible for teaching a course in lieu of a faculty member and is not to be used as a substitute for the lecturer (SA) title.
Segregated Fees
Charges assessed to all students for student services, activities, programs, and facilities that support the mission of University of Wisconsin System institutions. Segregated fees are not charged for students enrolled exclusively in off-campus programs.
Service-based Pricing Program A degree/major, capstone certificate, or special student program, consisting of individual courses or a series of courses designed to provide students with a specific set of competencies, operating within either the Online/Distance or Market-Based designation of the Service-Based Pricing tuition structure.
Scope:

Graduate students pursuing Master's or PhD degrees in academic programs under the purview of the Graduate School.

Policy:

Students gain valuable skills through assistantship roles. This work may apply directly to career goals or build broad, transferable skills in areas like communication, teamwork, and leadership.  

Graduate assistantships appointed at 33.3% or higher (>13 hours/week) provide multiple benefits:

  • Monthly stipend
  • Remission of both resident and non-resident tuition, excluding segregated fees
  • Eligibility for health insurance

Note: Graduate students enrolled in service-based pricing programs, such as online and accelerated programs, are ineligible to receive tuition remission.

Minimum stipends are determined after the Graduate School consults with the Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration and the Provost.The Graduate School will annually review, approve and post minimum and program specific stipend rates. All research assistants must be paid at the program specific rate for the program in which they are enrolled and all teaching and program assistants must be paid at the rate for the program in which they are employed. Graduate programs are authorized to adjust stipends above the minimum to remain competitive in attracting top students. 



Related UW-Madison Policies:

UW-1208 Enrollment Requirements

Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Dean of the Graduate School
Policy Manager:
Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion and Funding
Contact:
Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion and Funding -- Abbey Thompson, abbey.thompson@wisc.edu, (608) 263-5517
Effective Date:
08-19-2019
Revised Dates:

01-28-2022, 06-30-2023; 09-14-2023

Retrieved:
05-29-2025 03:47:57