Graduate Student Assistantships

Assistantships are graduate financial support in the form of student employment, earning compensation for the performance of research, teaching, or course support services to the University while students continue their academic and professional development. A salary is paid twice per month (i.e., bimonthly) generally on the 7th and 22nd, through University Payroll. In addition, a tuition allowance is awarded that covers partial to full tuition depending upon the student’s level of employment (i.e., the total number of weekly hours worked).

The types of assistantship appointments available to graduate students are Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and Teaching Affiliate.

The assistantship level or percentage is determined by the amount of weekly hours worked. For example, a student who works 20 hours per week is a 50% assistant (i.e., half of 40 hours or 100% employment). Likewise, a student who works 10 hours per week is a 25% assistant. The most common assistantships are offered at the 25% and 50% levels, though there are variations. Because of coursework, Stanford students cannot exceed the 50% assistantship level during the regular academic year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. This is a University-wide policy applicable to all graduate students. In summers, however, students can work up to the 90% assistantship level, which translates to 36 hours per week, unless they have visa or fellowship restrictions. As the GSE does not offer courses in the summer, students are expected to enroll in 1 unit (or TGR) of independent reading or research with their faculty advisor or another faculty member with the approval of their faculty advisor, to ensure their continued enrollment. Students are eligible for up to five units, which may be used to enroll in courses outside the GSE. See the Summer Funding section for more details.

 A University committee determines the policies, salary structure, and terms of graduate student assistantships. In addition, GSE reserves the right to clarify and augment these regulations.

In relation to the GSE 5-year funding policy, a student’s work performance in assistantships will be part of the student’s yearly academic progress review. The review determines whether the student’s funding may continue, conditional upon satisfactory performance in research work, for another year.

Policies Governing Teaching Assistantship and Teaching Affiliate Appointments

Course Eligibility

Courses of 3-5 units with one instructor and 20 or more students warrant one 25% teaching assistant (TA). Courses of about 40 students can generally expect two TA’s, and so forth. Courses that meet those criteria are normally approved for a TA.

The University monitors faculty teaching loads, class sizes, and TA use on a regular basis. Therefore, it is important that all course and teaching activity is documented for all students.

Cross-listed courses: A number of GSE courses are listed in Education and in another department(s). Students in the course register under either listing. It is expected that courses with high enrollments in the non-GSE listing (or section) of the course will not automatically receive TA funding from the GSE unless an agreement is made with the department that “owns” the course. Cost-sharing between departments or schools occurs by agreement made with the faculty member, the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs, and the Administrator of the other department.

Special cases and exceptions: Under exceptional circumstances, courses that do not meet the above criteria may be approved for TA positions by the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs. Examples of exceptions include special instructional needs for a class (special pedagogy, or extensive student work to give feedback on, etc.). Other factors that play into a decision for an exception are availability of funding, course enrollments (past and present), and equity across faculty and areas.

Student Eligibility

GSE doctoral students within their first five years in the PhD program receive priority for TA positions. Instructors who want to hire a GSE student who is beyond their fifth year in the doctoral program need to make a case, as early as possible to the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs, indicating the reasons this particular advanced student is the only qualified person available to fill the position.

In addition, GSE doctoral students receive first hiring priority for GSE course and teaching assistantships over non-GSE students. Graduate students from other schools or departments may be hired as a TA for a School of Education course in rare circumstances if the position involves specific skills, or if all eligible GSE students are fully-supported on other teaching or sponsored (i.e., not Dean’s office funding) research assistantships.

Students must be in good academic standing. Students on full graduate support from an alternate source may not receive additional paid TA appointments:

1. unless other assistantships held by the student are reduced in order to accommodate the TA position up to the maximum 50% total level for all appointments per student in a given quarter, OR
2. in cases of full fellowship funding from non-GSE sources (e.g., SGF, NSF), a maximum of one paid 25% course, teaching, or research assistantship may be added to the student’s funding package per academic quarterwithout reducing the fellowship support. Students should consult with the Doctoral Programs Officer for more information.

Types of Teaching Appointments

GSE offers two types of teaching appointments:

Teaching Assistant (TA): A TA helps with course preparation and grading, holds office hours, and maintains course websites. A TA may lead one or more regularly scheduled discussion sections and hold office hours. The faculty member is the primary course instructor and awards grades. A TA receives TA course evaluations from the University for their section(s).

More specifically, as outlined in Admin Guide 10.2.1, TA responsibilities may include:

• assisting in the preparation of lecture materials and running laboratory sessions;
• attending class meetings or lab sessions;
• conducting review sessions;
• coordinating other aspects of the course (e.g., speakers, activities, etc.);
• holding office hours;
• monitoring or maintaining existing course websites;
• responding to student questions;
• marking and/or grading some portion or all of the exams or papers (but not independently assigning the final grade).
• preparing for class sections and/or laboratories where new material may be presented;
• presenting material in a classroom or lab setting.
   

Teaching Affiliate (TF): A TF is an advanced graduate student with substantial teaching experience and has primary or full responsibility to deliver a course under the mentorship of a faculty member. A TF awards the final grade and is listed as the primary instructor or co-instructor for the course. A TF may be assigned a TA if the course is eligible. A TF receives instructor course evaluations from the University. 

More specifically, as outlined in Admin Guide 10.2.1, TF responsibilities may include:

• preparing, teaching, grading, and assessing student work, conducting regular office hours, etc., in keeping with the established practices of the offering department or program;
• developing course materials independently with the guidance of a faculty mentor for a course approved by the offering department/program in which it is offered;
• supervising CAs and TAs assigned to the course.

TA Orientation

Each fall, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) hosts a TA Orientation (TAO) to prepare graduate students for their teaching responsibilities at Stanford. This event is highly recommended for all TAs. It will provide a foundation in evidence-based teaching practices for new and returning TAs. Click here for more information on TA training and support.

Course Scheduling Considerations

Faculty members must ensure that their courses are set up as “lectures” in order to allow for the addition of discussion sections (if their TA will be teaching a section). Courses that are not set up as lectures (i.e, seminars or workshops) may not have discussion sections. Faculty or staff can consult with the GSE course manager on the University deadlines to set up courses. The deadline is usually in the Spring Quarter of the prior academic year.

English Proficiency

All international students must pass an English proficiency screening before being appointed to any teaching position (i.e. teaching assistants and teaching fellows/affiliates). Students in this situation who wish to work in a teaching position must contact the English for Foreign Students Office to arrange an English screening or waiver. This must occur before the start of the quarter in which the teaching appointment will take place, otherwise the appointment and/or paychecks may be delayed. Please note, international students admitted during Fall 2023 and after and who were not required to submit a TOEFL score do not need to complete a TA screening or request a waiver.

Assistantship Hiring Process

Assistantships (RA, TA, or TF) are a form of graduate financial support. The student receives salary in addition to tuition support. All assistantship appointments are processed as graduate aid through Academic Affairs in the University’s Graduate Financial Support (GFS) system. The appointment is part of the student’s funding package, which does not exceed the equivalent of 50% time per quarter (i.e., 20 hours per week). Students cannot exceed the 50% assistantship level during the regular academic year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters). See the “Summer Support” section below for exceptions during Summer Quarter. 

The appropriate assistantship appointment form should be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the beginning of the quarter in order to initiate the hiring. Check with GSE Student Employment for specific deadlines. Students receive an appointment letter for each quarter of each assistantship.

Student Pay

Students are strongly encouraged to sign-up for direct deposit of their stipend and salary online via AXESS.

Stipend

When awarded, fellowship stipends are available the first day of each quarter when students enroll in the minimum required units by the published deadline. During the regular academic year, eight units or TGR is the enrollment minimum. During the Summer Quarter, the minimum is 1 unit or TGR . If the enrollment deadline is missed, stipends are disbursed a few business days after the student eventually meets the minimum enrollment requirements. Charges on the student bill, including rent for campus housing, will be deducted from the stipend before it is issued. No taxes are withheld, but stipends are reportable and taxable income. (Fellowship tuition and tuition allowance are not taxable in most cases.). For international students, please review important tax information here. 

Research Assistant Salary – Two Tier System

School of Education pays doctoral research assistants on a two-tier system:

1. Tier I is for doctoral students who have not yet advanced to candidacy, typically first and second years. The salary will be the University's minimum RA salary rate, known as the pre-candidacy rate at GSE.
2. Tier II is for doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy by the first day of the effective quarter and have been enrolled at the GSE for at least seven doctoral quarters. The Tier II pay is equal to the teaching assistant (TA) rate.

Candidacy status does not affect the pay rate for teaching assistantships and teaching affiliate appointments. Those salaries are solely dependent upon the type of appointment, regardless of candidacy status.

Salary

Students with assistantships are paid their salaries through bi-monthly (i.e., twice monthly) pay checks from the Stanford Payroll Office. Students are strongly encouraged to sign up for direct deposit online via AXESS. The normal pay days are the 7th and the 22nd of every month. Student assistantship salary is taxable income, and applicable taxes and deductions will be withheld in accordance with the W-4 Tax Data form completed by each student. During the Orientation in Autumn Quarter, students will be alerted to the forms they need to complete in AXESS.

Pay Periods

Assistantships are for the entire academic quarter. Partial quarter employment is not permitted for assistantships. Pay periods within each quarter are based on a calendar year, not the academic year. Pay cycles run two weeks behind the actual pay date. Therefore, a student's first Autumn Quarter pay check is issued on October 22 (for work completed during the pay period of October 1st to the 15th). Thereafter, students are paid every 7th and 22nd of the month.

• Autumn Quarter pay periods run from October 1 – December 31
• Winter Quarter pay periods run from January 1 – March 31
• Spring Quarter pay periods run from April 1 – June 30

• Summer Quarter pay periods run from July 1 – September 30

   

Pay Rates

*One 25% assistantship covers full TGR tuition. If a TGR student secures more than one assistantship in a given quarter, TGR tuition is usually split evenly among the funding sources. Pay rates are for the 2025-2026 year (autumn through summer) only.

Sick Time for Graduate Student Employees

A new California law titled “AB 1522 - Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014,” known as the “Paid Sick Leave Law” took effect July 1, 2015, and requires employers to provide sick time to all employees. More information about this law can be found on Stanford's website and on the State of California website.  

This law affects graduate students hired hourly and graduate students with teaching and research assistantship appointments.

Hourly student employment. These students will accrue sick time as they work, and will record sick time used on their Axess time card. More information is in the new Admin Guide 10.3.1.

Assistantships. Students with assistantships will receive a lump sum of 24 hours of sick time per calendar year at the start of their assistantship.  More information is in the updated Admin Guide 10.2.1.

Registration Requirements

All students who receive funding (assistantships, fellowships, and loans) must register in at least 11 units in their first year (first three quarters) in the GSE doctoral program and in 8-10 units for subsequent quarters during the regular academic year (i.e., Autumn, Winter, and Spring). In the Summer Quarter, students must register in a minimum of 1 unit or TGR to receive any type of graduate aid funding, when applicable, which includes assistantship salary, tuition allowances, and stipend payments. See the Summer Funding section for more details.

Hourly Work

During the academic year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters), GSE students may work for pay at Stanford for up to 8 hours a week, beyond the 50% assistantship level. The University requires that the additional 8 hours of work be in an area or a project which differs from the student’s regular 25% or 50% assistantship. (Please note that the rules regarding additional casual employment differ for international students due to visa regulations. Students should consult the Bechtel International Center).

Stanford policy is that students who are fully funded (i.e., equal or above the 50% assistantship level) by external fellowships or other funding sources, can work a maximum of one 25% assistantship per academic quarter, excluding summer, in addition to keeping the full funding level of their fellowship or other funding source. Regardless of funding source or level, all students may work up to 8 hours per week as a casual employee, as discussed above, with few exceptions that are largely due to the student citizenship status; international students have slightly different policies because of their visas – contact the Bechtel International Center. For more details, see Admin Guide 10.2.2 Graduate Student Hourly Employment.