During the academic year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters), GSE students may work for pay as “casual labor” at Stanford for up to 8 hours a week, beyond the 50% assistantship level, provided that the work would not normally be paid as an assistantship. 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).
The GSE funding policy is that Stanford Graduate Fellows (SGFs) and others, 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 year, excluding summer, in addition to keeping the full funding level of their fellowship or other funding source. Alternatively, SGFs can bank their funding in a given quarter, when eligible, and instead work at the 50% assistantship level when such assistantships are available and secured. In these cases, working at the 50% level while other funding is banked does not count as the one allowable quarter of 25% assistantship in addition to the fellowship.
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.