College of Graduate Studies

Graduate Assistantships

The University of Toledo offers four types of graduate assistantships. Graduate students holding regular admission to a degree program are eligible for assistantships.

  • Graduate assistants receive a stipend and tuition scholarship. Assistantships can be a valuable and integral part of your graduate education.
  • Serve in a professional role.
  • Establish a professional relationship with faculty and administrators.
  • Facilitate completion of degree requirements.

Types of Assistantships

Teaching Assistantship

Teaching Assistants — or TAs — are expected to teach courses or are assigned to specific teaching support or related activities.

Research Assistantship

Research Assistants participate in research as directed by a University faculty member. The appointment is primarily a learning experience.  You will be given the opportunity to learn research design, data gathering, data treatment, interpretation, reporting and more. Duties will be discussed with the sponsoring faculty member.

Administrative Assistantship

Administrative Assistants perform administrative duties assigned by supervisors.

Internship

A selected number of graduate programs provide paid internships through agreements with companies in the Toledo area.  Internships provide an opportunity to serve in a professional role and to establish relationships with professionals in your field. Duties will be discussed with the sponsoring company and UToledo faculty member. Contact your department for more information.


How to find a graduate assistantship

  • Teaching and research assistantships are awarded by academic colleges and programs. They are typically part of your offer of admission. When you apply to UToledo, there is a place in the application to express your interest in a graduate assistantship.
  • Look on Handshake, UToledo’s database of job opportunities, for administrative assistantship opportunities.
  • Apply through the Division of Student Affairs graduate assistantship application to work within student affairs or a number of other academic support offices.

Financial Benefits

Graduate assistants receive stipends and tuition scholarships.

Stipends

Stipend amounts differ by discipline and rank. Contact your department or program to learn more.

The stipend is divided into equal payments over each semester (or over the academic year for students on an academic year appointment). Graduate assistants are paid one week behind, depending on the start date of their assistantship.

Paychecks will be disbursed by the payroll department on the regular faculty/staff payday — alternate Fridays — by direct deposit.

Tuition Scholarships

The tuition scholarship may be used for graduate-level instructional and out-of-state fees only.  Under no circumstances can a tuition scholarship be applied for undergraduate courses, law courses, executive MBA courses, courses taken for audit, or repeat courses.


Requirements To Maintain Assistantship

Academic Standards

  • Minimum 3.0 GPA
  • If you fall below a 3.0 GPA, you will have one semester to raise your GPA.  Failure to do so will result in the termination of the assistantship.
  • Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA over two consecutive semesters may result in suspension or termination from your academic program.

This policy applies to appointments for the summer semester as well as the academic year.

Duties

Graduate assistants will be assigned specific duties by their immediate supervisors as teaching assistants, research assistants, administrative assistants or interns. It's important that you understand your duties before beginning the academic semester.

Assistants can be terminated for one or more of the following:

  • Neglect of duty
  • Failure to make adequate progress toward the degree
  • Incompetence
  • Lack of University funds

Terminations of Graduate Assistantships due to any of these conditions may result in revocation of all or a portion of the tuition scholarship. The decision to terminate will involve the College of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Assistant's immediate supervisor.

Length of Appointment and Enrollment

The length of appointment for the assistantship is determined by your graduate program.

For each semester of your appointment, you must maintain a certain number of enrolled credit hours.

  • Full-time status: a minimum of 9 credit hours
  • Part-time status: 6 credit hours

Check with your academic department before dropping any courses.

Dropping below these required hours of coursework may result in the reduction of your stipend or termination of the assistantship.

Are you receiving student loans? Then we also strongly recommend that you discuss any plans to drop courses with the registrar's office and/or financial aid. Your enrollment status can affect your loans.

The length of graduate assistantships is determined by your degree completion status. Once you complete your graduate program requirements, your assistantship may continue for one additional semester.


Additional On-Campus Employment

The main focus of graduate students with assistantships is to work toward your degree. If you want to pursue on-campus employment in addition to your graduate assistantship, prior approval from the College of Graduate Studies is required.

Who's eligible for additional employment?

To be eligible for additional employment:

  • Work assignments must be for one semester
  • You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA

How many hours can I work?

Domestic students may work a total of 24-25 hours per week (that includes the hours for your graduate assistantship) during fall and spring semesters.

International students may work a total of:

  • 20 hours per week (that includes the hours for your graduate assistantship) during the academic year (fall and spring semesters)
  • 30 hours per week during summer semester

How do I get permission for additional employment?

Submit a form requesting additional on-campus employment before you begin a job. Forms submitted after you start an on-campus job may be denied.

  • You can submit a paper form to College of Graduate Studies, Room 3190 in University Hall. Or scan/take a photo of the form that has been signed by your academic advisor and email it to gradassist@utoledo.edu.
  • You must submit a new form each semester.
  • We will email you and the supervisor of the on-campus position when a decision has been made.

Request Additional On-Campus Employment form PDF

Questions About your Application?

Visit Stranahan Hall, Room 1048
Mailing address
The University of Toledo
College of Graduate Studies
2801 W. Bancroft, MS 933
Toledo, OH 43606

Questions About Your Degree Progress?

Visit University Hall, Room 3240
Last Updated: 2/24/23