Graduate School Guide: Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships at East Texas A&M University offer financial support for graduate education. Assistantships may be awarded to qualified graduate students who have full or conditional admission to a master's or specialist program or full admission to a doctoral program. Assistantships are available in academic and non-academic departments. In addition to funding graduate education, assistantships provide students with opportunities for professional growth.
Resources
- Fall 2025 GA Training Schedule
- Fact Sheet – Assistantships Requirements
- Graduate Assistant Hiring Process
- Graduate Assistantship Openings-Apply Online
- Verification Form – Qualifications for GAT Associated with Zero-Credit Labs
Graduate Assistant Types
The University awards four types of assistantships:
Graduate Assistant – Teaching (GAT)
Graduate Assistant Teaching (GAT) requires recipients to assist with teaching courses in the department in which they are assigned. Under the supervision of a faculty member be assigned to activities such as: assisting with courses or teaching labs; grading assignments and exams or assisting professors with large lectures and/or online courses. These duties must be attached to a specific course(s) in order for a student to be hired as a GAT.
GATs who assist the instructor of record with a zero-credit lab associated with a classroom course must have completed twelve hours of graduate or upper-level undergraduate coursework directly related to the undergraduate course being taught. GATs assisting with a zero-credit lab must work under the direct supervision of the instructor of record, complete lab safety, supervision training, and be evaluated on a semester basis by faculty.
A graduate assistant receiving resident tuition remission must be either a full-time Graduate Assistant-Teaching (GAT), full-time Graduate Assistant-Teacher of Record (GAToR), or a full-time Graduate Assistant-Research (GAR). Tuition does not include out-of-state tuition, student fees or other fees. It is expected that a graduate student receiving resident tuition remission under this program will be employed in a full-time Graduate Assistant position that enhances/enriches the student's discipline in specific ways, including:
- enhancing the academic quality of the student's graduate program,
- engaging the student in research that results in publications, presentation, or other forms of scholarly activity in the student's academic discipline; or
- collaboratively engages the student in the pursuit of funded research/grants with faculty in the student's academic department.
The Tuition Remission Program
Graduate Assistants receiving tuition remission will have their account credited for the appropriate amount for a maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate coursework. It is important to note that in some instances, the university-provided tuition payment for resident tuition may not be credited to a student's account before the payment deadline. This action may occur in those instances where information is not provided in a timely manner by the employing department. In these cases, the student is responsible for paying tuition before the deadline, and their account will be credited for the university-provided payment at a later date.
Payment amount is based on resident, designated graduate tuition and is only available fall, spring and/or summer semesters. Fees are not included, and only 6 graduate hours of enrollment (no undergraduate credits) at East Texas A&M will be paid.
GATs/GAToRs/GARs registered at other System components or through Federation programs are not eligible for tuition remission.
All eligible GATs/GAToRs/GARs must be on the payroll no later than the 12th class day for fall/spring and 4th class day for summer. There will be a verification audit after the 12th class day of fall/spring and 4th class day in summer. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Graduate Assistant – Teaching (GAT)
A GAT, under the supervision of a faculty member, must be assigned to activities such as: assisting with courses or teaching labs; grading assignments and exams or assisting professors with large lectures and/or online courses. These duties must be attached to a specific course(s) in order for a student to be hired as a GAT.
Tuition Payment Guidelines
GATs must:
- be assisting with courses that are in their discipline or major or related to their field.
- be appointed fully as a GAT and not in combination with a Graduate Assistant Non-teaching (GANT).
- be registered for a minimum of 6 graduate hours of credit during the semester receiving a tuition remission. Only 6 semester graduate hours of credit will be eligible for tuition remission.
Accountability
Data about the number of students served and nature of the involvement in courses or labs should be reported. When appropriate, course evaluations should be conducted. Continued funding will be linked to reasonable numbers in these areas, which are dictated by the discipline.
Graduate Assistant – Teacher of Record (GAToR)
GAToRs must be an instructor of record for six hours of undergraduate course(s) in the department in which they are assigned under the supervision of a faculty member.
Tuition Payment Guidelines
GAToRs must:
- have earned a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the field in which they will be teaching, and
- be registered for a minimum of 6 hours of graduate course work during the semester of receiving a tuition remission, and only 6 semester graduate hours of credit will be eligible for tuition remission.
Graduate students whose native language is other than English must demonstrate a sufficient level of oral and written proficiency before they may be awarded a teaching assistantship.
Accountability
Data about the number of students served should be reported. When appropriate, course evaluations should be conducted. Continued funding will be linked to reasonable numbers in these areas, which are dictated by the discipline.
In addition to tuition remission, GAToRs are also eligible for fee remission for 6 credit hours.
Graduate Assistant – Research (GAR)
GARs should be actively engaged in research under the supervision of a faculty mentor and are paid from external funding or designated university funds.
Tuition Payment Guidelines
GARs must:
- be appointed fully as a GAR and not in combination with a Graduate Assistant Non-teaching (GANT) position.
- be registered for a minimum of 6 hours of graduate course work during the semester of receiving a tuition remission, and only 6 semester graduate hours of credit will be eligible for tuition remission.
- be engaged in a research project that is under the direct supervision of a faculty mentor.
Accountability
Scholarly activity is by nature extended in time. Projects must be envisioned and designed; data must be gathered for the research; once gathered, data must be analyzed; articles (and conference presentations or grant submissions) must be written and refined; and, prior to final publication, manuscripts may need additional revision. As such, it is not uncommon for the entire process to extend one year or more. Given that, accountability for GARs cannot simply be linked to just presentations made, publications submitted or appearing, or grant submissions made or funded—although, any of those would be ideal (and preferred).
Graduate Assistant – Teacher of Record (GAToR)
Graduate Assistant Teacher of Record(GAToR) requires recipients to teach courses in the department in which they are assigned under the supervision of a faculty member and must be an instructor of record for the undergraduate course(s).
In order to qualify to be Teacher of Record students must have earned a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the field in which they will be teaching. Although they are teachers of record, they must work under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching field, receive regular in-service training, and be regularly evaluated.
Graduate students whose native language is other than English must demonstrate a sufficient level of oral and written proficiency before they may be awarded a teaching assistantship.
Graduate Assistant – Research (GAR)
Graduate Assistant Research (GAR) assistantships require recipients to aid in the research with the department/professor to which they are assigned. Work may also include tasks such as assisting faculty with research, preparing reports, entering data or other responsibilities as assigned.
Graduate Assistant – Non-Teaching (GANT)
Graduate Assistant Non-teaching (GANT) assistantships are not assigned to a specific course but work in a variety of settings across campus. Responsibilities may be administrative in nature or consist of other activities that do not generally fit within the GAT or GAR job responsibilities.
Graduate Assistantship Salaries
Graduate assistantship salaries vary by degree level, appointment type (full-time or half-time) and length of appointment. The tables below present the applicable salary ranges for each category.
Master’s/Specialist: Full-Time
| Appointment Length | Minimum Salary | Maximum Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 9 months (fall and spring) | $8,000 | $16,000 |
| 4.5 months (fall or spring) | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| 3 months (summer I and II) | $2,666 | $5,328 |
| 1.5 months (one summer term) | $1,333 | $2,664 |
Master’s/Specialist: Half-Time
| Appointment Length | Minimum Salary | Maximum Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 9 months (fall and spring) | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| 4.5 months (fall or spring) | $2,000 | $4,000 |
| 3 months (summer I and II) | $1,333 | $2,666 |
| One summer term (1.5 months) | $666.50 | $1,333 |
Doctoral: Full-Time
| Appointment Length | Minimum Salary | Maximum Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 9 months (fall and spring) | $10,000 | $18,000 |
| 4.5 months (fall or spring) | $5,000 | $9,000 |
| 3 months (summer I and II) | $3,333 | $5,994 |
| 1.5 months (one summer term) | $1,666 | $2,997 |
Doctoral: Half-Time
| Appointment Length | Minimum Salary | Maximum Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 9 months (fall and spring) | $5,000 | $9,000 |
| 4.5 months (fall or spring) | $2,500 | $4,500 |
| 3 months (summer I and II) | $1,666 | $2,997 |
| One summer term (1.5 months) | $883 | $1,666 |