Eligibility

Purpose & Overview
Types of Assistantships
Eligibility
Application Process
Hiring a Graduate Assistant
Evaluation Process

Graduate Assistantship Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be classified as a degree-seeking graduate student at JSU. Faster Master's students are not eligible for Graduate Assistantships until they graduate with the undergraduate degree and begin the graduate program, classified as graduate students.
  • Must be actively enrolled in a graduate degree program at JSU during the assistantship semester.
  • If a new student, must be admitted to a graduate degree program.
  • Must be actively enrolled in required coursework towards the degree. The Graduate Assistantship will not pay for courses that are not in the degree program requirements in the Graduate Catalog.
    Note: If a student is classified as a graduate student and is required to take undergraduate courses for the graduate degree (foundation courses, undergraduate deficiency courses, etc.), the Graduate Assistantship will only pay for these courses if they are documented as required courses via memo from the student’s advisor to the Senior Director of Graduate Studies.
  • Must hold the minimum required GPA for the student’s enrolled graduate degree program.
  • During the assistantship semester, must be enrolled at JSU in six to nine (6-9) graduate semester hours in a fall or spring semester or six to nine (6-9) graduate semester hours in a full summer term. (Full summer term = May, June, and July). An exception to this requirement may be made by the Director of Graduate Studies, under the following circumstances:
    • If a student is classified as a graduate student and is required to take undergraduate courses for the graduate degree (foundation courses, undergraduate deficiency courses, etc.). The Graduate Assistantship will only pay for these courses if they are documented as required courses via memo from the student’s advisor to the Senior Director of Graduate Studies.
    • If a student has made satisfactory progress toward obtaining the graduate degree and needs fewer than six (6) graduate semester hours available to complete the degree, the student may be considered for an assistantship.
    • If a student will hold a Graduate Teaching Assistantship during a summer term, the student may be allowed to enroll in fewer than six (6) graduate hours to be considered for the assistantship, as long as the courses are required for the degree.
  • Must not be holding another campus job.
  • A graduate assistant is prohibited from accepting, receiving, or being credited for other forms of tuition scholarships or waivers from the University. Scholarships from sources outside of the University and the JSU employee benefit of tuition assistance will both be permitted.
  • If the student has previously held a Graduate Assistantship position at JSU, the student must have fulfilled all duties and complied with all policies to be considered for another Graduate Assistantship.
  • It is preferred that a Graduate Teaching Assistant not teach and take a class during the same summer term. Any student wanting to teach and take a class in the same summer term must be granted permission by his/her advisor and the Senior Director of Graduate Studies prior to enrolling in the course. Requests should be sent via e-mail.
  • It should be noted that the graduate assistantship tuition scholarship may affect the amount of federal financial aid for which students are eligible. The graduate assistant will be responsible for determining if there is any impact on eligibility of other financial aid programs.
  • Must complete FERPA training, Sexual Harassment training, and other training as required through JSU.
  • International graduate assistantships must be certified by the Director of the International House and Programs to perform duties and receive compensation.

International Student Applicants

  • All international students must receive clearance for employment from International House and Programs.
  • Please visit the International Programs website for additional information.
  • Due to Visa requirements, international students must be enrolled as a full-time JSU graduate student and possess each of the following:
    1. Passport from their respective country.
    2. F-1 Student Status or J-1 Student Status.
    3. U.S. Customs Form I-94.
    4. Official photo identification.
    5. Official Social Security Card imprinted with “not valid for work without authorization” or similar statement.

 International Student Enrollment Requirements

  • Official copies of the bachelor’s degree certificate/diploma AND complete and official college/university transcripts must be on file in the Office of Graduate Studies before a student will be allowed to enroll in classes.
  • International students will be required to enroll as full time students with at least nine credit hours each semester. At least six of those hours must be taken in traditional or web-assisted/hybrid format, if the student plans to reside in the United States. Our graduate classes are scheduled to accommodate this requirement, and it is the university’s expectation that all students abide by this law. Failure to do so will result in termination of the student’s immigration record.
  • International graduate students with prerequisite/foundation/deficiency courses must maintain at least 12 semester credit hours at all times. The classes can be a combination of undergraduate and graduate courses. International students must have at least nine semester credit hours of traditional or web-assisted/hybrid classes (non-online courses) out of a total of 12 credit hours.
  • International students are required to carry health and repatriation insurance.
  • Government sponsored students, such as Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) Scholarship, Embassy of Kuwait Scholarship, and Embassy of UAE Scholarship students, etc., will have to check with their embassy and/or government before enrolling in any number of online courses.