Application Procedure

  • The Graduate School funds a limited number of graduate assistantships. The primary purpose of these assistantships is to aid in the recruiting of high quality students. The overall number of assistantships award values (scholarship and stipend) will be dependent on the availability of scholarship funding.
  • Students must be accepted for admission or be a continuing graduate students. Preference may be given to new students.
  • Students must be degree‐seeking in a Master’s (not certificate) program.
  • Preference may be given to stipends paid by a non‐graduate school source (e.g., adjunct salary, IMC, Center for Academic Support) or teaching assistant requests.
  • In order to best leverage available funds for assistantships, some assistantship offers may be for partial assistantships at a reduced stipend and scholarships amount. This may be requested as part of the initial application by the person filing the application or by the Graduate School during the application review and awarding process.
  • Preferences will also be given to graduate assistantships which will assist an academic graduate program or some functions that assist or support graduate students or the Graduate School. Preference may also be given to assistantship requests in which stipends are support in part or entirely by contributions from non-Graduate School funding sources (e.g. unit budgets, student employment funds, etc.) or teaching assistant requests.
  • Awards may continue for a second year if a previous graduate assistant performed his/her duties satisfactorily, funding continues, and the student is recommended for continuance by his/her supervisor. Under no circumstances will students receive assistantship funds for more than two years. Scholarship funds cannot be used to retake classes or to take undergraduate courses. Students on probation are not eligible for assistantships.
  • Assistantships will be awarded on a competitive basis without quotas for programs.
  • Applications will be considered beginning February 15. Applications will be accepted until April 15 or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. Once assistantship funds have been fully encumbered, there will generally be no more assistantships available for the fiscal year. These assistantships are intended primarily for excellent students who apply early as an incentive to get them to attend Western.
  • A graduate program or University unit may request a position without indicating a specific student at the time of application deadline. However, preference may be given to applications that have identified a specific student. All GA assignments must be finalized and approved by the Graduate Dean by July 1 or the GA award will be withdrawn.
  • Requests for graduate assistants must be submitted by a graduate program, academic unit or non-academic unit. Applications should be submitted by the Western employee who will supervise the GA.
  • Students should not submit requests for Graduate Assistantships on behalf of a program, faculty member or unit.
  • Applications will be considered beginning February 15. Applications will be accepted until April 15 or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. Once assistantship funds have been fully encumbered, there will generally be no more assistantships available for the fiscal year. These assistantships are intended primarily for excellent students who apply early as an incentive to get them to attend Western.
  • A graduate program or University unit may request a position without indicating a specific student at the time of application deadline. However, preference may be given to applications that have identified a specific student. All GA assignments must be finalized and approved by the Graduate Dean by July 1 or the GA award will be withdrawn
  • For Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA’s) requests a Graduate Assistant Application must be submitted to the Graduate Office. A Graduate Teaching Assistant Approval form must also be submitted for approval by the department Chair, appropriate College or School Dean, the Graduate Dean and the Provost. If the graduate student has not been employed as an instructor at Missouri Western, a New Adjunct Faculty Hiring Approval form must also be submitted as for any new adjunct instructor.
  • International students may be allowed to serve as graduate assistants or graduate teaching assistants.
  • International students receiving state (government) support for tuition from their home country are not eligible to receive an assistantship including tuition or institutional scholarships.
  • In order to comply with Missouri Statute 170.012 international students whose primary language is not English may not receive a teaching assistantship during their first semester. International students must comply with all facets of 170.012 in order to receive a graduate teaching assistantship.

GA positions are not awarded to a faculty member or program on a permanent basis – they are awarded to specific students for specific tasks. There are no guarantees of another GA being awarded to a faculty member or program based on prior awards.

GA positions funded by graduate studies will be for a maximum of $7,000 per year plus a maximum of 9 hours per semester of tuition remission. Note that these are negotiated, and many students receive a smaller stipend or less tuition.

The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the student has completed all necessary paperwork in HR, and ensuring that the MOA or adjunct faculty paperwork are completed correctly and in a timely manner. Supervisors must report on the progress of each GA to the Graduate Dean at the end of each semester.

Supervisors must provide the Graduate Dean with a summary of work accomplished and an evaluation of the GA at the end of each semester – including specific accomplishments. GAs will not be eligible for continued employment or tuition assistance if this evaluation is not received at least 14 days before the start of the next semester.

For continuing GAs, the supervisor must also confirm that the student is continuing in the program, and has met the GPA requirements.

Once awarded to an individual student, GA positions may be continued for 4 semesters if the student makes satisfactory progress, meets all requirements, the funding source continues, and the supervisor completes all necessary reports in a timely manner.

Graduate Teaching Assistants, because they are on each semester’s workload report, need to be renewed each semester.

Graduate Assistant pay schedules may vary, however, the majority are paid on the monthly student cycle (20th of each month in Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., Feb., Mar., Apr., May). Graduate Teaching Assistants are paid on the last working day of the month similarly to adjunct instructors.

Missouri Western is committed to teaching courses using faculty members. We realize, however, that under some circumstances a graduate student can be an effective teacher and also enhance their graduate school experience through teaching. In order for a department chair to assign a course to a graduate student, the TA Position Approval Form must be completed. Additional funds from the part-time/overload budget will not be allocated for TAs, however, the part-time/overload budget can be used where a TA will be replacing another adjunct faculty member.

The amount of the tuition scholarship awarded to TAs will vary depending on the number of credits the TA is teaching. Scholarships are competitive and limited.

  • In order to comply with Missouri Statute 170.012 international students whose primary language is not English may not receive a graduate teaching assistantship during their first semester. International students must comply with all facets of 170.012 in order to receive a graduate teaching assistantship.