Student Appointments

To appoint a graduate student to any of the titles listed below, the following requirements must be met as set forth by the Graduate School:

• The graduate student must be properly registered and working toward a graduate degree through the Graduate School
• Appointees have no continuing contractual relationship with the university

Academic regulations can be located under the Graduate Catalog – Graduate Academic Regulations and in the GA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The Graduate Student Employment Principles Guide is another great resource for a quick glance at various GA requirements.

To be considered a graduate assistant please follow the requirements below:

1. Classification: Enrolled as a graduate student and have a classification of 7, 8, or 9.

• Verify the Graduate Student Classification by checking numeric designation assigned in the GIMS system or Student Self-Service in myUFL
  • 7 – Graduate student has less than 36 hours of credits earned towards their graduate degree
  • 8 – 36 hours of credits earned, or student already has a master’s degree
  • 9 – Graduate student who has been admitted into doctoral candidacy

2. Graduate Assistant Titles: Have the correct title based on job description.

Starting titles for Graduate Assistants:

• GA-T – have teaching responsibilities
• GA-R – have research-related responsibilities
• GA-G – have a mixture of both teaching and research responsibilities

Promotional opportunities:

• Graduate Teaching or Research Assistant – Completed 30 hours of graduate work (Promotion from Graduate Ast-R, -T, or –G)
• Graduate Teaching or Research Associate – Student has completed most of the work leading to a doctorate (Promotion from Graduate Res or Tch Ast)
• Senior Graduate Teaching or Research Associate – Student has completed most of the work leading to a doctorate (promotion from Graduate Teaching or Research Associate)

3. Appointment dates must follow the academic calendar:

• All hires must be effective the beginning of the semester (see Academic Dates section below)
• If the hire is not effective on an academic date, an approved Graduate Petition must be attached
  • Further information on the Graduate School’s Petition Guidelines

4. GPA:

• All graduate assistants must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA as a student.
• Departments must petition the Graduate School if the GPA drops below this amount.

5. Registration and FTE: Be registered for the correct number of credits per their assigned hours per week (FTE). Keep in mind the difference between an appointment for a U.S. Citizen and a Foreign National (this will be explained further in the Tuition Waiver Section).

U.S. Citizens

• Higher than a .74 FTE requires a petition from the Graduate School
• Higher than a .78 total FTE is subject to FICA (Tax Services)

Foreign Nationals

• Only a total FTE of .50 is allowed during the fall and spring semesters
• May reach a 1.0 FTE in the summer semesters or when classes are not in session
• Foreign nationals with a W-9 are treated like U.S. Citizens. However, the FTE minimums previously stated still apply

Best practice is to hire the Graduate Assistant between a .25 – .74 FTE, as anything above or below this will need a Graduate School petition for approval unless they already have an active Graduate Assistant appointment meeting the minimum FTE requirements.

Stipends
Minimum Salary by FTE (effective October 1, 2023):

9-Month Appointments (19.5 Pay Periods)

12- Month Appointments (26.1 Pay Periods)

2024 – 2025 Academic Dates

2023 – 2024 Academic Dates

Letter of Appointment

The letter of appointment is a contract between the University of Florida and the graduate assistant. It ensures both parties understand what is expected of the position, including, but not limited to the duties, compensation, employment length, and that, if they are at a .25 FTE or higher, they are eligible to enroll in GatorGradCare, which they have the responsibility to enroll in within 60 days of their hire date.

Instructions:

• Select the appropriate letter of appointment template from the Appointment Letter Library
• Read the instructions at the top of the template
• Fill in all highlighted fields on the template with the correct information and remove template instructions
• Ensure that the dates of employment, compensation rate, and title match the ePAF
• Have employee sign and date the letter of appointment

Rehires

When rehiring a graduate student away from their original department within two academic semesters, they will need to receive the same pay rate unless there is a change in FTE, duties, or responsibilities. This does not apply after two semesters.

For an all-inclusive list of what is required for a Graduate Assistant, please view the New Hire Checklist for more information.

Key Hiring Documents:

• Loyalty Oath
• I-9 Supporting Documents (List of Acceptable Documents)
• Copy of Social Security card for tax purposes if not already used for I-9
• Signed Letter of Appointment by all parties

This is not exhaustive, please make sure to check the New Hire Checklist.

Additional Forms (if applicable):

• Grad School Petitions for requests for any exceptions to current graduate education policies (such as GA appointments below .25 FTE or above .75 FTE).
• Employment of Relatives if an employee will be working with someone within their household or a family member. This is typically restricted to within the same department or college but will also apply if their position can potentially come into contact with a family member in another department.

Confirm Eligibility Requirements and Qualifications:

• Verify student’s UFID and check for duplicates
• Review the Classification of Students within the Graduate Academic Regulations
  • This numeric designation is assigned by the Graduate School in the GIMS System for different categories of graduate students
• Check the overall GPA is 3.0 or higher, or petition the Graduate School if the student’s GPA does not meet the minimum requirement
• Review the minimum salaries based on FTE (see the General Requirements – Minimum Salary per FTE)
• Assess the FTE total and review the key FTE requirements that must be met for US citizens and foreign nationals graduate students (see General Requirements – Registration and FTE)
• Confirm the appointment type (9-month/12-month) and dates of appointment
• Verify that the graduate assistant meets the (full-time) registration requirements and petition the Graduate School if they don’t. (For additional information on the requirements, see the Courses and Credits section of Graduate Catalog)

Creating the ePAF:

• In myUFL, navigate to: Departmental Administration > ePAF Home Page > Start a New ePAF
• Select the link titled Hire an Employee and enter the necessary information for the ePAF
• Upload all the appropriate hiring documentation to the ePAF
  • For information on how to upload documents view OnBase Instruction Guide

Most Common Employment Changes

During the Graduate Assistant appointment there might be some changes that will need to be processed, such as:

• Rate change
  • A change in rate will require a change in duties or responsibilities with a new signed letter of appointment or addendum letter attached to the ePAF.
• Change in FTE
  • All FTE changes must have corresponding and proportional changes in salary with a new signed letter of appointment or addendum letter attached to the ePAF.
  • To calculate proportionality, follow the below formula:
    • Old Annual Rate X New FTE / Old FTE = New Annual Minimum Rate

• Change in title
  • Needs appropriate student classification and job responsibilities with a new signed letter of appointment or addendum letter attached to the ePAF.
• Change in department ID (within the college) or supervisor
  • Does not require a new signed letter of appointment or addendum letter

Leave of Absence

Graduate assistants are entitled to six (6) weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period if they meet the eligibility criteria per the GAU bargaining agreement: Article 8.3 and 8.4. For more information on how to request this leave please review Graduate Assistant Leave of Absence Process.

If a graduate assistant appointment will be terminated, the effective date needs to match the last day of the academic calendar. A termination date inconsistent with the academic calendar will kick out the student’s waiver and they will owe their full tuition.

If you are terminating with an effective date that is not the end of the semester, please indicate the reason on the comments and provide documentation, if appropriate.

Common termination reason codes for terminations:

• ETJ – End of Temporary Job – traditional end of an appointment (GA09 or GA12)
• RES – Resignation – graduate assistant is resigning from their appointment
  • This reason code will require a signed letter from the graduate student

The Exit Checklist – Separation should be completed for employees who are departing from the university. The Exit Checklist – Transfer is a more condensed checklist for employees who are only transferring to another unit. It is also encouraged to have the employee complete an Exit Survey.

The Decision Tree can be used when determining if the appointment should be transferred or terminated.

UF Graduate Students that have an active appointment are eligible to receive a tuition waiver. This is entered by the department that will provide the tuition and/or fee waiver on the student financial account.

Please review the UF Graduate Letters of Appointment Guide and the Tuition Waiver Troubleshooting Guide for more information on the process.

Requirements for a Tuition Waiver:

• Must be appointed as Graduate Assistant or Fellow with an active employment appointment (job data record)
• A funding distribution for the waiver
• Must be employed at least .25 FTE and stay employed according to applicable semester dates
• The amount of enrolled credits that are covered by the tuition waiver depends on the Graduate Student’s FTE
• Under “Registration Requirements”, review the Graduate Assistantship Tuition waiver and Registration Requirements chart

Tuition Waiver Timeline:

• The tuition waiver can be entered as early as the department wants, although it is recommended to do so as soon as the employee’s hire ePAF is approved
  • If for some reason the waiver cannot be entered early, it MUST be entered at least 2 business days prior to the fee payment deadline
  • If the waiver is not entered by the fee payment deadline, the Graduate student could be dropped from their registered courses, have a late fee assessed, and owe their tuition
• If there are changes on the employment record during the semester, you will need to update the waiver to reflect all the correct information from the employment record
• Each waiver is only available for updates during the active semester. Once the semester is over, changes cannot be made by the department and a manual waiver change will need to be requested
  • Best practice is to have all changes completed and updated at least two weeks before the end of the semester
• For questions regarding waivers, please contact the Waiver Expert from your college

Re-appointments occur when you extend the GA’s position another semester within the same department.

• For a re-appointment, a job edit is entered with the new Letter of Offer attached
• Effective date must be the start of the semester for the appointment

Summer and Short Work Break Files

The summer appointment file is designed to simplify the process of entering summer appointments for Graduate Assistants on the GA09 salary plan. This file is used by the GA’s current department when the GA09 will continue working in the same position over the summer. The short work break file keeps the employment record active without payment during the summer break, as the employee is not working but is expected to return in the fall. Departments do not need to take any action unless the employee is being terminated at the end of the spring semester.

Navigation to Files

Short Work Break Report:

myUFL.edu > Main Menu > Enterprise Analytics > Access Enterprise Analytics > Team Content > Human Resources Information > Workforce Information > Short Work Break – Return from Break Report

Summer Appointments:

myUFL.edu > Main Menu > Human Resources > Workforce Administration > Job Information > UF Summer Job Review

Hiring

Summer appointments are used as complementary appointments to Graduate Assistants that are hired in a GA09 appointment. During the summer, the GA09 appointment will automatically be placed on a short work break.

Requirements:

• The graduate assistant needs to be on a short work break
• Summer letter of appointment template from the Appointment Letter Library
• The effective date needs to match the academic dates for Summer A, B, or C
• If the hire is for the same department and the Graduate Assistant will be performing the same duties as their GA09 appointments, the summer compensation must be proportional to their 9-month appointment.

Terminations

All summer appointments must be terminated once their summer assignment has concluded. These terminations will not be done automatically, and the department must submit an ePAF with the reason code ESA (End of Summer Appointment).

General Guidelines

In order to employ a Student Assistant, the student must:

• Be registered in a UF degree seeking program for at least half time
• Not perform graduate assistant duties (see p.2 of Principles for Employment for comparison of job duties)
• Only be employed up to 20 hours a week

If a student requests to work over 20 hours, they can work a maximum of 31 hours as long as an Hours Extension Form is completed.

Understand that the student’s education goals are the main priority, and their Student Assistant position should not interfere.

Requirements for New Hires

When submitting the hire ePAF make sure you follow the New Hire Checklist and provide the required documents.

ePAF approval may be delayed due to:

• The OPS Application is not provided
• The Identification submitted to support the I-9 is not provided
• The student is not registered for at least half time
• If the compensation rate is lower than the Florida minimum wage
• The GatorStart packet is not completed

Potential additional documents:

• Pay Rate Justification Form
  • Required if employee is making more than double Florida’s minimum wage
• Employment of Relatives Petition 
  • Required if a new employee is related to or living in the same household as a current employee in the same college/unit

Creating the ePAF

• In myUFL, navigate to: Departmental Administration > ePAF Home Page > Start a New ePAF
• Select the link titled Hire an Employee and enter the necessary information for the ePAF
• Upload all the appropriate hiring documentation to the ePAF
  • For information on how to upload documents view OnBase Instruction Guide

Common Employment Changes:

• FTE updates – Hours Extension Form required if going over 20 hours
• Pay updates – Pay Rate Justification Form required if going over double minimum wage
• Switching to/from STAS and OPSN – Must be performed at the beginning of a pay period

Since STAS is at-will employment, termination may occur at any time by employee or employer.

• STAS terminations are executed at level 1, and do not need approval from UFHR
• The Exit Checklist – Separation should be completed for employees who are departing from the university. It is also encouraged to have the employee complete an Exit Survey.

When transferring an employee from another department, the best practice is to check with the other department first so that they are aware of the transfer.
Another best practice is to make the transfer effective at the beginning of a pay period or pay week.

Make sure that the student has been paid out completely from their previous job before being transferred to the new department.

Salary Plan Transfers

Be aware of the following guidelines:

• STAS can be transferred to or from OPSN positions effective at the beginning of pay period
• If you are transferring a STAS to an OPSN due to graduation, the transfer needs to be at the end of the academic semester due to their FICA status
  • Dates for STAS-> OPSN transfers will be announced in the EOR Newsletter
• STAS can be transferred to GA appointments, but it cannot be transferred from a GA position.
  • In this case the GA position needs to be terminated and a new hire should be entered for the STAS

The Exit Checklist – Transfer should be completed for employees who are transferring to another unit. It is also encouraged to have the employee complete an Exit Survey.

The Decision Tree can be used when determining if the appointment should be transferred or terminated.

General Guidelines

The purpose of Federal Work-Study (FWS) is to provide students with part-time employment to help meet college costs and, if possible, provide work experience in a related field.

FWS is federally funded and need-based. Student eligibility is determined by information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These hire ePAFs are processed by the Student Financial Aid (FSA) Office.

Please contact Student Financial Affairs at (352) 392-0296 for inquiries about these hires.

Requirements for New Hires

When submitting the hire ePAF make sure you follow the New Hire Checklist and provide the required documents.

ePAF approval may be delayed due to:

• OPS Application is not provided
• The Identification submitted to support the I-9 is not included
• Any specific FWS documentation is not provided (check with SFA Office)

Creating the ePAF

• In myUFL, navigate to: Departmental Administration > ePAF Home Page > Start a New ePAF
• Select the link titled Hire an Employee and enter the necessary information for the ePAF
• Upload all the appropriate hiring documentation to the ePAF
  • For information on how to upload documents view OnBase Instruction Guide

Common Employment Changes:

• FTE updates – Hours Extension Form required if going over 20 hours
• Pay updates – Pay Rate Justification Form required if going over double minimum wage
• Switching to/from FWS and OPSN – Must be performed at the beginning of a pay period

Since FWS is at-will employment, termination may occur at any time by employee or employer.

• FWS terminations are executed at level 1, and do not need approval from UFHR
• The Exit Checklist – Separation should be completed for employees who are departing from the university. It is also encouraged to have the employee complete an Exit Survey.

When transferring an employee from another department the best practice is to check with the other department first so that they are aware.
Be aware of the following guidelines:

• FWS can be transferred to or from OPS positions effective at the beginning of pay periods
• If you are transferring a Student Assistant to an OPSN due to graduation, the transfer needs to be at the end of the academic semester due to their FICA status
  • Dates for FWS-> OPSN transfers will be announced in the EOR Newsletter
• FWS can be transferred to GA appointments, but it cannot be transferred from a GA position.
  • In this case the GA position needs to be terminated and a new hire should be entered for the STAS.

The Exit Checklist – Transfer should be completed for employees who are transferring to another unit. It is also encouraged to have the employee complete an Exit Survey.

The Decision Tree can be used when determining if the appointment should be transferred or terminated.