GRA, GTA, GA Funding

Graduate Research Assistantship

Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) perform research alongside a faculty member.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) teach undergraduate courses in their discipline or assist with labs and teaching.

Graduate Assistantship

Graduate Assistants (GAs) perform a number of department-defined duties.

The positions are awarded by the academic department or individual faculty members. The assistantships adhere to Stipend X and are distributed based on percentage of full-time employment or %FTE. (For example, 50% FTE requires 20 hours of work per week.)

If any PhD student or any Master’s student in select departments (Biological Sciences, English and Technical Communication, Business and Information Science and Technology, or Psychological Science) is on a 37.5% FTE or higher stipend (awarded and paid by the academic unit/faculty), he/she will receive:

  • Remittance of tuition for all on-campus credit hours
  • Remittance of supplemental fees (Engineering and Sciences Course Fees; BIT Course Fees)

All S&T doctoral students funded at 37.5% FTE or higher on a GRA/GTA/GA appointment are eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance model. The student must average at least 37.5% FTE over the course of the semester to be eligible. These doctoral programs include:

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Ceramic Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering Management
  • Explosives Engineering
  • Geological Engineering
  • Geology and Geophysics
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Metallurgical Engineering
  • Mining Engineering
  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Petroleum Engineering
  • Physics
  • Systems Engineering

Any Master’s student in non-doctoral granting departments funded at 37.5% FTE or higher on a GRA/GTA/GA appointment.  The student must average at least 37.5% FTE over the course of the semester to be eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance model. These Master’s programs include:

  • Technical Communication
  • Business Administration
  • Information Science and Technology
  • Biology, Applied and Environmental
  • Industrial-Organizational Psychology
  • Tuition and supplemental fees for completed courses included in the student’s primary plan of study and taught on the Missouri S&T main campus will be remitted.
  • Tuition and supplemental fees for courses that are not remitted include:
    • Distances section courses (those listed with “DI” in the section)
    • Courses taught on another UM System campus or other colleges/universities
    • Late fees, graduation fees, and other personal student fees/charges
    • Courses not included in a student's primary program of study
    • Dropped courses and failed courses

Students must be enrolled as a full-time graduate student (at least 9 credit hours in their plan of study) in order to receive the tuition and fee remittance.

  • An exception will be granted during the last semester for under-enrollment.  Students will need to fill out a “Request for Waiver of Enrollment Requirements” form through their academic department in order to do this.  Additionally, international students will need to fill out a “Reduced Enrollment” form with the Office of International and Cultural Affairs.
  • Students registering for one credit hour of intersession will also be covered under the new tuition and fee remittance model if they are eligible.

Currently enrolled Master’s students will not be effected. They will be “grandfathered in” to the new tuition and fee remittance model. Once the Doctoral program is in place, any new Master’s students admitted into the department will not be eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance.

The student must average at least 37.5% FTE over the course of the semester to be eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance model.

  • All doctoral students on at least an average of 25% FTE but under 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment over the course of the semester.
  • Master’s students on at least an average of 25% FTE but under 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment over the course of the semester in non-doctoral-granting departments.  These Master’s programs include:
    • Technical Communication
    • Business Administration
    • Information Science and Technology
    • Biology, Applied and Environmental
    • Industrial-Organizational Psychology
  • Master’s students on at least an average of 25% to 50% FTE over the course of the semester in doctoral-granting departments. These Master’s programs include:
    • Aerospace Engineering
    • Ceramic Engineering
    • Chemical Engineering
    • Chemistry (including MST)
    • Civil Engineering
    • Computer Engineering
    • Computer Science
    • Electrical Engineering
    • Engineering Management
    • Environmental Engineering
    • Explosives Engineering
    • Geological Engineering
    • Geology and Geophysics
    • Manufacturing Engineering
    • Materials Science and Engineering
    • Mathematics (including MST)
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Metallurgical Engineering
    • Mining Engineering
    • Nuclear Engineering
    • Petroleum Engineering
    • Physics (including MST)
    • Systems Engineering

The “6/9 rule” and non-resident waiver apply to any graduate student on an average of 25% FTE GRA/GTA/GA or higher over the course of a semester.  The non-resident waiver will waive the difference between non-resident and in-state tuition so the student will only pay in-state tuition, regardless of residency.  The 6/9 rule provides that any student on an appointment as such will pay for the first 6 credit hours each semester (at the in-state rate) and the campus will remit the remaining credit hours registered.

Distance and continuing education courses are not covered by the new tuition and fee remittance model.  Only courses that do NOT have “DI” in the course section are eligible.

Dropped courses and failed courses are not covered by the new tuition and fee model.

Undergrad courses and courses NOT included in a graduate student's applicable program of study.

  • Student tuition and supplemental fees currently being charged to grants or contracts should continue to be paid from the grant or contract.  Tuition and fees currently included in a grant or contract budget cannot be changed.
  • If less than 100% of tuition or supplemental fees is covered from the grant or contract, the tuition and fee remittance model will remit the remaining balance for the eligible students.

The first full semester they are registered as a doctoral student they would be eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance model if they are on a 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment or higher.

The student must average a 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment or higher for the semester to be eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance.

(For example: Defending the Master’s during the semester while taking classes/doing research for the doctoral program and on at least a 37.5% FTE appointment for the doctoral program)

The program that is listed as the primary program for the student will be what is considered for the new tuition and fee remittance model for that semester. If a master’s student has completed all degree requirements for the master’s degree, but the degree has not been awarded, the student is not eligible until the semester after the master’s degree is awarded.

If the eligible student is on 37.5% FTE or higher GRA/GTA/GA appointment for the summer semester, they will have the tuition remitted.

Dedicated fees, International Student fees, and international student insurance are not covered.

  • Dedicated fees include (from cashier.mst.edu):
    • Information Technology Fee (assessed per credit hour)
    • Activity Facility Fee (assess per credit hour)
    • Health Service Fee (charged once per semester)
    • Graduate Council Fee (charged once per semester)
  • International Student fee (from cashier.mst.edu):
    • All new entering international students will be charged an International Student Services Fee per semester.
  • International student insurance is required for international students.

Supplemental fees are remitted in the tuition and fees model and include the Engineering & Sciences Course Fee and BIT Course Fee.

The student’s FTE amount is determined by the academic unit or faculty. It is up to the academic unit or faculty whether they will increase the appointment or not.  The student must average at least 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment over the course of the semester to be eligible for the tuition and fee remittance model.

If a graduate student is NOT on a GRA/GTA/GA appointment totaling 37.5% FTE or above, then the student is not eligible for the new tuition and fee remittance model.

All eligible students (PhD students on 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment or higher, Master’s students in non-doctoral granting departments on 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment or higher) will be provided the new tuition and fee remittance for the semesters that they remain on 37.5% FTE GRA/GTA/GA appointment or higher and are fully-enrolled (9 credit hours toward program of study).

Yes, starting in the Fall 2017 semester.  Students pursuing a doctoral degree program after a master's degree program may receive four years of tuition and supplemental fees support.  Students pursuing a doctoral degree program directly after a bachelor's degree program may receive five years of tuition and supplemental fees support.  Master’s students eligible for the funding can receive two years of tuition and supplemental fees support.  

Funding is only available for a student's primary program of study.  Additional programs are ineligible.  If students changes their primary program, funding will only be available for the total years of support listed above and no longer, even if the change results in a longer degree completion timeframe.

No. Tuition and fees are only remitted for students fully-enrolled in an eligible graduate program and for courses in their primary program of study.

Undergraduate seniors will not be eligible as dual-enrolled.  They will be eligible to receive the remittance the first semester they are fully enrolled in the eligible graduate program and that program is their primary program of study.

Graduate students will also not be allowed to receive the remittance for multiple degrees or multiple programs.  Only their primary program of study courses will be covered.

Yes, this fellowship is not effected by the new tuition and fee remittance model. The $2000 fellowship is applied to cover a portion of the out-of-state tuition for the student on departmental fellowship. The departmental fellowships does not cover in-state tuition and fees.

No. It will only cover courses taken for graduate credit that are approved on the student’s primary program of study.

Yes.  As long as they are full-time enrolled (9 credit hours spring and fall semesters, 3 credit hours summer session).  However the waiver will not be applied for the non-eligible course(s).

Yes. Assuming the student is approved by their faculty advisor to take more than 9 credit hours, all of the hours would be covered by the tuition and supplemental fees coverage, if they are approved on the primary program of study.

Yes, as long as the appointments add up to the required average FTE for the semester.  The GTA/GRA/GA job codes that qualify are Title Code 4710, 4715, 4717.

Yes.  The individual faculty or the department can offer the departmental fellowship to a student ($2000/semester) which is applied directly to cover a portion of out-of-state tuition (the student does not receive the "cash in hand" - it is paid directly through the accounting system).