The Graduate School

Graduate students matriculated in master's or doctoral programs are eligible. They must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in their graduate programs. Undergraduate students taking graduate classes, accelerated students, and certificate students are not eligible for graduate assistantships.

1. Contact the graduate coordinator of your program to express your interest in a graduate assistantship in your academic department. Due to the nature of the work, academic departments hire students from their own programs.

2. Apply for positions that are posted on Handshake, the Career Development Center’s job-posting platform. Instructions are included under the question “Where can I find graduate assistantships that are currently available?” for details.

1. Current students (those with WCU login credentials) must apply for GA positions through Handshake. You must login to view available positions and submit applications through Handshake.

2. Newly admitted students, (those without WCU login credentials) can view available GA positions here. You must email your application materials to the contact person listed for the position.

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REGISTER FOR HANDSHAKE UNTIL YOU HAVE WCU LOGIN CREDENTIALS.

Most graduate assistants are hired in the fall semester for the academic year (fall and spring semesters). There are typically some positions available in the spring semester, but there are far fewer than for fall. The hiring cycle for fall semesters will commence during the previous spring semester and into the summer until all positions are filled.

 

Tuition Credits Waived (per semester)	Hours Required (per week)	Stipend Amount (per semester)
3	5	$1,250
6	10	$2,500
9	15	$3,750
12	20	$5,000

Yes. International students must contact the Global Engagement Office for instructions before beginning the hiring process.

No. All clearances must be completed specifically for WCU even if you have already completed clearances elsewhere. Instructions will be provided via your WCU e-mail account.

There are several steps to complete the hiring process

1. After you have been selected, you will be sent a contract by the graduate assistant coordinator. You must read the entire contract thoroughly, initial the first page, sign the second page, and return the contract to gradassistantships@wcupa.edu by the due date noted in the contract.
2. Complete payroll paperwork and submit identification documents. The payroll paperwork will be sent to your WCU e-mail account and must be completed and submitted remotely through the secure site provided by Payroll. IMPORTANT: Graduate assistants cannot begin working until this step has been completed.
3. If clearances are required, you will receive instructions via email from WCU Compliance Coordinator Lacey Layberger, llayberger@wcupa.edu, and CBY Professional Services. Student employees will not be authorized to work until all three clearances (PA State Police Clearance, PA Child Abuse Clearance, and FBI Clearance) are completed following the process outlined by the Compliance Department. Clearances conducted outside of our process will not be accepted regardless of how recently they were completed.

 Yes. Graduate assistants can work up to 20 hours per week when combining all forms of student employment.

 Yes. The tuition waiver does NOT cover student fees. Graduate assistants must pay all student fees. Payment must be made by the due date listed on your WCU bill. The tuition waiver will not be applied to your balance until payment has been made. Nonpayment could result in your classes being cancelled.

The tuition waiver posting process begins once fall/spring bills are issued. Provided that you have returned your signed contract and are enrolled in the appropriate number of credits, your tuition waiver will be posted by the billing due date. It is not necessary to contact us about your tuition waiver before the billing due date. Please note that you should pay all student fees and any tuition not covered by your GA contract by the billing due date. If you do not see your tuition waiver by the billing due date, please contact gradassistantships@wcupa.edu from your WCU e-mail account.

No, graduate assistants are not required to submit timesheets either to the Office of Human Resources or to the Graduate School. However, it is strongly recommended that graduate assistants maintain a written, signed log of all hours worked with their supervisors in case any discrepancies arise.

IMPORTANT: WCU adheres to a delayed biweekly pay schedule as determined by PASSHE and the Office of the Chancellor. Graduate Assistant (GA) employees are paid on this pay schedule with stipends divided into installments.  

The date of pay is determined by when the employee starts work and where that falls within the pay period. This means that GAs may not see the first pay until the fourth week after the start date. To view the upcoming pay dates, please see the schedule below.

When a Graduate Assistantship ends, the final stipend installment is paid two (2) weeks after the last day worked.

Spring 2025 Pay Dates

• February 7 - For pay period ending January 24 (Pay for one week only)
• February 21 - For pay period ending February 7
• March 7 - For pay period ending February 21
• March 21 - For pay period ending March 7
• April 4 - For pay period ending March 21
• April 18 - For pay period ending April 4
• May 2 - For pay period ending April 18
• May 16 - For pay period ending May 2
• May 30 - For pay period ending May 16 (Pay for one week only)

 Graduate Assistants are also NOT REQUIRED to make up work hours when the University closes due to inclement weather.

Graduate assistants must be actively enrolled in the number of credits covered by their graduate assistantship contract. For example, students with 6 credit graduate assistantships must remain actively enrolled in 6 credits for the full term of the contract.

If you need to withdraw from a class that would take you below the credits required by your contract, please contact gradassistantships@wcupa.edu from your WCU e-mail account before submitting a course withdrawal form. If you need to withdraw from the University, please contact gradassistantships@wcupa.edu before submitting a term withdrawal form. Please note that withdrawing could result in a financial penalty up to and including the full tuition cost of the tuition waiver.

Employment verifications are mainly completed by The Work Number (800) 660-3399, employer code 15972. Another option is to fax a request along with a signed release from the employee to the Payroll Office at (610) 436-3464.

Please contact WCU's Payroll Office at payroll@wcupa.edu from your WCU e-mail account for assistance.