1.  When will my tuition waiver be processed for my current assistantship position?

The processing of your tuition waiver depends when the contract and other hiring paperwork was processed by your hiring department. For further details, please read below. 

The Graduate School (TGS) upon receiving the hiring action or ePAR through PeopleSoft-HR, reviews all attached documentation, and enters specific information into a master contract spreadsheet. This information is sent to the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) every Wednesday at 05:00 PM for all hiring actions received each week, starting on Thursday 08:00 AM – Wednesday 05:00 PM. Approximately one week from receiving this information in the OFA, the tuition waiver will post into the student’s account as anticipated aid. Please note that the disbursement of funds will occur after the add/drop period of each semester, and the OFA will work along University Business Office to process these funds accordingly. Please check with your hiring department or individual that processed your hiring action to determine when contracts were submitted through ePAR, and when TGS approved the hiring action. 

2. Which fees are actually covered by the tuition waiver or tuition support provided by the assistantship?

The assistantship will only cover tuition and comprehensive fees for a certain number of credits per academic year (based on assistantship classification), and broken down by semesters (with the exception of most doctoral assistants, where tuition is covered fall, spring, and summer). All other fees charged in the tuition bill are covered by the student. For questions about specific fees, please contact the University Business Office for additional information.

3. I am an out-of-state student, does my assistantship cover my tuition in full?

Yes. Up to nine credit hours of tuition per semester are covered by the assistantship.

4. Who to contact with questions regarding tuition funds?

Please make sure that you check directly with your hiring department first, especially the person that has been designated within that area to process ePAR actions in the PeopleSoft system. This individual would know where things are in the process regarding ePAR approvals, and if The Graduate School (TGS) has been able to execute/approve the hiring action. Once you have confirmed this information, please make sure that you reach out directly the Office of Financial Aid for a status regarding anticipated tuition and University Business Office for tuition disbursement inquiries.

5. When will I receive my stipend funds?

Similarly to the approval of tuition funds, when you receive your first paycheck depends when the process was completed. For further details, please read below.

The Graduate School (TGS) upon receiving the hiring action or ePAR through PeopleSoft-HR, reviews all attached documentation, and moves the hiring action to two other set of approvers within this system – Student Employment and HR-Payroll Services. These two departments will review the hiring action and determine if all proper documentation has been submitted, you have enrolled in the proper number of credits, and have anything outstanding in the hiring process. Please check with your hiring department or individual that processed your hiring action to determine when the contract was submitted through ePAR, and if the hiring action has been fully executed by all parties involved. Based on this information and the time that HR-Payroll Services receives all tax forms, direct deposit form and voided check for direct deposit, you will be able to receive your stipend on a biweekly basis. Your first paycheck should be deposited in your account one month after the start date of your contract.

6. Who to contact with questions about stipend funds?

Please make sure that you check directly with your hiring department first, especially the person that has been designated within that area to process ePAR actions in the PeopleSoft system first. This individual would know where things are in the process regarding ePAR approvals, and if The Graduate School (TGS) and other stakeholders were able to execute the hiring action. In addition, this person can follow directly with Student Employment and/or HR-Payroll Services for additional information regarding needed paperwork or processes to follow in expediting stipend payments.

7. How many hours can I work in addition to an assistantship?

A graduate student in an assistantship can work a maximum of nine additional hours per week for the university in either a student employee or wage position. An assistantship position accounts for 20 hours of work per week automatically, unless the position has been approved in advance by The Graduate School as a 10 hour per week assistantship position.

8. If I want to work in addition to my assistantship, what do I need to do?

If you have been offered a wage or student employee position in addition to an assistantship, please make sure that you complete the Additional Employment Approval Form. This form will need to be approved by both graduate program director and current assistantship supervisor in advance and be submitted to The Graduate School for approval. At this point, the form can be submitted through TGS email - grad@jmu.edu once those signatures (with the exception of the Director, Graduate Student Financial Support’s signature) has been obtained.

9. If I have to take less credit hours in a particular semester or underload due to an extenuating circumstance, do I need to let my supervisor and/or program director know that I am doing this in advance?

Yes, in order to properly disburse tuition for the respective semester, you will either need to complete an underload request form for all assistantship classifications, except a doctoral assistant that must complete an enrollment verification form. You must enroll in at least six graduate credit hours to underload, and it must be approved in advance by graduate program director, assistantship supervisor, and The Graduate School. Forms can be found in The Graduate School website. Please make sure to submit this form three weeks before each semester begins, so tuition can be properly disbursed in your student account. Failure to respond to this request or messages sent by The Graduate School in regards to this request may result in late fees to your student account.