Graduate Assistantships in the US: How TA and RA Positions Fund a Master's or PhD

TA, RA and GA: what the titles mean

A teaching assistantship (TA) has you teach discussion sections, grade papers, run labs, or hold office hours for a course, usually inside your own department. A research assistantship (RA) has you work on a specific research project, most often one funded by a faculty member's grant, and the work ties directly to your own thesis or dissertation topic. A general or graduate assistantship (GA) covers administrative or student-services work outside a classroom or lab, such as work in an academic department office or a graduate school.

What the position typically funds

Most assistantships include a full or partial tuition waiver plus a monthly stipend to cover living costs, and many add subsidized health insurance. The exact stipend amount depends on the university, the field, and the local cost of living, and it varies enough between schools that you should compare offers directly rather than assume a standard figure. In exchange, you work roughly 20 hours a week, teaching, grading, or on research duties tied to the appointment.

How international students find one

Many funded PhD programs, especially in STEM fields, include a TA or RA offer automatically as part of admission, so funding is settled before you arrive. Master's programs fund fewer students this way, and assistantship openings often get posted separately by departments after you enroll, so check your department's graduate coordinator or website for open positions each term.

For research assistantships, contact faculty members whose work matches your interests directly, since many RA positions get filled through direct requests to a lab or a specific project rather than a general job posting. Ask your graduate program coordinator which route your department uses before you assume a posting will appear.

How this works with your F-1 status

A TA or RA position on your own campus counts as on-campus employment, which F-1 students are allowed to do without applying separately for work authorization. The work stays capped at 20 hours a week while school is in session , and full-time work is allowed during official school breaks. Your Designated School Official (DSO), the university staff member who manages your SEVIS record, does not need to issue a separate work permit for an on-campus TA or RA job, but tell your international student office about the position so your file stays accurate.

If a research assistantship is funded off campus, for example at an affiliated lab or research site not on university property, ask your DSO whether it still qualifies as on-campus employment before you start, since off-campus work normally needs separate authorization.

Taxes on your stipend

Assistantship stipends generally count as taxable income in the US. Some countries have a tax treaty with the US that reduces or exempts withholding on stipend income, and your university's international tax office or payroll office tells you if your country qualifies and what forms to file. Ask about this before your first paycheck so any treaty benefit applies from the start rather than after a refund claim.

What to check in an assistantship offer letter

• Whether tuition is fully or partially waived, and which fees are not covered

• The exact stipend amount and how often it pays out, monthly or biweekly

• Whether the offer covers all years of your program or renews term by term

• Health insurance premium cost, if any, and whether dependents are eligible to join

• What performance standard keeps the position, such as a minimum GPA or research progress

If your assistantship ends before your degree does

Some assistantships run only one or two years, especially master's-level TA positions funded by a specific course's enrollment. If your position is not renewed, ask your department early about other openings for the next term, since positions often get assigned months ahead of the semester they start. Losing an assistantship reduces your income and affects your ability to stay full-time when tuition is tied to that waiver, so treat a non-renewal notice as a signal to start a funding search immediately rather than close to the term start, and loop in your international student office alongside your department so both know your enrollment plans.