information for graduate assistants - Penn State University

INFORMATION FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
REVISED AUGUST 2003
Many graduate students at Penn State receive assistantships for teaching-, research-, or
extension-related activities. Below are some relevant facts pertaining to graduate students
receiving assistantships.
Stipend and Tuition Grant-in-Aid
A graduate assistant (quarter-, half-, or three-quarter-time) receives a stipend commensurate with
the percentage time and grade level (e.g., grade-12). Stipends are raised on an annual basis
equivalent to the average University increase for that year. In 2003-04 for a two-semester
appointment, the stipend is $12,060 for a half-time grade-10 assistantship and $14,535 for a halftime
grade-13 assistantship.
Penn State considers a number of factors including disciplinary field, possession of a master’s
degree, participation in special predoctoral training programs, and passage of candidacy and
comprehensive examinations when assigning individual assistantships. University-wide the
median is a grade-12, for which the stipend is $13,905 for this academic year. When in-state
tuition is added to a grade-12 Penn State assistantship, the package increases in value to $24,332.
When out-of-state tuition is added, the value of the package is $34,171. Many of our students
also receive additional financial support during the summer.
Workload
A graduate assistant on a quarter-time assistantship normally enrolls in 9 to 14 credits per
semester during the academic year and is expected to provide teaching, research, or extension
assistance of approximately 10 hours a week. Those on half-time and three-quarter-time
assistantships enroll for 9 to 12 credits and 6 to 8 credits per semester, respectively. In return for
the assistantship, the graduate student is expected to be involved with pedagogical tasks
averaging 20 or 30 hours per week, respectively. The departments or programs awarding the
assistantships provide the teaching, research, or extension assistant with the necessary training
and mentoring to perform effectively and to make the assistantship a positive learning
experience.

Medical Insurance
Penn State requires medical insurance for international graduate assistants and full-time
fellows and any accompanying dependents (spouse and/or children).
As a graduate assistant/graduate fellow, you are eligible to receive a subsidy in the amount of
80% of the annual premium cost for the Penn State University Graduate Assistants and Graduate
Fellows Health Insurance Plan. In 2003-04, graduate assistants and graduate fellows will pay
$223 of the total annual premium cost of $1,115 for medical insurance. When dependents are
also insured, the graduate assistant will pay $1,709 of the total premium of $6,070.
Note: While not recommended, graduate assistants and fellows who are not international
students may chose to not have health insurance and may decline this benefit by completing the
appropriate form at the Student Insurance Office.
Penn State continues to subsidize graduate assistants’ and graduate fellows’ eligible dependents
(spouse and/or children) at 70% of the annual premium expense. The graduate assistant/graduate
fellow will be responsible for paying the remaining 30% of the annual premium for eligible
dependents.
The 2003-04 Penn State Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows Health Insurance Plan
provides a maximum benefit of $500,000 per covered incident per policy year; coverage for preexisting
conditions; and prescription benefits (including birth control) paid at 80% with a
maximum of $500,000 at the University Health Services Pharmacy, Ritenour Building. Some
other benefits include: maternity, improved inpatient and outpatient psychotherapy, improved
physical therapy benefits, medical evacuation and repatriation, alcohol abuse and dependency
benefits, increased benefits for ambulance, increased coverage for anesthesia, coverage for
appliances, braces and supplies, increased coverage for wisdom tooth extraction, and coverage
for assistant surgeons. Not all benefits have been included in the description above. You may
review other benefits when you receive your new insurance brochure for 2003-04 from your
academic departments in mid-August or online.
Preferred providers are: The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Centre Community Hospital and
Devon Health Services Network (hospitals and physicians). The Devon Health Services Network
can also be utilized in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Ohio and Vermont.
Also offered to graduate assistants and graduate fellows and their eligible dependents is the Opti-
Vision Discount Program. The Opti-Vision Program is available through National Vision
Administrators and provides savings on eye examinations, lenses, frames and contact lenses
through the use of a participating provider network. Additional information about this plan or the
health insurance plan may be obtained from the Student Insurance Office, 320 Grange Building
University Park, (814) 865-7467.

FICA Exemption
Graduate assistants currently enjoy an exemption from paying the Federal Insurance
Contribution Act (FICA) tax. The exemption is given by IRS Revenue Procedure 98-16 because
graduate students are considered students, not employees of the University. The FICA exemption
amounts to 7.65% of gross pay, equating to a savings of $1,063 for a graduate student holding a
half-time grade-12 assistantship during academic year 2003-04.