Requesting a Graduate Research Fellow Assistantship (GRFA)

   Overview   

Use the process outlined below to request a Graduate Research Fellow Assistantship (GRFA). This article walks through all steps for creating a new GRFA Assistantship, including the initial approval request, setting up a new GRA position in UGAJobs, and submitting a tuition waiver request in GradStatus. 

Note: This form should be submitted by a faculty or staff member in the department, not by the students themselves. 

  1. Step 1

Use this form to submit a new GRFA request. 

Please note: In order for the Graduate School to approve a GRFA assistantship, the PI or unit will need to provide a $3,000 "mini assistantship." The first question on the form is whether the PI or unit is willing to provide this mini assistantship.  

  2. Step 2

Enter your information (or the information for the best point of contact in your unit) and the student's information. 

  3. Step 3

Enter the award information, including: 

  • Name of the award or external funding mechanism
  • Name of the sponsor
  • Start/End dates for the award 
  • Amount of the stipend provided to the student each year

  4. Step 4

Enter the GRFA information, including: 

  • Semester(s) to which the GRFA should apply. Note that you can only select up to three semesters because the GRFA assistantship will need to be renewed annually. 
  • Anticipated start date for the GRFA position. 
  • Upload any applicable documentation for the Graduate School's review. 

Once the form is completed, click the Submit button.

Your request will then be routed for Graduate School approvals. 

  5. Step 5

Once the Graduate School has approved, you (or the contact you listed) will receive an approval email that outlines next steps to formally establish the GRFA assistantship. It is important to follow the steps in the email in order to prevent delays or redundant effort. 

  6. Step 6

First, the unit will need to create a new Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) position in UGAJobs.

• Hire the student as a graduate research assistant on a "mini assistantship" for a payment of $3,000 per semester.
• The student’s FTE should be listed as 33% and the working hours should be listed as 13.3. The department will need to adjust the annual rate in UGAJobs (the annual rate needs to be lowered to make it 33% time).

 7. Step 7

Once the student has been hired in UGAJobs, submit a tuition waiver request in GradStatus. 

• The tuition waiver cannot be submitted until the student has been hired in the GRFA position in UGAJobs. 

• The department should add the comment “Graduate School approves the GRFA appointment for (applicable semesters for waivers)” when submitting the DPAS tuition waiver in GradStatus.

• Please note: The student should be in compliance with registration for each term (Fall/Spring is 12 graduate credit hours; Summer is 9 graduate credit hours).

Additional information on submitting tuition waiver requests in GradStatus is available in this knowledge base article. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Graduate School's Business Office at gradfinance@uga.edu.

End process. 

Additional Resources:

GRFA Request Form

UGAJobs: Position Creating and Direct Hire Process

Submitting a waiver request in the GradStatus Portal

 

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