There are three different graduate student specific classifications that will commonly appear on the accounts:
- Teaching Assistants (Expense Type 71215)
- Type B Research Assistants (Expense Type 71200), and
- Type A Research Assistants (xpense Type 71215).
Under usual circumstances, teaching assistants should be funded only from internally funded accounts, most commonly departmental teaching accounts.
Research assistants are most commonly funded from sponsored awards or from unrestricted start-up funding. The difference between the two types of research assistants is that Type B generates a tuition support charge (subaccount 8319) at the current rate for the fiscal year. Type A research assistants do not generate this charge. The Physical Sciences Division's established policy for graduate research assistants is to request tuition support. The current rate for Academic Year 2024-2025 is 48.5% of graduate student base funding. The amount partially covers the graduate student's actual tuition cost. By default, all research assistants should be Type B unless the award regulations specifically prohibit tuition support charges in connection with research assistants or during limited periods when graduate students are not registered, usually summer quarters early in the graduate career.
Research assistants must serve for a minimum of 2 consecutive months during a quarter. However, if possible, it is best to issue full quarter appointments for both research assistants and teaching assistants.
If a grant or funding source does not allow charges for insurance and fees, those charges should go on COA 609-25200-74651-100000-600-9999-99999-999-999-9999, "Insurance and Grad Fees".
Grant funds should not be used as a convenient source of student financial aid. Efforts should be made to ensure that the number of students and the time they spend on the award are in line with the award budget. During the proposal phase, it is important for the PI to carefully think through how many months their research assistant(s) can be reasonably expected to work on the project annually rather than assuming that it will always be for 12 months. Likewise, the number of person-months it should reasonably take to complete the project should be carefully considered.
PSD Standard Type B Graduate Research Assistant Funding
Since October 2021, GRA insurance and graduate student fees are paid separately from the base funding. Base funding, insurance, and fees are subject to recovery of indirect costs. Tuition remission is only charged on the base funding.
Effective October 2024, the GRA compensation at the Physical Sciences Division of the University of Chicago consists of $45,000 as a 12-month 100% effort GRA, $4,998 for health insurance, $1,936 for graduate student fees and tuition remission at a rate of 48.5%.
Graduate Research Assistant Fees
In accordance with the University of Chicago Physical Sciences Division’s established policy, graduate student fees are applied commensurate to the level of effort each year.
Tuition Remission
Graduate student tuition remission is requested in accordance with the University of Chicago Physical Sciences Division's established policy of requesting tuition support at the rate 48.49% (Academic Year 2024-2025) of graduate student salaries. The amount partially covers the graduate student's actual tuition cost.
PSD GRA Funding Academic Year 2024-2025
| Annual Grad RA Funding, Academic Year 2024-2025 | ||
| 1 Oct 24 to 30 Sep 25 | ||
| PSD | ||
| Annual Base Funding | 45,000 | |
| Annual Insurance | 4,998 | |
| Annual Graduate Student Fees | 1,936 | |
| Total Annual Funding | 51,934 | |
| Tuition remission @ 48.5% of Base Funding | 21,825 | |
| Total Annual Cost, 2024-2025 | 73,759 | |
| Quarterly Grad RA Funding, Academic Quarters 2023-2024 | ||
| 1 Oct 23 to 30 Jun 24 | ||
| PSD | ||
| Academic Quarters, Base Funding | 11,250 | |
| Academic Quarters, Insurance | 1,666 | |
| Academic Quarters, Student Fees | 484 | |
| Total Quarterly Funding | 13,400 | |
| Tuition remission @ 48.5% of Base Funding | 5,456 | |
| Total Quarterly Cost, Academic Quarters 2023-2024 | 18,856 | |
| Quarterly Grad RA Funding, Summer Quarter 2025 | ||
| 1 Jul to 30 Sep 2025 | ||
| PSD | ||
| Summer Quarter Base Funding | 11,250 | |
| Summer Quarter Insurance | 0 | |
| Summer Quarter Student Fees | 484 | |
| Total Summer Quarter Funding | 11,734 | |
| Tuition remission @ 48.5% of Base Funding | 5,456 | |
| Total Cost, Summer Quarter 2024 | 17,190 | |
PSD GRA Funding Academic Year 2023-2024
| Annual Grad RA Funding, Academic Year 2023-2024 | ||
| 1 Oct 23 to 30 Sep 24 | ||
| PSD | CS | |
| Annual Base Funding (Subaccount 1801) | 40,800 | 43,600 |
| Annual Insurance (Subaccount 8395) | 4,917 | 4,917 |
| Annual Graduate Student Fees (Subaccount 8396) | 1,864 | 1,864 |
| Total Annual Funding | 47,581 | 50,381 |
| Tuition remission @ 52.5% of Base Funding (Subaccount 8319) | 21,420 | 22,890 |
| Total Annual Cost, 2023-2024 | 69,001 | 73,271 |
| Quarterly Grad RA Funding, Academic Quarters 2023-2024 | ||
| 1 Oct 23 to 30 Jun 24 | ||
| PSD | CS | |
| Academic Quarters, Base Funding (Subaccount 1801) | 10,200 | 10,900 |
| Academic Quarters, Insurance (Subaccount 8395) | 1,639 | 1,639 |
| Academic Quarters, Student Fees (Subaccount 8396) | 466 | 466 |
| Total Quarterly Funding | 12,305 | 13,005 |
| Tuition remission @ 52.5% of Base Funding (Subaccount 8319) | 5,355.00 | 5,722.50 |
| Total Quarterly Cost, Academic Quarters 2023-2024 | 17,660 | 18,728.50 |
| Quarterly Grad RA Funding, Summer Quarter 2024 | ||
| 1 Jul to 30 Sep 2024 | ||
| PSD | CS | |
| Summer Quarter Base Funding (Subaccount 1801) | 10,200 | 10,900 |
| Summer Quarter Insurance (Subaccount 8395) | 0 | 0 |
| Summer Quarter Student Fees (Subaccount 8396) | 466 | 466 |
| Total Summer Quarter Funding | 10,666 | 11,366 |
| Tuition remission @ 52.5% of Base Funding (Subaccount 8319) | 5,355 | 5,722.50 |
| Total Cost, Summer Quarter 2024 | 16,021 | 17,088.50 |
PSD GRA Funding Academic Year 2022-2023
| Annual Grad RA Funding, Academic Year 2022-2023 | ||
| 1 Oct 22 to 30 Sep 23 | ||
| PSD | CS | |
| Annual Base Funding (Subaccount 1801) | 37,000 | 39,540 |
| Annual Insurance (Subaccount 8395) | 4,800 | 4,800 |
| Annual Graduate Student Fees (Subaccount 8396) | 1,683 | 1,683 |
| Total Annual Funding | 43,483 | 46,023 |
| Tuition remission @ 52.5% of Base Funding (Subaccount 8319) | 19,425 | 20,759 |
| Total Annual Cost, 2022-2023 | 62,908 | 66,782 |
| Monthly Grad RA Funding, Academic Quarters 2022-2023 | ||
| 1 Oct 22 to 30 Jun 23 | ||
| PSD | CS | |
| Monthly Base Funding (Subaccount 1801) | 3,083 | 3,295 |
| Monthly Insurance (Subaccount 8395) | 533 | 533 |
| Monthly Graduate Student Fees(Subaccount 8396) | 150 | 150 |
| Total Monthly Funding | 3,766 | 3,978 |
| Tuition remission @ 52.5% of Base Funding (Subaccount 8319) | 1,619 | 1,730 |
| Total Monthly Cost, Academic Quarters 2022-2023 | 5,385 | 5,708 |
| Monthly Grad RA Funding, Summer Quarter 2023 | ||
| 1 Jul to 30 Sep 2023 | ||
| PSD | CS | |
| Monthly Base Funding (Subaccount 1801) | 3,083 | 3,295 |
| Monthly Insurance (Subaccount 8395) | 0 | 0 |
| Monthly Graduate Student Fees(Subaccount 8396) | 112 | 112 |
| Total Monthly Funding | 3,195 | 3,407 |
| Tuition remission @ 52.5% of Base Funding (Subaccount 8319) | 1,619 | 1,730 |
| Total Monthly Cost, Summer Quarter 2023 | 4,814 | 5,137 |