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Graduate Student Classifications
The following Graduate Student guidelines are for departments which have students classified in the following assignment categories: Graduate Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and Graduate Student Trainee. Students who are assigned to one of these categories must be enrolled in an official graduate program and can only have an additional assignment under special circumstances as described below with permission of the Graduate School Dean. In addition, a student’s primary assignment should be within his/her graduate program or department. The only exception to this requirement is for Graduate Assistants (GAs) funded through Athletics, Campus Rec, or Campus Housing.
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Graduate Assistant (GA) (06)
Activities include, but are not limited to, duties primarily in support of administrative functions (e.g. performing clerical functions, maintaining webpages, supervising computer labs, and drafting non-research materials). Effective October 2, 2016, Graduate Assistants will be considered non-exempt student employees and will be paid for hours worked. GAs must record their hours worked using the Campus KRONOS system.
Primary function: Are not performing supervised research or teaching, and are therefore considered to be student employees
Exempt from FLSA overtime rule: No
Stipend payments: Paid bi-weekly for hours worked; must report hours worked in KRONOS
Tuition payments: Eligible for tuition scholarships
Health insurance: Paid via tuition scholarship
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Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) (06)
GRAs conduct original, professional-level research in their field of study (e.g. conducting experiments, analyzing data, and drafting research publications for professional journals or conferences) primarily for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements for an advanced degree. The GRA assignment is considered an academic appointment and is exempt from FLSA requirements.
Primary function: Conduct original, professional-level research in their field of study primarily for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements for an advanced degree
Exempt from FLSA overtime rule: Yes; are in an educational relationship with UAB
Stipend payments: Monthly
Tuition payments: Eligible for tuition remission
Health insurance: Paid via tuition remission
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Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) (06)
GTAs are directly involved in classroom or laboratory instruction (e.g. teaching classes, leading discussion groups, preparing curriculum, and grading exams) primarily for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of an advanced degree. Any teaching assignment must be in the student’s own field of study or one that is closely related. The GTA assignment is considered an academic appointment and is exempt from FLSA requirements.
Primary function: Directly involved in classroom or laboratory instruction primarily for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of an advanced degree
Exempt from FLSA overtime rule: Yes; are in an educational relationship with UAB
Stipend payments: Monthly
Tuition payments: Eligible for tuition scholarships
Health insurance: Paid via tuition scholarship
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Graduate Student Trainee (46)
Graduate Student Trainees are paid monthly from Fellowship or Scholarship resources. Graduate Student Trainees are not considered to be UAB employees. This appointment is intended to allow the individual to be a full time student. No past, present, or future services are required as a condition of receiving this appointment.
Primary function: Perform original, professional-level research fully supported by a fellowship, training grant, or institutional sources and are not considered to be UAB employees. No past, present, or future services are required as a condition of receiving this appointment.
Exempt from FLSA overtime rule: Have never been considered employees; no changes
Stipend payments: Monthly
Tuition payments: Eligible for tuition scholarships
Health insurance: Paid via tuition scholarship
In some pre-approved cases, the graduate student is awarded a combination of the appointment categories. The student should be given two separate award letters clearly specifying the conditions of each award.
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Graduate Assistant (GA) (06)
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Commitment Letters
Letters offering appointments are usually issued by the graduate program director or a student’s mentor. Template letters containing recommended statements of commitment are provided below. These examples of fellowship and assistantship appointment letters have been carefully worded to reflect the legal nature of the appointment document; therefore, it is important to use the provided templates.
If a tuition scholarship is awarded, the student should be issued a separate (second) letter. If the student will also receive an appointment letter (assistantship or trainee), the letters may be mailed together. However, each commitment letter must be signed by the student.
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Blazer Graduate Research Fellowships
The UAB Graduate School awards Blazer Graduate Research Fellowships annually to highly qualified first-year doctoral candidates who are engaged in full-time research. These fellowships provide students with financial support for stipend, tuition, and health insurance for four consecutive academic terms. Students will be supported after completion of the Blazer Graduate Research Fellowship by the faculty mentor's intra- or extramural grant awards, contracts, institutional training grants, individual fellowship awards, or start-up packages in the case of new faculty.
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Additional Assignments
Assumption of additional assignments requires prior approval in writing by the Graduate School Dean. The Request for Additional Assignment form may be found on the Graduate School website on the Online Forms page. If a student is already being compensated at the maximum allowed (see below), an additional assignment outside their primary appointment can only be made under special circumstances.
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Minimum Graduate Student Stipend Levels at UAB
Stipend support for full time doctoral students is critical to support their progress in research and training. To ensure that stipend levels remain competitive and effective in offsetting the costs of living during training, UAB is aligning the new base stipend for full-time, stipend-supported doctoral students to the NIH NRSA predoctoral stipend level. The base stipend at UAB will remain tied to NIH NRSA levels, even as that level is adjusted in the future.
The NIH predoctoral NRSA annual stipend level will be the minimum for UAB predoctoral students effective fall 2026 (current minimum is $28,788). All doctoral training programs that provide stipends will reach or exceed this base within two years (by fall 2028).
The minimum stipend level for master’s students remains at $12,000 annually.
Stipend support requires that the student remain in good standing, as defined by individual program handbooks. Students who receive 100% of their financial support from an entity other than UAB (for example, support from home governments) are not subject to this minimum. This value is the minimum level of required stipend support, programs can pay higher stipends, consistent with their discipline.
NIH is used as a benchmark due to the prevalence of STEM trainees at UAB. If a program wishes to be exempt from reaching this base stipend, they must provide benchmarking data from their discipline that supports an alternative norm in the field.
Approved October, 2025 by:
Graduate School Dean
Graduate School Programs & Curriculum Committee (GSPCC)
Advisory Committee of the Graduate Council (ADCOM)
Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) of the Faculty Senate
Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs -
Students Supported on Individual Fellowships or Training Grants
Students who apply for and receive extramural fellowships that provide stipends and additional benefits which exceed the recommended maximum are entitled to receive the full support provided by the extramural award. Also, if the base stipend on a training grant or the stipend derived from some other form of external support exceeds the maximum, students who are chosen to receive a stipend from that source are entitled to receive the full amount of that compensation.
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Health Insurance Coverage
Health insurance is covered under the scholarship award to the student and can be processed via payment request. However, if the student employee (Assistantship) does not have a “tuition and all fees” award, the additional monies to cover the cost are considered compensation and thus would be processed via element pay on the ACT document.
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Documentation Requirements
If an initial award is modified in any way, (i.e. increase or reduction in salary, extension of support period) a new letter of appointment must be issued to the student along with the necessary ACT document. The award letter is issued from the graduate program director and must be signed by the student. No appointments will be processed without the student’s signature.
