University of North Texas 
Division of Student Affairs Graduate Assistant Program
About Student Affairs' Graduate Assistant Program
The Graduate Assistant Program within the Division of Student Affairs exists to provide practical application in the field of higher education. In the last two years, Higher Education Master's program graduates who worked as Graduate Assistants in Student Affairs had a 99% Higher Education job placement rate within three months of graduation.
UNT Division of Student Affairs has over 60 graduate assistant positions available
for graduate students, which allows for a diverse set of options and experiences while
working toward a degree. While priority is given to enrolled Higher Education graduate
students, all graduate programs are encouraged to apply.
For graduate assistantships with other divisions, and colleges, outside of the Division
of Student Affairs, contact the individual divisions and colleges, directly, or search
Eagle Careers to see which opportunities are available.
Have questions? Email us at DSAGA@unt.edu.
How do graduate assistants support student affairs?
- Support for DSA programs and services
- Student engagement and student learning
- Entrenchment to the UNT experience
How does DSA support graduate assistants?
- Training to increase effectiveness and productivity
- Experience within their field of study
- Supervision, competitive compensation and mentoring
Interviews and Placement
- The hiring process for most positions within the Divison of Student Affairs will be coordinated through the GA Program Coordinator (dsaga@unt.edu) and the Higher Education Program. There are very few departments that have exceptions to this rule.
Timeline for Higher Education Graduate Assistants
- Returning Higher Education Co-hort Graduate Assistants: Late-January/early-February
- New Higher Education Co-hort Candidates
- Application deadline: March 1
- Interview days: typically during the 3rd week of March
- Returning and New Non-Higher Education Candidates: Begins once the Higher Education Co-hort process ends, typically in March
Graduate Assistants (GAs) in the Division of Student Affairs have the opportunity to receive the following benefits during their employment as a GA:
Tuition Benefit Program
- Students in the Higher Education Cohort will receive $2,870 per semester
- Students NOT in the Higher Education Cohort will receive $1,610 per semester
- Rec Sports Graduate Assistants (whose majors are Recreation or Kinesiology) will receive $2,870 per semester
- All other majors, assuming that they are eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program, will receive $1,610 per semester, while funding is still available
- All of these awards are on a first come, first served basis; they are never a promised tuition benefit
- NEW: Graduate assistants must be employed by the census date to receive a tuition benefit
- NEW: Students receiving the Faculty/Staff scholarship are ineligible for a typical tuition award, but they may be eligible for partial fundings (~100 per TBP credit hour). If a GA falls in this category, they should contact gradaward@unt.edu to see what they are eligible for. From there, we will see what tuition benefit remains
- NEW: If a TBP recipient is employed in a department other than their degree major, they are required to submit a certification from both the employer and academic authority in their major department to certify that there is a direct relationship between the employment position and the degree program
Out-of-State Tuition Waivers
- Graduate Assistants are eligible to receive an in-state tuition reduction to help ease the burden of the cost of their educational experience based on their specific role
- Resident rather than non-resident tuition is applied to a teaching or research assistant provided the student is employed at least one-half time by UNT in a position that relates to the degree sought
- NEW: The department of employment offers a tuition benefit to their student; any tuition benefit we give will automatically qualify a student for an employment waiver
Monthly Salary
- First-year graduate students without experience in a graduate degree program will receive $1,424.32/month
- Students pursuing a master's or doctoral degree with at least 18 completed credits towards their degree will receive $1,675.67/month
Monthly GA Lunches
- About once a month, an all Division of Student Affairs Graduate Assistant lunch is held where they cover topics that cross all areas of student services, issues in higher education that contribute to professional development, and, networking opportunities
- These lunches are not mandatory, however, strongly encouraged to further your growth as a Graduate Assistant
- These lunches are usually held during the lunch hour but may fluctuate a bit on the time of day to accommodate various responsibilities and schedules of the different offices on-campus
Professional Development Funding
- Graduate Assistants should receive about $500.00 per academic year to be specifically used to participate in professional development opportunities like webinars; drive-in, regional, or national, conferences; etc.
GA Orientation
- At the start of each Fall semester, all GAs are required to attend the GA Orientation to acquaint them with their roles as a graduate student, graduate assistant, within the Divison of Student Affairs, and, at UNT
How long am I placed in my assistantship?
Our Graduate Assistants are placed in their assistantship for (1) academic year and then prior to Returner Interviews, you will have a chance to review position descriptions and rank positions that you feel would be a potentially good fit for you. Supervisors will review candidate resumes at the same time to see who may be a good fit. We encourage Graduate Assistants to look for positions that help fill gaps in experiences that they are lacking/want to develop.
What are the average hours for an assistantship?
We encourage supervisors and students to develop a schedule that complements departmental needs and academic needs. Graduate Assistants are half-time employees so should plan to work 20 hours/week, just as full-time staff work 40 hours/week.
Supervisor Resources