Funding and Employment Information for Graduate Students

Funding (Year 1):

• Funding is in the form of a fellowship. Students receive a monthly stipend, with no employment obligation, as well as tuition and fee remission.
• Funding from September/October-June (students have the option to have their stipend paid out over 9 months or 10 months. Stipends paid out over 9 months (monthly stipend = annual fellowship/9) will start in October whereas stipends paid out over 10 months  (monthly stipend = annual fellowship/10) will start in September. Either way, the fellowship will end by June 30th.
• Students are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit to quickly, accurately, and confidentially transfer your stipend to your checking or savings account electronically. 
• Students should begin applying for summer employment around March or April, if needed.

Funding (Years 2-5):

• Funding includes a guaranteed minimum 9-month support package that is equivalent to no less than the quarterly (3-month) rate associated with a Salary Point 1 of a 50% Teaching Assistant or with a Salary Point 3 of a 50% GSR appointment, whichever is lower (see Student Academic Title Pay Rates). During terms in which you are employed, your compensation will be governed by the collective bargaining agreement(s) which cover your employment title.
• Payment of tuition and fees for the 9-month academic year is included.
• Funding is guaranteed via academic employment. Financial support includes employment as an Academic Student Employee (e.g., TA, Associate-in) or Graduate Student Researcher. Students are required to apply for available teaching positions in the college writing programs and other departments as well as in the Ethnic Studies Department.
  • TA and Associate-in overview
  • TA and Associate-in description of duties
  • Employment Opportunities on Campus
• A Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) performs research related to the student’s degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. GSR positions are awarded by the professor who is the holder of the research grant. 
  • GSR appointments are normally issued for the 9-month academic year. GSR positions may also be available during the summer.
  • PIs would send calls for GSR applications in the Spring quarter.
• Employment covers NRST (Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition) for non-resident students through the third year.

Funding (Beyond Year 5):

• Beyond the fifth year, students will be considered for department employment, as available. 
• Graduate students can apply for dissertation writing fellowships including:
  • Dissertation Year Fellowships, including the UC President's Dissertation Year Fellowship
  • American Fellowship Program
  • Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship
  • Discuss additional fellowship opportunities with your dissertation advisor
• Students are always welcome to secure employment with other entities on campus such as The Writing Center or teaching assistant assignments with other departments that may be hiring.

• All graduate students are encouraged to apply for fellowships. Fellowships are one of the best ways to fund your graduate education. 
• Search for fellowships here.
• Calls for fellowship applications are normally shared by the Graduate Coordinator and faculty via email throughout the year.

• All new employees will meet with the department HR Analyst for onboarding.
• A UCSD/Active Directory account will be set-up for all employees. The Social Sciences Computing Facility (SSCF) will arrange for your business email account to be set-up. Note that this is different to your student account. All University communication related to your employment will be sent to your business email account, so please check it regularly. You will be notified when your business email account is active so that you can set up your DUO account as an employee.
• The UCPath portal is a self-service website that gives employees 24/7 access to UC employment information. 
• All university employees are required to complete various Compliance and Required Training based on their role within the university. Log in to UC Learning Center to complete your training.
• Employees are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit to quickly, accurately, and confidentially transfer your pay to your checking or savings account electronically. You can sign up for direct deposit through UCPath.
• ASEs and GSRs are paid monthly. Payment is usually scheduled for the first working day following the close of the pay period (for example: July earnings will be paid on August 1). View the payroll calendar and resources.

The appointment and pay periods are as follows (note that these dates differ from the service period which follows the academic quarter dates):

• All union-covered employees (including TAs and GSRs) need to complete a timesheet every single month that they are employed. There are no exceptions for the summer period - even though the pay structure is different, employees should still submit a timesheet through the summer.
• Timesheets are completed on Ecotime. Guidance on how to use Ecotime can be found on the Ecotime Blink page and in the Quick Start Guide (see step #7).
• When completing timesheets, report absences (e.g., PTO, sick leave) for the appropriate dates through the end of the month before you save and “complete” your timesheet. If you worked your normal hours and do not have any absences to report, you should still “complete” the timesheet to submit.

• Eligible ASEs and GSRs may receive reimbursement for childcare expenses during the academic year.
• Refer to the Childcare Reimbursement Program Factsheet.
• To be eligible for reimbursement during the summer term, the ASE or GSR must also be a registered student in the regular academic terms preceding and following the summer appointment.
  • Note that payroll only processes childcare reimbursement for active employees. Therefore, students are advised to submit their childcare reimbursement request before the end of their appointment. Otherwise, the reimbursement will be processed during Fall, when they have active employment.