graduate assistant

A graduate assistant serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing postgraduate education. The assistant typically helps professors with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants or with academic research responsibilities as research assistants, aids coaches with an athletic team, or is employed by other university departments (such as housing or academic advising). Rather than receive hourly wages, GAs are often remunerated in the form of a stipend, a fixed sum of money paid periodically for services or to defray expenses. This allows the graduate student to focus on their studies instead of a full-time job, but only pays a portion of the income of a full-time job. A PhD graduate stipend is considered income in the United States. The fact remuneration is ...