Michigan State University MSU Graduate Assistantships for International Students, USA 2023

Application is now open for the MSU Graduate Assistantships at Michigan State University. Interested applicants are encouraged to send their applications in before the deadline date.

About Michigan State University and Scholarship

East Lansing, Michigan is home to the public land-grant research institution known as Michigan State University (MSU). The first institution of its kind in the United States, it was established in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.

The term “graduate assistantship” (GA) refers broadly to any sort of financial aid for graduate students that includes a salary and benefits in exchange for the completion of specific tasks. Research assistants, teaching assistants represented by the Graduate Employees Union, and teaching assistants not covered by the MSU- Graduate Employees Union Collective Bargaining Agreement are the three categories under which specific graduate assistant appointments fall.

Graduate students who meet the requirements can apply for more than 3,000 assistantships at Michigan State University. The University is concerned with the caliber of graduate assistants’ educational experiences as well as the caliber of the undergraduate instruction that teaching assistants deliver.

Graduate assistants are enrolled students whose main affiliation with MSU is focused on the completion of advanced degrees. The assistantship must be kept in good standing if you want to continue working on your degree. The total number of years a graduate student may retain an assistantship may be restricted by departments.

Details about MSU Graduate Assistantships at Michigan State University:

Scholarship Sponsor: Michigan State University, USA

Scholarship Value: Check Below

Number of awards: Several

Study level: Postgraduate

Host Institution(s): Michigan State University, USA

Benefits:

Checks are given out on a bi-weekly basis. Graduate assistants may be hired on a quarter-time, half-time, or three-quarters-time basis at any of the three levels with the corresponding modification to the pay. Even when the graduate student does not enroll for 10 credits or more, there are still additional advantages:

• 9 credits of tuition are waived for the autumn semester, 9 credits are waived for the spring semester, and 5 credits are waived for the summer session.
• a waiver of the out-of-state resident tuition fee
• Certain Credit Union.
• Eligibility for student discounts on season tickets for themselves and their spouses for hockey, basketball, or football
• Eligibility for free entrance to other regularly scheduled sporting events at Michigan State University with a current student ID card
• Admission to professional performing arts performances at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and Institute for Arts and Culture with student savings on series tickets, including one guest ticket
• If the student is enrolled for the requisite amount of credits, they are exempt from paying the Social Security tax on their stipend. 

MSU Graduate Assistantships Scholarships – Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are advised to meet the following conditions to be eligible for the MSU Graduate Assistantships Scholarships at Michigan State University:

• Only graduate students who are in good standing and actively pursuing graduate degree programs are eligible for graduate assistantships.
• Graduate assistants from other countries need to register online with the Office for International Students and Scholars. They will get check-in instructions through email at their MSU account.
• Graduate assistants are required to register for the following courses each semester they work as assistants:

1. Doctoral students must enroll in at least 3 credits (exceptions are listed in the chart) even if they have a quarter-time or half-time assistantship. A quarter-time employee may carry a maximum of 16 course credits, and a half-time employee may carry a maximum of 12-course credits, omitting 899/999 credits. After the student’s unit administrator sends the completed exam form to the relevant college associate dean and the college provides the clearance to the Office of the Registrar, doctoral students who have passed comprehensive tests are eligible to enroll for 1 credit the following semester. The maximum number of credits for all Ph.D. students is 36,999.
2. Half-time or quarter-time assistantships for master’s students need them to be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits. A quarter-time employee may carry a maximum of 16 course credits, and a half-time employee may carry a maximum of 12-course credits, omitting 899/999 credits.
3. Three credits are required for doctoral and master’s students with three-quarter-time assistantships. They are only allowed to carry up to 8 course credits, not including 899/999 credits.
4. Graduate assistants must have a minimum of 3 credits during the summer session.
5. If the department chair or unit director, college, and dean of the graduate school all concur in writing, visitor credits may be included in a student’s credit load.
6. Except as noted for doctoral students, exceptions from the minimum enrollment requirements listed above are only permitted during the semester in which the degree is granted, during which time students must enroll for at least the number of credits necessary to complete the degree or satisfy the University’s one credit minimum registration requirement.

• The dean of the student’s college must give his or her written consent before registering for any variation from the maximum credit requirements.
• If the student’s department, school, or program hasn’t given written consent for coursework that would constitute an exemption to this regulation, graduate enrollment must be in courses that are recognized as being at the graduate level.
• Graduate assistants have to obtain and keep up excellent academic standing. This denotes a grade point average of at least 3.00. Additional or higher needed requirements may be set by appointing units or institutions.
• The department chairman or school/program director must recommend an applicant for a position as a graduate assistant.
• Graduate assistantships are not available to students in Lifelong Education or the College of Law (save for those who are concurrently enrolled in two MSU graduate programs). 
• Graduate assistantships are not available to dual-enrolled bachelor’s/master’s degree students until they have accrued the minimum number of credits needed for their first bachelor’s degree.

Application Procedure for MSU Graduate Assistantships Scholarships

• The academic semester of enrolment (Fall: August 16–December 31; Spring: January 1–May 15; Summer: May 16–August 15) determines the hiring of graduate assistants. The terms of the assistantship (such as quarter- or half-time, fall, spring, and/or summer semesters) are set forth by the department or unit making the appointment.
• A graduate assistant is allocated to the appropriate level based on the student’s prior experience. Level information is available on Academic Programs.
• An offer letter must be written by the recruiting organization and signed by the student. For each of the many categories of appointments, there are offer letter templates. It is prohibited to alter these templates. The employment form in EBS will include the offer letter that the student has signed attached to it.
• An investigation of criminal history is necessary before the appointment. Students will get an electronic disclosure and authorization form through email. The background check cannot be started until the form has been signed and submitted. Appointments are subject to receiving favorable outcomes.
• The GA Appointment Recommendation form must be completed and connected with an INS I-9 form (Employment Eligibility Verification). The documentation used to confirm eligibility and identification must be seen by a department official. At https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents, you may find acceptable papers. Within three business days of the appointment’s start date, the I-9 form must be finished. The appointment will be canceled if the I-9 paperwork is not submitted within three days.
• The recruiting department will process I-9s for all student workers. Department administrators who want assistance completing an I-9 for a foreign person with proper visa status might receive training from Human Resources. For I-9 help, departments can send an email to HR.I9Admin@hr.msu.edu.
• Departments recruiting graduate assistants must submit appointment forms within the timeframes established by Human Resources (https://hr.msu.edu/ua/hiring/graduate-assistants/index.html). The issue of the first payroll payment and registration in the health insurance plan may be delayed if they are unable to satisfy deadlines.
• The forms for payroll direct deposit and withholding tax authorization (Form W-4) should be filled out by graduate assistants. Graduate Assistants can enter the Employee Self-Service Portal at https://ebs.msu.edu/ to complete Form W-4 and sign up for direct deposit.
• The requirement for getting the stipend and benefits is a completed appointment form. Additionally, it declares the department’s and the student’s intention to abide by the guidelines for graduate assistantships that are outlined in this brochure, the Graduate Students’ Rights and Responsibilities guide, and the Academic Programs catalog.

You can also visit the official website for further details.

The Submission Deadline is: October 31, 2023

Not interested in this particular scholarship? See other USA scholarships here.