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Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA) Cost Estimates
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This page is for research administrators and includes GSRA costs for:
- Salaries
- Tuition (Average)
- Health benefits/GradCare
GSRA/GSI/GSSA Salary and Compensation
Updated for AY2022-2023 on July 27, 2022
Note: These are minimum recommended levels and can be set higher, based on the policies of individual schools and colleges. Please verify with your unit. Departments and principal investigators will continue to have the flexibility to set GSRA salaries at rates above this minimum.
Additionally, certain sponsors have limits and requirements. For example, each year check NIH for its NRSA Training Grant stipend levels.
Effective 8/29/2022 | ||
U-M Campus | GSRA Rate for Four Calendar Months |
GSI /GSSA Rate for Four Calendar Months |
---|---|---|
U-M Ann Arbor, UM-Dearborn, and U-M College of Engineering |
$24,055 |
$24,055
|
UM-Flint | $15,523 | $20,416 |
Sources:
- U-M Faculty Human Resource Services in the section on Stipends or Salaries. U-M HR Memo
- U-M Engineering Memo 2022
- UM-Flint GSRA Benefits (includes per-term appointment costs)
GSRA Average Tuition Rates
(Updated for AY2022-2023 on July 27, 2022)
To facilitate budget preparation, charge average tuition rates to sponsored projects, regardless of the number of credit hours for which the GSRAs are enrolled.
Term(s) | Campus |
Rate |
---|---|---|
Fall, Winter Terms 2022-2023 |
General Campus |
AY22-23 Rates: $13,412
Source: Office of Budget and Planning, PDF (Received July 15, 2022, from OBP) |
Fall, Winter Terms 2022-2023 | Engineering |
$13,830 |
Spring, Summer Half Terms 2022-2023 and |
General Campus and Engineering | $7,171 Source: Office of Budget and Planning, PDF (Received July 15, 2022, from OBP) |
GSRAs with candidacy status
Tuition charges for GSRAs with candidacy status are not averaged but are charged at the established rates, which vary by school and college. Please see the U-M Office of the Registrar's Tuition Tables for the candidacy cost for each of the school and colleges.
Tuition Fellowship
Project teams should check with their Dean's office to determine if their unit is participating in the tuition fellowship program. Each School or College will determine the level of the tuition fellowship to be provided and the conditions under which such tuition fellowships will be awarded (e.g., appointment level of the GSRA). The resident (in-state) tuition that remains after the fellowship is applied must be included as a charge to the sponsor. Since Schools and Colleges must provide the funds for the tuition fellowships from their annual budget allocations, the Dean's office should verify/approve if the tuition fellowship is to be cost-shared and thus, the level of charges to be included in the sponsor's budget.
Tuition Waiver
As in the past, a GSRA with an appointment of 25% or more will pay no tuition (i.e. 100% tuition waiver).GSRA Health Care Benefits
Health Benefits GradCare Plan
When considering GSRA GradCare benefits, consider that:
- GSRAs with appointments of 25% or greater are eligible for GradCare health care benefits rather than the University staff benefits program.
- A graduate student enrolled in GradCare during a Winter Term and the following Fall Term will also be eligible for coverage during the Summer Term.
- Refer to the U-M human resources and benefits office's GradCare Rates page to find current University cost per month.
- Defer to your school/college/institute for best practices in budgeting for GSRAs.
What is Taxed and Not Taxed?
Information on Salaries, Fellowships, and Tuition Waivers
- Salaries/Stipends/Compensation payments to GSRAs are subject to federal and state income taxes because they are deemed "reasonable compensation" for University work in connection with research or teaching assignments.
- Tuition Waivers are granted as fringe benefits in the form of a non-taxable qualified tuition.
- U-M Human Resources' web pages provide detailed information on the Graduate Student Assistantship Program appointments and other matters of consideration.
References and Resources
Questions?
- If you have a question on the GSRA policies or programs, you will want to consult Human Resources, Rackham Graduate School or more likely the financial aid office of your specific School or College (e.g. Engineering, Medical School, Information).
- If you have a question specifically on GSRA Tuition Rates, please consult the Office of Budget Planning (734) 764-6708
- If you have a question on how the GSRA funding is reflected in a budget for a sponsored project or research proposal you will want to speak with a research administrator in your school or college. You can look up the name of your department contact in the Blue Pages.
- Certain sponsors have limits and requirements. Each year check NIH for its NRSA Training Grant stipend levels.
- If you see an error or have an update for this page, please contact Constance Colthorp, Communications Manager, const@umich.edu, (734) 647-4587