Graduate Assistant Appointment Form (GAAF)

University of Maine Graduate School

 

Important Information about GAAFs:

Students must be registered full time during each semester in which the assistantship begins. This means at least 6 credits for fall or spring and at least 1 credit for summer. (Doctoral candidates and students who have applied for graduation only need 1 credit for any semester.)


Payroll requires all forms to be submitted to them by the 15th of the month, which means that all approvers need to approve prior to that date to allow the Graduate School to process it in time.


Before completing this form:

  1. Use MaineStreet Student Self Service to obtain student data such as gender, program, and residency.
  2. Verify the type of position (TA, RA, GA) with the supervisor or advisor.
  3. Verify chart fields, dates, and stipend are accurate.


Revisions, changing positions, and terminations:

  • If a student is switching positions, please fill out a "Reappointment" form.
  • To revise a form that has already been processed by the Graduate School, or to end an appointment early, please use the Revision Form.
  • You can use Smartsheet to revise a form that has not yet been processed by the Graduate School.


Batch upload:

If you are submitting multiple appointments and are familiar with the GAAF, feel free to use this Batch Upload sheet instead of the form. Once completed, email to Allyson Davis (allyson.davis@maine.edu).


Please note: This form cannot be saved and returned to later.

 
 
 
 
 
  • New: has not worked in UMS within the last 12 months
  • Reappointment: has worked in UMS within the last 12 months
  • Revisions and separations are no longer submitted via this form (see note at the top of this page)
  • If a student is switching positions, please fill out a form as a "Reappointment."
 
 

Student Information

 
 
 
 

Provide the @maine.edu email address so that the student will receive the necessary notifications. If the email address is unknown, utilize MaineStreet for the correct address.

 

Obtain student residency from MaineStreet (or student) whether they are domestic or international.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stipend Information

 

HR code where the student is working. Open this link in a new tab to avoid losing your work: HR codes

 

Your department's number for this specific position- now required by Payroll: HR Dept list with Position Numbers

 

Stipend Description

 

If the appointment start date or end date is in the middle of the month, that month's stipend will automatically be prorated.


The total stipend (Goal Amount) will be calculated based on the monthly amount, "First working day" and the "End Date" entered below.


The total stipend may be viewed in the Dynamic Views and will be included in emailed notifications. Note that the Goal Amount is view only; to update the Goal, you must update the start date, stop date and/or monthly amount.


Payments will be processed in accordance with the monthly payroll schedule. Missed payments caused by late submissions will be paid in the next regular pay cycle.


The standard minimum monthly stipend is currently $2,222.22 for Doctoral students (about $20,000 per AY) and $1,888.89 for Master's students (about $17,000 per AY).

 

Use the first day of the month for the full monthly stipend to be paid; otherwise, the monthly amount will be prorated based on the number of business days worked in the month.

 
mm/dd/yyyy
 

Use the last day of the month for the full monthly stipend to be paid; otherwise, the monthly amount will be prorated based on the number of business days worked in the month.


NOTE: Appointments cannot span more than one academic year. For example, 9/1/22-8/31/23 is acceptable, but 1/1/23-12/31/23 is not. If needed, please submit a second appointment form for the new academic year.

 
mm/dd/yyyy
 
  • TA or teaching assistants are those whose primary responsibilities are teaching.
  • RA or research assistants are those whose primary responsibilities are performing research.
  • GA or graduate assistants are those whose primary responsibilities are providing other support (not including teaching or research).
 

Use Note fields for important information that the Graduate School or Payroll need to know regarding this assistantship.

 
 

Stipend Earnings Distribution

 
 
 

Insurance Coverage

INSURANCE is required for all full-time students on an assistantship.

  • If student needs UM insurance plan, provide % and chartfield information.
  • Students must monitor their UMS email for instructions on how to waive or enroll in insurance.


The amount you input here will apply to the full year of health insurance unless you specify otherwise.

 
 

Use this field for important information that the Graduate School or Bursar's Office needs to know regarding insurance coverage.

 
 
 

Tuition Coverage

Typical assistantships provide tuition coverage up to 9 credits in Fall, 9 credits in Spring, and 6 credits in Summer.


If you are covering the student's fees, this must be done via the Award Credit form.

 
 
 

Use this field for information that the Graduate School or Bursar's office need to know regarding tuition coverage.

 
 

Approvals

Enter @maine.edu email addresses of approvers and confirm valid email addresses prior to submitting the form. It is not required to enter four approvers.


You do not need to add the Grad School as they (Allyson Davis) will receive a separate approval request after all of the approvers entered below have approved.

 
 
 
 
 

Upload the students award letter or other communication here

Drop your files here
 

Submission

Payroll requires all forms to be submitted by the 15th of the month, which means that all approvers need to approve prior to that date to allow the Graduate School to process it in time.