Funding & Employment

This is the primary job type and students will spend most semesters employed in this way.  To be eligible for a GRA position, students must be in good academic standing, be making satisfactory progress, and enroll in a minimum of nine (9) credits during each of the long semesters (fall and spring) and a minimum of three (3) credits during the summer semester. 

• GRAs are 20 hour per week appointments
• Include UT sponsored Insurance options
  • Allows international students to waive purchasing insurance through ISSS via the completion of the international insurance waiver each semester.
• Includes In-state tuition coverage from funding source.
  • Qualifies Out of State students for In-state tuition rates which should be claimed via the completion of the Non-Resident tuition waiver each semester. 

ILS Graduate Programs require that all students be appointed as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for at least one (1) semester by no later than their fourth year. Students will be required to complete this before graduation, but not before admission to candidacy. Program policy states that ILS graduate students may only be appointed as a TA for a total of three (3) semesters during their graduate studies. Exceptions to this rule require advance approval by your program's Graduate Advisor. 

• TA appointments range from 10-20 hours per week
  • TA appointments are not paid at the ILS pay rate and are supplemented by concurrent small GRA appointments or Fellowships
• Include UT sponsored Insurance options
  • Allows international students to waive purchasing insurance through ISSS via the completion of the international insurance waiver each semester.
• Includes In-state tuition coverage from funding source.
  • Qualifies Out of State students for In-state tuition rates which should be claimed via the completion of the Non-Resident tuition waiver each semester. 

ILS Admin staff do not directly control TA assignments, but coordinate with the Biology Instructional Office to make TA assignments for graduate students.  Requests for TA positions must be made by the supervising faculty (not the student) directly to ILS Admin staff. All students must complete a mandatory TA training workshop prior to their first TA appointment.

International Students must pass the ITA (unless exempt) before they will be allowed to be employed as a TA. As all ILS students TA at least once during their time at the university ILS international students will have to take this assesment (unless they are marked as exempt by Texas Global). Passing the ITA is also a requirement for a student to take the ILS Qualifying Exam.

To find out more about the ITA process please review the (ITA) International Teaching Assistants page from Texas Global. Do not schedule your test with this site or you will have to pay the test fee yourself.

• ILS International students who must take the ITA are expected to do so prior to the end of their first year at UT. So long as you do not have a J-hold on your acct, this exam can be taken your first semester. (If you do have a J-hold you will be able to take your ITA in the semester after you pass/complete any required classes.)
• ILS submits the required information to the ITA department for incoming international students. The ITA department will then reach out to you about scheduling your assessment. You must schedule with the link they ITA departments sends you for them to be able to bill ILS for your test.
  • ILSGP will pay for the first ITA assessment each student must take. Should a student need to take more than one assessment, subsequent assessments will be at the student's expense.
• ITA exams are offered by Texas Global at select times each semester. The dates for a given semester can be found on the International Teaching Assistants page from Texas Global. Do not schedule your test with this site or you will have to pay the test fee yourself.
• If you previously had a J-hold that has now been cleared: Please contact ILS Admin to indicate that you are now cleared to take your ITA and they will submit your information to the ITA department for the next round of ITA assessments.

Students who are academically employed for at least 20 hours per week are automatically enrolled in UT Academic SHIP insurance for the time of their employment at no cost for student coverage.  More information about Insurance Benefits information for Academic Employees can also be found via the UT Human Resources website.

Note: If a student is no longer employed 20 hours per week (perhaps because they are on fellowship) they will no longer be enrolled in the automatic insurance and will have to self enroll in voluntary insurance. 

Find out more on the Fellowships page. 

Students employed as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) or Teaching Assistants (TAs) may find information about policies and benefits via the UT Human Resources website.

Academic employment is processed by semester. 

Employment dates for each semester are:

• Fall: August 16th-December 31st
• Spring: January 1st-May 15th
• Summer: May 16th- August 15th