Graduate Assistantships

Your assistantship and GSSP benefits are separate entities, though many people use the terms interchangeably: 

• Assistantship - comes from the Department you work for; the work you do and the stipend that is paid to you.

• GSSP Benefits - come from the Graduate School; eligible students are granted tuition coverage and health insurance.

It's important to note that while an assistantship is a requirement for GSSP eligibility, not all students with an assistantship are GSSP-eligible. 

If you have questions about your assistantship, you can contact the Department that the assistantship is under (typically this will be the Master of Public Administration program, but not always). The Graduate School's GSSP page is a resource you will want to bookmark. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the GSSP eligibility requirements for the semesters you have an assistantship.

REMINDER: Your assistantship and your GSSP benefits do not cover your semesterly student fees. Those will need to be paid by you each semester you are enrolled. You can see the student fee breakdown here.

Fall-to-Spring assistantship assignments are entered in late-June/early-July. You will be emailed the Terms and Conditions (T&C) contract to sign when the assistantship assignment nears the end of the HR process. Once the assistantship is fully approved (you'll know because you will be prompted via email to complete Section 1 of your I-9 paperwork), and you've met the other requirements for GSSP eligibility, the Graduate School will transfer funds into your student account to cover tuition costs. Keep in mind that the HR process is lengthy and, depending on when you were admitted and registered for classes, there may be a time where you have a bill for tuition due. Again, don't fret; as soon as your assistantship is approved and you've met the other GSSP requirements, those funds will be transferred. 

IMPORTANT: While you will fill out Section 1 of your I-9 paperwork electronically, you must complete the rest of your I-9 no later than 48 hours after your employment start date. Please read through the acceptable required documents and make sure to bring all required documentation to Raleigh. 

Once your paperwork has been processed, a new section will appear in your MyPack Portal. "Employee Self Service" is an area of MyPack Portal that only employees can access. Once this appears, you will need to set up your direct deposit, tax withholding, and agree to the ISA form. 

International Students must check in with the Office of International Services (OIS) and meet with the International Taxation Office before they can receive their first paycheck or any scholarship award. 

GSSP-eligible graduate students are awarded RA-TA Health Insurance as part of their GSSP Benefits package. You can either accept or deny this coverage:

YES I want to use the RA-TA Health Insurance Plan

The Graduate School's GSSP Health Insurance page is your new best friend; use the links on their page to access information about your health insurance benefits, how to set up Blue Connect, dependent enrollment, and coverage start and end dates.

The vast majority of our assistantships will begin in the Fall semester and continue until the end of the Spring semester. While GSSP benefits do not cover Summer classes, Spring-semester health insurance continues until July 31.

What you need to waive: You will still receive emails from Blue Cross asking you to waive out of the University Mandatory Plan (also known as the Student Health Insurance Plan). The University Mandatory Plan is for students ineligible for GSSP who do not have other health insurance coverage. All students are required to either enroll in the University Mandatory Plan or submit documentation showing they have health insurance. The Graduate School will submit a list of students on the RA-TA plan to Blue Cross, but this typically does not happen until after census day. If you have your RA-TA health insurance card and want to be proactive, you can submit a waiver for the University Mandatory Plan through Student Blue. If you forget, though, the Graduate School will eventually do this for you. Keep in mind that students are required to submit this waiver each Fall and Spring semester, so don't be alarmed if you keep getting reminders from Blue Cross.

NO I already have health insurance and do not want the RA-TA Health Insurance Plan

If you already have health insurance, you will need to waive/decline the RA-TA Health Insurance plan as well as the University Mandatory Plan (see how below). If you change your mind or you lose your coverage, you can submit a Coverage Modification Request to withdraw your waiver of the RA-TA plan.

What you need to waive: First, you must submit the Request Form to Decline Health Insurance Coverage on NC State RA-TA Plan. Then, you will need to waive out of the University Mandatory Plan (also known as the Student Health Insurance Plan) by submitting proof of your insurance coverage. You can do this by visiting the Student Blue page. You will be required to waive out of the University Mandatory Plan each Fall and Spring semester.