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Checklist

Teaching Assistantship Offer Checklist

Check a graduate assistantship offer for duties, hours, pay, tuition, fees, insurance and renewal terms before you accept.

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Who it helps

Prospective and current graduate students reviewing a teaching assistantship offer who want to confirm every important term in writing before they accept.

How to use it

  1. Open your offer letter next to this checklist.
  2. Tick each item once you’ve found it in writing, and use the note field to record what the letter says, such as the stipend amount or the months covered.
  3. Anything you can’t tick is a question. Add it to “Questions to ask the department”, and record the answers with dates.
  4. Check with the right office for tax, visa and union questions. The second section lists which office usually handles each.
  5. Download or print the completed checklist before you reply to the offer.

For more on what assistantships involve and how to read an offer, see our pillar on teaching assistantships, teaching vs research assistantships and scholarship vs fellowship vs assistantship.

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Confirm in your offer letter

Tick each item once you have found the answer in writing, and note what it says.

Check with the right office

Questions and answers

Prefer paper or a spreadsheet?

Download a blank copy. No sign-up or email needed.

Limitations

  • Assistantship terms are set by each university and department, and sometimes by a collective bargaining agreement. This checklist doesn't tell you what your terms should be; it helps you find out what they are.
  • Tax, visa and employment questions need answers from the right office or a qualified professional. Nothing here is tax, legal or immigration advice.
  • Entries are saved only in this browser on this device.

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