Graduate Studies | Finances | Teaching and Research Assistantships | UNB

Graduate student assistantships and awards

You may be eligible, apply or be hired for a variety of graduate assistantships or awards.

The details of individual awards and assistantships can vary by program, so it is best to contact your program or research supervisor regarding these opportunities.

Awards

Funding in the form of an award or scholarship is classified into one of two categories:

Graduate Academic Award (GAA)

  • A GAA award is a scholarship to support students in their program of study
  • Normally limited to full-time students
  • The funds derive from a variety of sources, including external agencies (e.g., NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) and research grants and/or contracts to faculty members 

Graduate Research Award (GRA)

  • A GRA award is a scholarship to support students in their program of study  
  • Only full-time students are eligible
  • GRA awards are made by the GAU from their own budget

*Payment to students for either of these categories of awards should be initiated using the relevant section of the GRA/GAA payment form. Completed forms should be forwarded to the Office of Research Services IF the funds are coming from an external faculty grant (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR); otherwise, forms should be forwarded to Financial Services. Please refer to the cut-off dates generated by Human Resources to ensure payment forms are submitted with ample time for processing.

Graduate students receiving Graduate Academic Assistantship (GAA) or Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) receive these funds on a bi-weekly basis via the payroll system. Students can arrange to have their tuition and fees deducted bi-weekly from this funding by completing the fee deduction authorization form and submitting to Financial Services at gradfees@unb.ca. Registration for the term applicable must be in place to be eligible, and students who choose not to pay their fees bi-weekly with this funding must pay their term fees in full before the GRA and or GAA funding can be processed.

Employment

Funding in the form of pay for work completed as a teaching assistant or research assistant may be available to graduate students. Graduate student employment is governed by the Collective Agreement between the University of New Brunswick and the PSAC-UGSW.

Graduate Student Teaching Assistantship (GSTA)

  • Employment is for completion of teaching activities as specified by the hiring GAU/ Employment Supervisor using an Appendix B1 form
  • Both full-time students and part-time students are eligible
  • GSTA funds are allocated by the hiring GAU

Graduate Student Research Assistantship (GSRA)

  • Employment is for completion of research activities as specified by the Employment Supervisor using an Appendix B2 form
  • Both full-time students and part-time students are eligible
  • GSRA funds typically come from research grants and/or contracts to faculty members

*Payment to students for either of these categories should be initiated using the relevant section of GSTA/GSRA payment form and forwarded to the School of Graduate Studies.

Note: A student may receive funding from a combination of these sources at any one time.

Graduate students receiving Graduate Academic Assistantship (GAA) or Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) receive these funds on a bi-weekly basis via the payroll system. Students can arrange to have their tuition and fees deducted bi-weekly from this funding by completing the fee deduction authorization form and submitting to Financial Services at gradfees@unb.ca. Registration for the term applicable must be in place to be eligible, and students who choose not to pay their fees bi-weekly with this funding must pay their term fees in full before the GRA and or GAA funding can be processed.

Questions around forms? Contact the Human Resources Office.