The UA will increase graduate teaching and research assistants' tuition waivers from 60 percent to 70 percent next year, although the figure is 10 percent less than administrators had originally expected.
President Peter Likins said because of budget constraints, the university could not grant an 80 percent tuition waiver to graduate assistants and opted to slow the rate at which the UA reaches full tuition remission.
Tuition remission and health insurance funding for graduate research assistants come from Employee Related Expenses, which will raise 33 percent of the student's salary next year.
Since the money comes from research grants obtained by faculty sponsors, Likins said administrators choose to relieve some of the cost for faculty members who employ graduate students.
Dick Roberts, UA budget director, said 80 percent was "too big a bite" for the university to absorb in additional costs.
However, by increasing the tuition waiver by 10 percent each year, Likins said he hopes to reach full tuition remission for graduate assistants by fall 2008.
Amanda Brobbel, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, said while the full tuition remission remains a priority, she understands the 80 percent waiver was not conceivable in the face of this year's budget reallocations.
"Certainly not going to 80 percent is a disappointment, but people are pretty realistic that it couldn't happen this year," Brobbel said.
Regardless of their residency, all graduate assistants now receive a 60 percent waiver on the residential graduate tuition of $4,337.
Still, the increased tuition waiver will make the UA more competitive against other universities when trying to attract the highest quality of graduate students, Brobbel said.
Twelve of the UA's 15 peer institutions already offer full tuition waivers to graduate assistants, Brobbel said.
Paul Thorn, a philosophy graduate teaching assistant, said although the president chose to use university resources elsewhere, he believes Likins recognizes the need for graduate compensation.
"I say this because the 70 percent remission rate is much higher than some of the proposals that were presented to university governance and administration in the fall," Thorn said.
Anne Padias, director of academic services for chemistry and supervisor of organic chemistry laboratories, said graduate assistants are "the cream of the crop," and an essential part of the UA. Not only do they conduct research, but they also instruct classes.
About 75 graduate TAs in the chemistry department teach 3,000 students in lab courses, Padias said.
"They each teach two labs and have assigned hours in the tutor room, along with weekly staff meetings," Padias said. "The remainder of their duties include preparation for teaching, grading lab reports, administering exams and quizzes and grading for the big lecture classes."
Graduate teaching and research assistants have the option of working half- or quarter-time, with a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week at quarter-time. On top of the tuition waiver, graduate assistants receive stipends, which range from $8,300 to $19,000 if employed during the academic year, Brobbel said.
However, Brobbel said the stipend raises two concerns: Graduate students generally end up working more than 20 hours a week, and the pay is over a 10-month period, forcing students to take out more loans for the summer.
Nonetheless, the 70 percent tuition remission is a step in the right direction to help offset those costs.
"We know that a 100 percent waiver is coming," Brobbel said. "Everyone is pleased they are going forward with this."