Graduate Assistantships Policy

Graduate students are a vital part of the education system here at Northern Illinois, and categorizing them as non-faculty is insulting when considering the value they provide. With graduate students, many lecture and lab sections would be nearly impossible to function properly in a system with out existing vacancies let alone the current shortage of faculty we are experiencing currently.

- Robert

Before changing the policy to say a 10 hour GAship only qualifies for a 50% reduction in tuition, a review should be conducted of which programs offer 10 hour GAships and what the consequences will be for those programs. In addition, a review should be conducted of ongoing grants where 10 hour GAships are included in current funding and where the tuition waivers were offered as grant matching funding. Grants with such funding promised should be "grandfathered" so that the positions are not lost. I know the university thinks that students will still come and will pay the additional 50% of the tuition. But I think it is much more likely that students will just not come without the tuition waivers and some programs will be put at risk, and some grants will look less competitive for external funding.

- Judy Ledgerwood

As we are not certain what budget cuts might be made to Graduate Program budgets in upcoming years, the change to tuition waivers (50% tuition waivers for 10 hour positions) seems poorly timed. Programs may get smaller GA budgets, forcing them to divide GA lines in order to recruit enough students to maintain viable programs. At the same time, 50% waivers will make it harder for students to accept those 10 hour positions, given the financial costs of waivers and fees.

- Leila Porter

As Department Graduate Assistantship budgets shrink, programs may need to cut 20 hour positions in half in order to recruit enough students to keep their graduate programs running. However, if 10 hour positions only come with 50% waivers, students may not be able to afford to come to NIU. Serious evaluation of the repercussions of this change on graduate enrollment should be done before implementation.

- Leila Porter

I think there will be a lot of negative effects if tuition waivers are prorated to the percentage of appointment. Instead of saving money, I think it is more likely that students will just not come, causing an overall greater loss to the university.

- Karen Samonds

I wanted to make a comment concerning the new proposed policy about graduate assistantships and the tuition fee waiver. I must say I am very disappointed and rather appalled at the proposition of no. Of hours employed judging the percentage of the waiver. I am a graduate student in the electrical engineering department and I have been employed as a research assistant with the department for the past two semesters. My employment hours are restricted to 10/week because that is what the funding allowed, the funds for the research project. My work load goes far beyond the 10 hours designated, but I accept that as part of my development as a professional and to give back to the department and the university that has given me plenty. With the waiver being significantly high, it was completely fine for me to accept the hours and get paid just as much as I can. With this new proposition, this doesn't just effect me, but my team and my professor who's been working hard to get the project done. I don't think I can recommend any new suggestions for the current policy but I strongly recommend against the new proposal and I hope you consider this seeing my situation and my fellow peers who are under similar circumstances as well.

- Aazim Khan

Graduate students are a key component of the success in our program (Biology). The current flexibility of appointments with full tuition waivers is an inclusive practice that helps the most students, many of whom may not be able to continue their graduate work if the tuition waivers are prorated to the percentage of appointment. The proposed change is an exclusionary practice. Instead of saving money, I think it is more likely that students will just not come, causing an overall greater loss to the university.

 - Heather Bergan-Roller

This policy will have hugely detrimental impacts on our ability to recruit excellent students, maintain our research productivity, and weather what seems to be a coming budget storm. The way to increase revenue is not to do so on the backs of the most vulnerable and lowest paid among us (graduate students). Moreover, it won't raise revenue - it will prevent great students from choosing NIU. This will also reduce the flexibility departments have to recruit students appropriately and to their needs. Finding ways to squeeze funds from graduate students is an alarming new trend in the graduate school's policies (tuition waivers are getting harder and harder to receive, despite them being a critical recruitment tool for many research-active labs) - one that puts the budget burden on the wrong university constituents. I really hope this policy is reconsidered.

- Holly Jones

I am deeply concerned at the proposed policy that prorates tuition waivers by percentage of appointment. Given that many departments are facing cuts in order to continue enrolling the same number of students, there will likely be an increase in students who are 10 hour TAs or RAs. Without a full tuition waiver, NIU's programs will not be competitive to recruit graduate students. Graduate students will be significantly negatively impacted by this increased financial burden when the fees students pay are already significant for many students. This change in policy, in my opinion, will result in lower enrollment of graduate students in NIU's programs, leading to an insufficient number of TAs and RAs to conduct the vital work of this university. Without graduate students, this university will not be able to offer critical courses and conduct research. This will result in the university losing out on money from reduced graduate enrollment, as well as from the resulting staffing needs created by insufficient TAs.

- Erin Rowland-Schaefer

Graduate school costs are already a barrier to many seeking further education, especially first generation and marginalized group students. These students contribute untold and underappreciated value to the university by teaching and mentoring other students, and creating research output and real-world impact, to name just some. Reducing tuition support based on FTE will make costs even more of a barrier for these students. Enacting a policy that will disproportionately affect these students will hinder the university from "confronting racism and all forms of discrimination" and "doing the hard work necessary to address systemic inequities and foster a more inclusive campus culture". I would also like to agree with other people who have already said that this will make prospective students simply not come to the university, which will in the long run be more damaging for NIU.

- Katharine Hogan

The proposed change to prorate tuition waivers to the percentage of employment would cause significant and wide ripple effects, and I have not seen evidence that these broad impacts have been properly considered. Because of departmental budget constraints and grant limitations, 50-75% GA appointments are an important tool for many on campus. Suddenly making these appointments significantly more expensive for students would make it harder for students to accept such positions, could reduce overall enrollment in programs, could lower our competitiveness for external grants, and could disproportionately impact certain departments on campus (such as social sciences and humanities departments that have fewer opportunities for external grant funding of graduate RAs). Our current approach to graduate support is an important part of NIU's mission to make education accessible, including to low-income and non-traditional students. Making this policy change is likely to disproportionately affect these students. Given so many unknown and potentially very negative impacts, I urge that this policy proposal be tabled.

- Emily McKee

I believe more rigorous analysis is needed regarding the implications of the change to the pro-rated tuition waiver. The consequences of this policy likely differ from program to program. Requiring a student with half of a stipend to pay half-tuition is likely to result in many more cases of the student rejecting the offer than of the student paying tuition. This might also make it more difficult for faculty to cover graduate students through external funding, resulting in a greater rather than reduced financial burden on the University. The language also appears to preclude the possibility of offering a student a tuition waiver with no stipend: a package that might actually be more attractive to the student than a 50% offer and less costly to the University.

- Ches Thurber

Departments with limited funding who use 10 hr GAships to recruit/retain students will be negatively impacted by this change, as students likely won't be able to attend NIU with only a partial reduction in tuition and the limited funds of a 10-hr assistantship. I know the institution is concerned about enrollment; this change will likely have a negative impact on enrollment.

- Gudrun Nyunt

I have hired and trained dozens of graduate assistants in the six years I have been a faculty member at NIU, nearly all of whom have worked 10-hour positions. The work these students do and the positive impact they have on the lives of NIU undergraduate students is incalculable. Many have won teaching awards, written letters of recommendation, and supported grieving students. Their work as GAs directly supports their professional development as future professional counselors, clinical supervisors, and faculty members. The proposal to link tuition waiver percentage to percentage of FTE will have a negative impact on my program’s ability to attract and enroll prospective graduate students, particularly at the doctoral level. The number of 20-hour GA positions in my department is exceedingly small. Ten-hour positions are the norm. We have already been struggling to compete with the growing number of graduate programs in Chicago and the suburbs where students have a wider array of employment opportunities. The inability to extend a full tuition waiver to our 10-hour GAs will make it even harder for us to attract a large and diverse cohort to our DeKalb based program each year. Switching our 10-hour positions to 20-hour positions and hiring fewer GAs is not a feasible solution for the nature of the positions that we hire and train for. Graduate Assistants are learners and should be supported as learners through a full tuition waiver. The strongest programs in my field offer competitive pay and full tuition waivers to graduate assistants. Offering a 50% tuition waiver to many of our prospective students will make it harder for my program to distinguish itself as a top-tier program in the region.

- Melissa Fickling

I strongly disagree with the pro-rating of tuition waivers. The smaller graduate programs that have traditionally used half or three-quarters assistantships are already small, vulnerable programs that have few lines to begin with. I agree with the other commenters that this change won't benefit NIU by "forcing" those students to pay partial tuition. Instead, I think we will lose those students to other institutions and these graduate programs will suffer. Declining enrollments will hurt NIU. It feels like a cash grab targeting those at the very bottom to make a very minor shift in NIU's bottom line.

- Mitchell Irwin

This is shameful. Graduate students work very hard as TAs and RAs and barely make enough to live with the stipend we are provided. We live below the poverty line, many of us dealing with food insecurity and having to get food stamps, and now you are expecting those limited to 10 hour GAships to pay more tuition. Most universities in the country provide full tuition waivers for graduate students and they do not have to pay any type of fees. This policy should not be approved and will be detrimental to student retention and recruitment.

- Chloé Gherardi

I am a currently a grad student at NIU. If I were a grad student deciding whether to come to NIU and this policy was put into place, I would go elsewhere. Full tuition waivers are critical to grad students and dropping to half tuition waivers will not only lose grad students but have a negative chain reaction throughout the university causing harsh repercussions.

- Maire

A big reason I chose to go to NIU was the tuition waiver that came along with my GA. A reduction to only cover 50% may deter a lot of students from the program when other schools are offering higher tuition waivers. This would impact my program greatly when we are already suffering from budget cuts and have less GA's than previous years.

- Emilee

A big part of what makes NIU Graduate Programs more competitive among others is their assistantships and associated full tuition waivers. In the end, regardless of faculty fit, the major, game-changing recruiting factor for students like myself to NIU has been how my assistantship brought with it the full tuition waiver. More than likely, students offered a 10 hour assistantship--whether for recruitment or retainment--with these changes would be further incentivized not to take it, causing rippling effects seen within and across departments. Additionally, these waivers as-they-are aid in recruiting a diverse group of graduates from all backgrounds. Not only would recruitment suffer, impacting smaller departments especially, but lectures and lab sections would as well without the necessary amount of graduate workers. A policy needs to be consistent for all graduate workers, as all are key to a department's successful functioning. This proposed policy will only ensure greater cost.

- Casey Farmer

Full tuition waiver to all GAs regardless of their working hours will be very helpful. Students will perform better in class and also help their mental health. Please kindly review this policy. This will be too much of a burden for students.

- Mariam Mutiu-Adebayo

One unacceptable implication of this policy is its potential for misuse, abuse, or retaliation. GAs could potentially be lowered in their hours between semesters. Contracts going forward would need to ensure no reductions in hours for any reason, including not for the purposes of disciplinary measures. If GA's move to DeKalb, Illinois for the purposes of a promise GAship which later is reduced in value to their surprise, NIU's reputation will tank and the school will soon begin to fail to attract new GA's.

- Daniel Cappell

Graduate assistants can hardly afford the cost of living and noninstructional tuition as it is. Cutting tuition coverage will only make it more difficult for us to complete our degrees and afford food and housing. NIU's assistantship compensation is already generally on the lower end of comparable graduate assistantships. How does the university expect to recruit and retain the graduate assistants who are integral to the educational and research programs?

- Hannah

As a graduate student with a TA position currently and who intends to have a GA position next year, I find this policy change to be insulting. I also think timing of this policy change proposal to be disrespectful and suspicious, as well as the shortened not actually 30-day comment period. For many of those with GA positions the 10-hour/15-hour offers are not the choice of the graduate student, but a result of their departments need to offer positions to as many graduate students that want to have GA position. A major aspect of our choice to still take a 10-hour position is with the understanding that the lower stipend with still lead to a full tuition waiver. A reduction in the tuition waiver will not only effect my ability to afford to be at NIU but also have a negative effect on NIU's graduate student numbers overall. Higher education institutions like NIU cannot run without graduate students filling GA positions, a policy change like this will inevitably have negative effects in both the short and long-term.

- Meghan Hanson

Aside from timing issues of the commenting period, this is just poorly constructed. Personally, since the tuition waivers only cover the fees from the department program and not even the full fees from the Bursar’s office AND many of us are required to enroll in the health insurance, the bit of waiver we are given helps a lot. Not to sound unacademic, but this seems like a way for NIU to exploit a largely impoverished and underpaid group of people for cheap labor. Many of us provide foundational teaching to NIU’s undergraduate population while maintaining part-time jobs on top of our own coursework. When it comes down to it, NIU does not pay graduate assistants enough of a livable wage to warrant this kind of sneaky and manipulative maneuver. Honestly, I worry about the future of current and future graduate assistants if NIU continues to treat us like servants.

- Angela

Pro-rated tuition waivers are a dangerous idea for many reasons. As GAs don’t typically have control over what assistantships they’re assigned or what number of hours they’ve been budgeted, you’re asking prospective students to stand on faith that they’ll be afforded a position that actually waives tuition (and even if they are, who knows if they will in subsequent years). Current students who rely on the complete waiver but are only granted 10 or 15hrs WILL suffer financial hardship because of this (or at least those of us who aren’t lucky enough to have a family with money, which is an ethical issue itself).

- Jared Wilson

This seems like a poorly timed decision when we are actively trying to build diverse student representation within our departments. Increasing tuition impacts students experiencing financial instability the greatest and will limit the appeal of NIU and potentially impact graduate retention rates.

- R

This is my first time I will work as a graduate assistantship starting in January 2024 for one spring semester. As I am planning to graduate, it would be really helpful if I could receive a full waiver of tuition. It is hard for me to pay.

- Kawthar Alfarhan

Graduate Assistants are already paid a dismal rate, which is explained because NIU covers the tuition. It is already not a liveable stipend as most cannot afford to pay rent by themselves on that position alone as rent has now climbed to almost $2,000 a month in most places for a one bedroom. Also a lot of Graduate assistants are parents who have to provide for their families and without the childcare grant offered from the CDFC some might have to bring their children to teach their classes as this already does not afford childcare. A lot have to take out loans just to cover the fees we have to pay and now this? Also considering some GTAs teach courses by themselves and have to grade, plan, lecture, everything they work way more than the allotted 20 hours anyway. And do so so that their students are given a great education. A lot of required courses are taught by the GTAs they are essential and vital to this campus and should not have anything taken away from them as they are already not paid enough to live.

- Rachel

Graduate students are an integral part of NIU and they contribute immensely to ensure works are adequately done. Changing the policy of 10 hour GA to 50% tuition waiver will not only be discouraging to students who are expected to have a full tuition waiver but also discourage students from attending NIU. This will also affect staff and faculty members who rely on GAs to reduce the workload and ensure work is done promptly. Universities need to attract students from diverse backgrounds and NIU cannot deny how invaluable international students have been to the University. They contribute immensely and one of the main attraction is having a GA. I would implore and appeal to NIU to review this policy critically and ensure that students with 10 hour GA should be entitled to tuition waiver, likewise students with 15 hour GA. This will ensure there is equity and fairness and more students will attend NIU. I also believe that NIU can have a policy that should focus on multiplying stipends to make lives easier for students. Please be compassionate in making this vital decision.

- Tola

Prorating tuition waivers is going to make grad assistant recruitment much more difficult. Stipends are already prorated based on hours contracted. Who is going to accept a 10 hour GAship if they are not even breaking even with the proposed reduced instructional charge waiver? When you have doc students around for multiple years and you're relying on their work to keep the university functioning, especially during a period of reduced faculty campuswide, this seems to communicate that grad students are not wanted. I understand needing to make adjustments for the budget, but you are also seeking to pass a policy that will pay for travel insurance for certain university-designated people. This comes across as you being willing to protect your higher-ups but not look out for your grad students who, at the moment, you need in order for this university to continue to function as number of faculty is way down. I agree with the commenter that suggested conducting a review of which programs offer 10 hour GAships may be constructive for helping you make decisions that will keep the university functioning while also having some level of sustainability for your grad assistants who, at the moment, are already working with way less in terms of resources than any other employment group on campus. Why take even more away from them? Again, this is not helpful for future grad student recruitment to NIU. To be transparent for a moment, the full instructional charge waiver was why I personally kept coming back to NIU in my degree program considerations. This is more of a draw for bringing in new grad students than you think it is and making this change would be a big mistake. In terms of equitability, which you claim is a university value, reducing the waiver will make graduate studies much more difficult if not impossible to access for certain demographics of people, which will over time cause the graduate student population to skew more homogenous and less diverse. That would be a real shame.

- Christopher

Has any data been collected to determine the ripple effects of cutting the tuition waiver, data from both students and departments? How was this decision made if no data was collected on the impact? With budget cuts and the low application numbers, a policy change like this could significantly hurt many programs.

- Nancy Prange

Offering graduate students a reduced tuition stipend is a poor way to recruit, retain, and diversify the graduate talent pool. This is not the direction that NIU should be going, given its mission, vision, and values. Cut costs elsewhere.

- Melissa Adams-Campbell

I believe certain aspects of the policy may inadvertently discourage prospective students from attending and negatively impact departments with already limited graduate student enrollment.

One of my primary concerns is the financial strain placed on graduate assistants. Despite the invaluable contributions they make to the university, many graduate students find themselves living paycheck to paycheck. The stipends provided, although helpful, often do not suffice to meet their basic needs. This situation is further exacerbated by the fact that NIU is located in a region characterized as a food desert, intensifying the challenges of food insecurity faced by our students.

The policy, as it stands, may deter potential graduate students from joining NIU, especially those who are already grappling with financial constraints. Departments that rely heavily on graduate assistants but do not have a large pool of students may find themselves particularly impacted. The reduced number of graduate students can lead to a decrease in the diversity of thought and research, ultimately affecting the quality of education and research output.

- Edgar Villeda

Hello. As you say, graduate students are vital to the education system. Therefore, they are needed. I believe that the assistantship is an important part of higher education; as you know, most students are full-time, so it is hard to do two jobs. Thus, most graduate assistants count mainly on the money they receive from the school for their livelihood, and adding more financial requirements will impact their life and study. I think most of GA want to do full-time assistantships, but they do not decide if they are offered part-time or full-time positions. I highly recommend reconsidering this measure.

- Nader

It is understandable that NIU is struggling with funding, but the proposed changes to the tuition waiver (ie 20hr GAs receive full waiver, 10hr GAs receive half waiver, etc) are going to hurt the university in the long run. Graduate students rely on GA positions because of the help that the full tuition waiver provides, especially those that hold other positions while attending either full or part time classes.

Placing even more financial burden on your graduate students, whom you rely so heavily upon, is bound to lead to burnout and attrition which will hurt the university.

I urge you to treat GAs with the respect they deserve and to understand the dedication they give you, whether they work 20 hours, 15 hours, or 10 hours. GAs are the backbone of most offices on campus and taking away a reason for them to work is, frankly, despicable.

- Silas Gallagher

After the graduate school has been seeking out our opinions and experiences by creating specific committees to do so, this policy comes as a sobering reminder that graduate students are considered cheap labor for the school to exploit. This policy allows for the school to hire more workers for even less money to further exploit our labor. We've been quite vocal about the fact that we are struggling to even pay our rent and feed ourselves, and this is the graduate school's response - to make access to a livable wage even more difficult while pursuing a full-time degree.

- Hayley

Thanks to the initiators of this revised policy. Nevertheless, I am writing to express my deep concern regarding this policy on graduate assistant tuition waivers. As a current graduate student and recipient of the in-state rate of tuition which is 100% instructional charge waiver, I strongly advocate for maintaining the status quo for several crucial reasons.

First, the revised policy poses significant financial challenges for graduate assistants, impacting our ability to cover essential expenses beyond tuition. Even with the current full-time appointment stipend, many of us struggle to meet health insurance costs and other fees not covered by the tuition waiver. Moreover, we bear responsibilities such as rent, utilities, groceries, and personal essentials, which the stipend cannot adequately address.

Furthermore, as F1 students, we are constrained by regulations limiting our work to 20 hours per week within the campus. This restriction leaves us reliant solely on the stipend for our livelihood. Our commitment as graduate assistants go beyond mere work hours; we contribute substantially to the university's mission through teaching, research, and service.

Considering the invaluable contributions we make to the university's educational and research endeavors, maintaining the 100% tuition waiver aligns with recognizing the unique responsibilities and financial constraints we face as graduate assistants.

I respectfully urge reconsideration of the revised policy in favor of maintaining the existing 100% instructional charge waiver for graduate assistants. This adjustment will not only alleviate financial burdens but also acknowledge and honor the pivotal role graduate assistants play in advancing the university's mission.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am eager to engage in further discussion to ensure the best possible support for graduate assistants at Northern Illinois University.

- Stanley

Please issue full tuition waivers to graduate students with 10 hour positions, rather than 50% waivers. I think 50% tuition waivers would incentive them to go work at other schools instead.

- Mark Broderius

Following from Judy's and Leila's comments, the tuition remission currently offered by 10-hour GTAships may be one of the few ways in which students in those programs can afford, not only to attend NIU at all, but to hold those GTAships. If students had to make more money to pay for more tuition, they wouldn't be able to afford to take on the work a 10-hour position entails: it's just not financially feasible even if the students still wanted to enroll in those programs. If students can't afford to hold part-time positions, then the positions could go unfilled and the programs as a whole would suffer from that work not getting done. This policy change could detrimentally affect students, programs, and the university as a whole: I agree with Judy and Leila that serious evaluation of the consequences needs to be done before implementing any change.

- Alexandra Bennett

Thank you for initiating a revised policy of 10 hours 50% of instructional charge and 15 hours 75% of instructional charge for graduate assistants appointed by the university. However, I am totally not in support of this revised policy and as such, I’m writing to express my deep concern about it. As a current graduate student and recipient of the in-state rate of tuition which is currently 100% instructional charge waiver, I strongly advocate for maintaining the status quo for several crucial reasons.

First, the revised policy poses significant financial challenges for graduate assistants, impacting our ability to cover essential expenses beyond tuition. Even with the current full-time appointment stipend, many of us struggle to meet health insurance costs and other fees not covered by the partial tuition waiver. Moreover, we bear responsibilities such as rent, utilities, groceries, and personal essentials, which the stipend cannot adequately address.

Furthermore, as F1 students, we are constrained by regulations limiting our work to 20 hours per week within the campus. This restriction leaves us reliant solely on the stipend for our livelihood. Our commitment as graduate assistants go beyond mere work hours; we contribute substantially to the university's mission through teaching, research, and service.

Considering the invaluable contributions we make to the university's educational and research endeavors, maintaining the 100% tuition waiver aligns with recognizing the unique responsibilities and financial constraints we face as graduate assistants.

I respectfully urge reconsideration of the revised policy in favor of maintaining the existing 100% instructional charge waiver for graduate assistants. This adjustment will not only alleviate financial burdens but also acknowledge and honor the pivotal role graduate assistants play in advancing the university's mission.

I am eager to engage in further discussion to ensure the best possible support for graduate assistants at Northern Illinois University.

- Stanley Peter

Hello,

My name is Paige Scoma, and I will be an incoming doctoral student in the college of counseling and higher education next year. Currently, I am a master's student in clinical mental health counseling. I currently hold a 10-hour graduate assistantship while working full time as a rural community mental health practitioner. Without this assistantship, I would not have been able to afford to attend graduate school.

As a doctoral student, many of the assistantships given are 10-hour teaching assistantships. With this proposed change, we would only be able to receive half of our tuition covered. If this proposed change goes into effect, I will not be able to afford continuing my education. I have a family and a home, and I was counting on an assistantship in order to continue to afford my tuition. I am extremely disappointed in this proposed change, as it will affect many individuals who are continuing their education in hopes of bettering our communities. These policies hurt students which in turn hurts NIU. I hope that you will all consider keeping the policy as it stands and continuing to offer full tuition waivers to all students who hold assistantships.

Thank you.

- Paige Scoma

Northern Illinois University's current policy on GA tuition waivers is why I am at this school. I know first hand what it is like to weigh variables when choosing a graduate school. No matter how excellent a school's graduate program may be, if a student cannot afford tuition, they will not attend. The GA policy states "Graduate assistants are first and foremost students." This proposed change directly violates this very premise. To survive, GAs below 0.5 FTE that do choose to sign a GA contract at NIU will have to compromise both their academic and GA responsibilities by finding alternative employment.

Faced with these types of changes, numerous graduate student bodies at universities across the country and in this very region, tired of being treated without recognition of labor rights GAs are in fact guaranteed, have chosen to unionize. Very current examples include the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California. Short-term financial gain does not equal long-term financial stability.

Modifying terms of agreement midway through a yearlong contract with graduate students who already barely make ends meet is an insult to the labor they provide that very literally allows this university to function.

- Brandon Rittenour

I am also thinking of international students who have a restricted amount of hours due to their visa status and most of us come from a developing country, which means again being unable to afford tuition fee (since we cannot work extra hours and the stipend from 10 hours will barely cover any basic needs). I do not see how the stipulated change in policy benefits the graduate student body or the University. To echo some of the comments, this is going to result in a reduction of student retention due to higher inflation rates and students unable to afford tuition fees. Additionally, a lot of departments do not guarantee a 20-hour GAship which further put students in additional distress in managing their funds. As a university, I believe we like to talk about advocacy, in this case, financial advocacy and support for students, and this change in policy does not serve the purpose for advocacy at all.

- Priyanka

The proposed change to a 50% tuition waiver for 10-hour GAs would be enormously detrimental to the graduate program in the School of Music. Most of our GA positions are 10 hours. The vast majority of our competitor Schools offer full waivers with their GA positions, and NIU will be at a huge competitive disadvantage if we cannot match that threshold. We rely on our GAs for their critical leadership roles (both formal and informal) within our student body, and anything that reduces the quality of student we can attract for these positions will have detrimental effects up and down our School.

- Anthony Devroye

A 50% reduction in funding of tuition waivers will plummet graduate enrollment and retention. We already lose the most competitive candidates to other programs that have better funding opportunities that we are unable to compete with from the onset. Therefore, the loss of funding will drastically and adversely impact recruitment and yield.

Our students that are receiving these tuition waivers and assistantships are only enrolled because of the funding assistance and would not have chosen NIU without that support. Moreover, many are still struggling to make ends meet with required fees, materials, health insurance, and living expenses. Students have to take breaks or give up on their education because one unexpected financial obstacle prevents them from continuing.

All of this cascades into the effectiveness of programs and results in major losses in other facets: mentors to undergraduate students, exceptionally talented students, and teachers of introductory courses. By losing those instructors for introductory courses, additional adjuncts a will have to be hired and will cost 2-3 times as much. In the end, it will end up costing more quantitatively and qualitatively.

- Brigid C. Findley

Without having held a GAship while pursuing my degree at NIU, I would not have the privilege of further serving this institution as a staff member. It was as a result of this GAship that I was able to complete my master's degree.

Within our School of Music, our GAships, as within many other departments, are highly specialized. As an example: you may have a number of pianists serving in GAships, but some of these pianists may serve as collaborative pianists for ensembles; another for teaching group piano, a required course for many majors; another for teaching group jazz piano, required for jazz majors; etc. Without each of these roles fulfilled, these duties and core courses may be left without an accompanist or instructor.

Decreasing funding for 10-hour GAships to 50% of the current rate would undoubtedly discourage students from applying and would create, too, issues for the greater student body, faculty, and staff.

- Austyn Menk

Personally, I don’t approve of this policy. I accepted my admission on the basis of full tuition waver. Even though I only pay the fee, I barely can afford the housing. I use food pantries and don’t spend much because I will run out of money if I don’t. Also, since I am from Iran, the economic situation will not allow my parents to pay for the school.
If this policy gets passed, I will have to transfer to another university.

- Sahar Yaghoubzadeh Torki

I believe the negative impact of this policy will significantly outweigh any marginal benefits it may have related to the immediate budget deficit. Many graduate students will simply not join NIU without the full tuition waiver, which not only impacts enrollment at the graduate level, but also tricks down to reduced UG enrollment due to departments being unable to sustainably offer certain programs and courses without sufficient GA support. I believe that this proposed change is short-sighted and should not be implemented.

- Peitao Zhu

This is unexpected and quite disappointing to the service that TA/GA/RAs provide to the University. From a pragmatic point of view, this shows that the University would rather squeeze the students as a non-last resort showing lack of appreciation for TA/GA work.

First question is: does the university consider the time difference between 20hrs GA and 10hrs GA sufficient enough for the students to work and make such money to cover the difference in tuition waiver? Or is the University considering a totally different line of responsibility for the 10hrs GA and not 50% less of the same responsibility as the 20hrs GA? If a 20hrs TA teaches 2 sections would a 10hrs TA teach 1 section? Would that be a 50% less work? without considering prep meetings, time to develop learning materials and PowerPoints and other stuff? Which would be equivalent of the effort put in by 20 hrs TA/GA? Perhaps the University should know that most graduate students are self-sponsored and live ONLY by their means. Has the University simulated/done a policy impact assessment should all the TA/GAs less than 20hrs decline the offer? We should probably be engaged in this thinking to help us understand the financial situation that calls for this.

- James

I believe this new policy would significantly affect the academic performances of a lot of graduate students who are assigned to a 10 or 15 hours per week employment. A graduate student who has to pay 50% of his tuition would have no choice but to resort to working more jobs to pay the tuition, which significantly affects the student’s focus and dedication to studies. It is challenging enough paying for rent, textbooks and living expenses; but adding an extra important bill would be a bigger challenge. This would create less time to study, an heightened anxiety, stress both emotionally and mentally. I would implore the institution to review this policy and consider the negative consequences if this gets implemented.

- Jack

Institutions that prioritize saving money over supporting students end up losing more in the long term from reduced enrollment. My undergraduate university made similar changes to the ones being proposed and in only a few years I watched robust programs dwindle to nothing. Even with the funding I'm currently receiving, I'm still going into a financial deficit. If my funding were to be cut at all in the future, I would have to leave NIU. In my teaching assistant position this semester I came up with lesson plans, acted as the main point of contact for my students through leading in-person instruction and offering writing assistance outside of class, and handled grading, all of which gave my students a more involved experience and allowed the professor to pursue his own research. Cutting funding to graduate assistants will not only impact enrollment, but will also impact the amount of time faculty has to pursue research or publishing.

- Rowan Carter

This new policy will hurt students who currently need tuition waivers to be able to obtain their degree, particularly for part time students. I am a mother of four, a current teacher at district 428, and I also take classes at NIU. For the spring semester I accepted a GA position to teach COUN 211, so that I would be able to finish my degree. Without the GA position and full tuition waivers I will no longer be able to attend NIU. I simply cannot afford it on my own. I have been a long time NIU student. I received my undergraduate degrees from NIU as well. I was extremely excited to get this GA position, so I could continue my masters in counseling and better serve my students and the community. Please do not take this away.

- Randi Tewksbury

As an International student, the most tanginent reason for choosing to school at NIU is the waiver. This newly proposed policy will automatically discourage the vast majority of international students from applying. The ethnic diversity of the institution is at risk with this policy.

- Segun

As coordinator for counseling programs admissions, an average of 70% of our applicants and current student's overtly communicate anticipatory need for graduate assistantship financial support in order to consider being able to attend our university. Over the last decade, I have seen and heard of steadily increasing numbers of applicants declining our admissions offers if they are not able to secure graduate assistantship funding support, and just as many of current students, considering taking leave, or adding additional external employment in order to afford their graduate education. This policy would further the strain on our current students; and has high counter-productivity to the university recruitment and retention goals.

- Dr. Hart

At a time when funding is being cut for GA positions and RAS positions, losing the option for full tuition waiver for 10 hour GA positions reduces recruitment ability even further. This used to be an option, and now that we need it even more, it will not be allowed. This is hampering recruitment of underrepresented students that the University claims to want to recruit. There is a need for funding and tuition waivers for many first generation students.

It is a bit confusing about the under load paperwork for summer for all graduate assistants. In the past we did not need to do this for graduate assistants not working in the summer. Not sure if this is just for graduate students working in the summer or those that had GAs in year before summer that may be renewed the following year.

- Diane Rodgers

My general experience for seven years at NIU has been that even full time appointments are insufficient financially for most students.

Messing with what benefits graduate assistantships get feels ominous for people who we can agree are already in a very precarious position.

Let's take a grad student with a full time position and enrolled in 6 credits. If they need health care (probably do), then the fees paid amount to around $2500 per semester.

Optimistically, the pay for a TA is around $18,000 for 9 months of work. But they have to pay the fees and health insurance per semester ($5,000/year), they are in effect paid $13,000 for 9 months of work because of mandatory fees (health care is not mandatory, but to call Aetna student health the best, cheapest option is damning with faint praise). You can do better slinging sandwiches at a Jimmy Johns part time, why kill yourself teaching classes and labs?

- Alex

If the university believes that "graduate assistants are first and foremost students" then tuition waivers should not be pro-rated to the percentage of appointment. Recruiting graduate students is difficult and offering full tuition waivers, regardless of the percentage of appointment, is a major component of recruitment. If full tuition waivers, regardless of the percentage of appointment, are not offered by the university, prospective graduate students won't even consider coming to NIU. I think the university will be at a loss if this policy is enacted.

- Cheyenne

The consideration of reducing tuition waivers for Graduate Assistants has a profound impact on NIU as a whole. NIU prides itself on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and yet considers changing a policy that affects a huge student body population.

Reducing Graduate Assistants Tuition Waivers will impact (1) A student's accessibility to higher education, (2) Graduate student recruitment and diversity of graduate programs, (3) Financial strain of overworked and underpaid graduate students, and (4) Research and academic productivity:

(1) Many graduate assistants come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and rely on tuition waivers as a crucial incentive to pursue further education. Reducing this support could disproportionately affect those with limited financial means, hindering their ability to access graduate education.

(2) Graduate programs often compete for top-tier students, and reducing tuition waivers may put a program at a disadvantage compared to institutions offering more attractive financial packages. This could lead to a decline in the overall quality of the graduate student body. In addition, a reduction in tuition waivers may disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, as individuals from these backgrounds might face additional financial barriers. Maintaining robust tuition waiver programs is essential for fostering diversity and inclusion within academic communities.

(3) Many graduate students work as teaching or research assistants, dedicating significant time and effort to their academic and professional responsibilities. Reducing their tuition waivers would increase their financial burden, potentially leading to increased stress and negatively impacting their academic performance.

(4) By reducing tuition waivers, there's a risk of discouraging talented individuals from pursuing graduate assistant positions. This could result in a decline in the overall productivity of academic departments, as graduate assistants contribute not only to their own research but also support faculty in various academic endeavors.

It's important to acknowledge the financial considerations and explore alternative solutions that address budget concerns without compromising the accessibility and quality of graduate education. Please keep the policy as it stands before the proposed changes to best support the Graduate Assistants @ NIU.

- Kassandra Kavanaugh

Modifying the funding for graduate assistant positions fails to acknowledge the true scope of responsibilities shouldered by students in these roles. In reality, those classified as full or part-time often devote well beyond the prescribed 30 or 40 hours per week to their duties. This adjustment exacerbates an ongoing issue, given the existing limitations imposed on off-campus work for graduate students under current regulations. Moreover, the compensation provided by NIU falls significantly short of meeting the basic living expenses in DeKalb. Consequently, this perpetuates a situation where a vulnerable population of students is confined without avenues to enhance their conditions. When the administration seeks budgetary reductions, it should not come at the cost of further impoverishing graduate students.

- Carolina Velandia H

The inclusion of full tuition waivers for graduate assistants no matter their number work hours is vital to recruiting and retaining students to graduate programs. Although cutting these tuition waivers might save money now, in the long run I fear we will see a decrease in graduate enrollment. We also have many of our graduate assistants assist us with undergraduate programs and if we have less graduate assistants, it will negatively impact undergraduate programs.

- Timothy "TJ" Schoonover

Graduate assistants play a pivotal role in supporting the academic environment and contributing to the overall success of our institution. The proposed proration not only undermines their contributions but also places an unjust burden on individuals already navigating the challenges of academia.

We urge the administration to reconsider this policy and engage in open dialogue with the graduate student body to find equitable solutions that maintain the integrity of assistantships and uphold the principles of fairness and accessibility in education.

- Abigail

The workload that Graduate Assistants have to manage goes far beyond the 10, 15 or 20 hours and the stipend received for this work is low when compared to the amount of time that needs to be spent preparing, grading and teaching. We are also required to be a support system for our students, which requires additional time and mental effort from our part. Additionally, as an international masters student, I am not allowed to work more than 20 hours, even outside the university. We are supposed to pay rent, food, insurance, fees for the courses we take, materials for our classes, clothing and transport with the limited stipend that we receive. Are we now supposed, additionally to all the expense listed above, to pay the tuition too when one of the biggest features of NIU is its cultural diversity that, is in part thanks to the International G.As who bring the culture from their home countries here ? I am deeply concerned of the effects that this will have in the international community here at NIU. Please consider the negative effects this change in policy will have in the international community at NIU.

- Fernando Marroquin Mendoza

GAs play a vital part here in NIU. Reducing the tuition of 10hr graduate assistants would offer some consequences. Some graduate assistants even though offered 10hr assistantships work more than 10hrs, have more duties and work as though they are GAs before students. Reducing the tuition would not only increase financial burden on them but may also lead to most of them dropping out due to inability to cover bills. Some GAs struggle to even cover the other institutional costs how much more having to cover a percentage of the instructional costs as well. I think this should really be considered well and the full tuition waiver should still be in place.

- Rachael

The NIU School of Music (SoM) currently employs thirty-one incredibly talented and hard-working students in graduate assistantship positions. Their number and presence is vitally important to the fabric of our SoM community. Not only do they teach courses essential to our undergraduates, they serve as mentors and role models to those same undergraduates in ways that palpably contribute to the positive spirit and sense of growth potential that our defines our community.

At present, 27 of the 31 Teaching Assistants employed through the SoM hold .25 FTE, 10-hour positions. Reducing a Teaching Assistant's tuition waiver by 50% effectively negates the concomitant $7668 stipend, as the cost of carrying the twelve covered credits costs $6060 for domestic students and $10491 for international students. Indeed, international students carrying twelve credits would effectively be asked to pay NIU $2823 for having accepted a Teaching Assistantship. On top of this, considering the additional cost of NIU tuition-related student fees that range from $2000-$3000 depending on the credits carried, this proposal suggests that we now ask all Graduate Assistant recipients, domestic and international alike, to pay for their schooling.

Imagine this scenario from the perspective of any intelligent and perceptive prospective student with multiple offers to consider, as often happens, when choosing a home for graduate study.

Imagine this scenario once again from the perspective of an international student from Trinidad and Tobago, to use a relevant SoM example, where 1 TT$ is currently worth just $0.15 USD. The difference between coming to NIU for a nominal fee and paying several thousand dollars becomes the barrier to coming to school at all.

And from my faculty perspective, given the ever-increasing competition for excellent graduate students within NIU’s regional and national recruiting landscape, it seems all-but-certain that this proposal’s value reduction to our Teaching Assistant positions will slash our graduate student numbers and, in so doing, negatively impact the quality of programming and musical excellence that our community and NIU students have come to enjoy and expect.

In sum, our Teaching Assistants confer value to the health of our program far beyond what figures on a spreadsheet can calculate and far beyond what they are currently being afforded. Yet this proposal suggests that we move to materially devalue them. Should this policy be put into effect, our current Teaching Assistant students will feel this shift. This will directly affect their morale and their financial and psychological well being as they sense our investment in them falter.

Students talk amongst themselves, and faculty actively encourage our prospective students and current students to speak to one another during recruiting season. And through their word of mouth, as well as through NIU’s reduced bottom line offers to prospective students, this policy will serve an irreversible blow to the health of our excellent programs and to our ability to compete regionally, nationally, and internationally.

 - Greg Beyer

I am writing to strongly recommend reconsidering the proposed policy that would pro-rate graduate assistant tuition waivers based on appointment hours. This policy would have financial and professional harm to graduate students.

As an international student, one of the reasons I chose NIU was the tuition waiver. Graduate students operate on limited budgets, and losing guaranteed tuition waiver would force many to lose trust on NIU.

The policy also underestimates the amount of work required to make meaningful contributions to research and teaching. Partial waivers would force students to find additional jobs off campus, taking away time from academics. This policy undermines university commitments to affordability, inclusion and support for graduate students. Talents would choose other institutions with better funding terms. This would damage the university’s research productivity and reputation.

I strongly recommend you reconsider this policy as I hope the university would be strived to support our graduate students.

- Yuchken Lin

I have several concerns related to the proposed changes to tuition waivers and fees; however, I would like to highlight the negative impact of these reductions on international students in particular. Many of them depend on a certain amount of financial support to maintain their visas and make living in the U.S. feasible without social networks and other opportunities to work or obtain funding. Thus, I hope NIU's policy makers consider this population before approving these changes.

 - Madelaine Romito

I have several concerns related to the proposed changes to tuition waivers and fees; however, I would like to highlight the negative impact of these reductions on international students in particular. Many of them depend on a certain amount of financial support to maintain their visas and make living in the U.S. feasible without social networks and other opportunities to work or obtain funding. Thus, I hope NIU's policy makers consider this population before approving these changes.

 - Madelaine Romito

As an international graduate student, approving this policy means having more debt to pay.

- Ruth

It is important to me to get GA as an international student. I chose NIU because I could receive tuition waivers and help reduce money pressure for my family, so I am so sad when I suddenly know this news!!

 - Shuai Zhang

This policy places the burden of pro-rated tuition on graduate student barely making a livable wage instead of departments that are trying to maintain graduate programs. If this is such a large financial issue, then require 20 hour GAs. This is an effort to shift the financial responsibility from institution to students and will further harm our recruitment efforts and research capabilities.

 - Nicole LaDue

Pro-rating tuition waivers will be a detriment to already struggling departments and to the University itself in terms of department support, student support, and enrollment rates. I strongly disagree with this proposed policy and request serious reconsideration for its implementation. Funding is a huge deciding factor in a student's choice to attend a University. Pro-rating tuition waivers does not account for rising tuition costs, course fees, and cost of living, and as such students will be more likely to choose another university with full tuition coverage. Departments will be left without the support of GAs, who are unequivocally vital to their operation. Additionally, departments who are already struggling to work with tight budgets will be forced to balance support for faculty and funding for students, leaving every party dissatisfied and understaffed. Pro-rating tuition waivers is not merely cut in costs for saving the University money, it is a cut in the graduate student body, faculty support, programs, and the integrity of the University.

 - Samantha Berk

I was shocked to read this suggested policy change of reducing the tuition waivers for assistantships. I cannot imagine who thought this would be a good idea. I understand that the university is having budget issues and I think they need to look elsewhere to fix those issues and not cut support for graduate students. I thought the university was working on improving things for graduate students, by raising the minimum pay for them. One of the Presidential goals for this year was to, "Strengthen Graduate Programs, Enhance the Graduate Student Experience." How is their experience being enhanced by reducing the tuition waiver? This will absolutely have a negative effect on students, programs, and research and teaching.

 - E

International students have a very difficult time making ends meet already, even with the tuition waiver. With this change in policy, it would be very difficult to continue studying at NIU. International students are allowed to work limited hours underpay only in their field of study but we are expected to pay, rent, utilities, groceries and flights to go and visit our families in our home countries. The School of Music improves with the arrival of international students and the culture they bring with them. This would be affected with the change of this policy since many of students who come here wouldn't be able to afford it without the help of the tuition waiver.

 - Jalen Charles

As a first-generation student, the costs of graduate school posed a significant barrier during the application process. Among the various schools I explored, NIU stood out as the only institution in IL offering valuable graduate assistantship opportunities. This opportunity not only made it financially feasible for me to apply but also enabled me to pursue my graduate program at NIU. Now, three years later, I am excited that I will be graduating in May 2024. I attribute this achievement to the invaluable opportunity to work as a part-time student, coupled with a full tuition waiver. It's important to note, that even with "full tuition waivers," not all costs are covered. Depending on the program, only the "instructional charge" is eligible to be waived, leaving other expenses such as fees, institutional charges, and program differential charges the responsibility of the student to bear. Without the benefit of a full tuition waiver, meeting these additional charges, along with the 50% of a required waiver payment, would have posed a significant challenge, potentially hindering my progress in the rigorous program. Lastly, I agree with all others who have commented who have concern that such financial budget cuts might dissuade prospective students from choosing the university. In the long run, this could have detrimental effects on NIU...I know it would have for me.

- Alejandra

I know that NIU is having financial difficulties, but this is not the way to fix them. I agree with many of the previous comments that the policy of cutting the tuition waivers for 10 and 15-hour graduate assistants would not be beneficial for the university, programs within it or the graduate students themselves. The majority of our graduate assistantships are 10 hours per week. Students take them mainly for the tuition waivers. NIU is currently having difficulties with recruitment. The difficulties would only increase if this policy were to go into effect. Potential graduate students will just go elsewhere. International students will be particularly hard hit. This policy penalizes the most vulnerable, reduces our competitiveness with other universities, and in the long run, is likely to cost more than it saves.

- Arlene Keddie

I want to say If A 10 hours GA gets only 50% tuition waived lots of us may not afford the rest of the amount. Please don’t do this with the 10 hours GA or give them 20 hours full time GA. It will be difficult for them if you do it.

- Lamisa Tansim Ruhin

Regarding this new policy, I don’t think it’s fair to lower the tuition waiver to 50% for students who are assigned a 10 hour GA position. As being one of those students, I didn’t choose my hours, they were assigned to me, which is out of my control. Part of the reason why I applied to be a GA in the first place was because of the 80% tuition waiver that my director emphasized. This directly affects me because it increases the cost that I personally have to pay out of pocket for my own schooling that I am required to obtain in order to be eligible to become an RD. I don’t believe this will be sustainable for me long-term since I commute as well. Beyond my circumstances, I believe this new policy will lower the rates in GA applicants because tuition rates are high to begin with, 50% won’t really make a significant difference. My feedback would be to allow GA’s to increase their hours following this new policy, especially if they’ve given a lot of their time to their GA’ship, such as myself. If not, make it fair for all by not changing it at all and give everyone the same set of hours for a 80%-100% tuition waiver. For an institution who praises the need for GA’s, this new policy sure contradicts that.

- Cristina Tranchina

This proposed change is very concerning. Graduate Assistants are vital to the university’s operation, and without them the university would greatly suffer. I think this proposed change would turn away prospective graduate students in search of other schools and programs that better financially support them. Additionally, this change would put increased financial strain on students who rely on the full tuition waver to afford their education.

- Lauren

I chose to move across the country to attend NIU based on the excellent graduate package. I would not have selected attending NIU if the package was anything less than the current model already in place. In my time here I was surprised to learn how supportive NIU has been with students who have faced multiple obstacles within their graduate education through its inclusive graduate packages. For NIU to even consider changing its tuition waiver policies based on FTE would be in violation of the vision, mission, and values the university prides itself on (https://www.niu.edu/at-a-glance/vision-mission-values.pdf). NIU would no longer claim that it’s advancing social mobility, empowering students, respecting all members of the campus community, or confronting local, national, and global challenges if it is removing financial access for current and future students. NIU would be complicit in decreasing the accessibility and affordability of a graduate education impacting the identities and communities it seeks to educate. If NIU would like to see the loss of diverse experiences and perspectives from advancing the campus and it’s community by losing the impactful work of its even more amazing, talented, hard working, and valuable graduate students then so be it.

- Dakota

Already we are paying institutional cost even being a GA or else. I am a 10 hr/GRA. My prof said he needed 20hrs GRA because the work of a GRA is beyond that. I came from a very middle class family with tuition waiver, I was suggesting my other family members to choose NIU for their further studies but the new policy for giving 50% waiver is something very heart breaking and disappointing. NIU should think for their students side because graduate students are it's pride and asset. I hope that authority will rethink and surely will not implify this new rules. Please do not make it hard for us. Please do no put us in the hard time that impact on our mental health. I beg most respectfully that please give us the chance to complete our studies without being worried for money. Please don’t do this to the students.

- Lamisa Tanzim Ruhin

The timing for reducing the tuition benefit for graduate assistants is not taking the decline in NIU enrollment under consideration. Motivated and hard working students are willing to balance education, work, and GA positions to attain their professional degrees. Most of the students who have 10-hour/week GA positions would be willing to take on a 20-hour/week GA positions but most departments have limited 20-hour/week GA positions. Thus, I vote in favor of giving a 100% tuition benefit to all GAs putting in work for 10-20 hour/week.

- Henna Muzaffar

NIU is experiencing a low enrollment that shows downward trend over the the last decade. Some programs even stopped accepting international students and are totally online. One of the important themes arise through informal communication on whether the undergraduate students will consider NIU for their graduate studies was the “not considering NIU due to high tuitions.” However, availability of GA positions can offer tuition waivers and give the students some hope that their dream can come true. Now, cutting their privileges will bring negative consequences on enrollment and acceptance of positions. Given their important role in the education process, I disagree with this policy.

- Rana Jaber

While we recognize the budgetary need for change, the Huskie Academic Success Center is concerned about the long-term impact the proposed change to graduate assistant (GA) tuition waivers will have on the general well-being of the entire NIU community.

HASC serves a two-fold purpose for graduate students as a resource and employer across its four units. For instance, graduate students typically comprise around 50% of the Writing Center’s clientele, last year representing over 3,000 sessions. GAs also make up a significant of our staff, the diversity of which enables us to serve the entire NIU community, including faculty/staff, effectively with projects like capstones/dissertations, publications, etc. Additionally, GAs offer invaluable expertise that supports undergrads and grads alike in both content support and their overall academic success. As a department, HASC supports the entire NIU community, both employing students whose departments have limited funding and offering professional development across the spectrum at every level.

Historically, we do not hold our GAs to 20-hour assistantships because, as others have noted, their program expectations or life circumstances prohibit or strongly discourage such commitments. Changes to the tuition waiver balance (which is already less than 100% in some departments, even for 20-hour assistants) will influence and eventually shift this balance, likely to everyone’s detriment.

Financially, we also worry about how this will impact the value and competitiveness of NIU's assistantships, particularly as the stipends will be further strained for those with 10 or 15 hours by having to offset the lost tuition coverage on top of “other charges [that] are the student’s responsibility.” Will this result in more outside work, straining GAs’ ability to commit to their studies, or drive them elsewhere and have a long-term ripple effect across NIU in all the valuable ways graduate students contribute?

Finally, what is the current timeframe for implementation, and what impact will it have on students currently partway through their programs? Additional transparency about the process, both now and for future changes, is essential for ensuring the long-term retention and financial health of NIU.

- Huskie Academic Success Center

The Tuition Waivers and Fees section is misleading to how the actual tuition waiver is determined. Currently, the Grad Assist Office within Human Resources submits the approved waiver percentage to the Bursar's Office for processing. It was agreed by HR and Graduate School effective with Fall 2020 that assistantship waivers are calculated based on duration of appointment (not % of FTE hours). For 1-4 weeks, 25% waiver; 5-11 weeks, 50% waiver; and 12-16 weeks, 100% waiver. It was also determined that there is no 75% waiver since 12 weeks would result in 100% coverage. See https://www.niu.edu/bursar/_pdf/tuition/2324-assistantship-waiver-chart.pdf

For clearer transparency, all published documents either in this policy and/or all appropriate websites (e.g., Bursar), the forward-facing information for students needs to be consistent in wording and how this tuition waiver amount is truly determined.

- Robert Botts

This policy will be very detrimental to some of the most valuable students in the university, especially in my area - the SOM. Many of our top musicians come to NIU because of the GA availability, especially our international students. Those of us who see the what the university gains daily from having these students here cannot imagine how we would move forward if these assistantships were not available. NIU talks about moving towards inclusion and diversity, but policies like these hold us back.

- EF

I understand the general desire of the Graduate School to encourage hiring graduate assistants for 20-hour appointments rather than lower ones. But the change to making tuition waivers pro-rated is the wrong solution. The university admirably increased stipends last year. It should also go in the opposite direction of this proposed change by offering FULL tuition waivers for graduate assistants that cover all instructional tuition and institutional fees. Telling prospective students that they earn a stipend but then have to pay a bunch back in fees already hinders recruitment to our programs and decreases yield rates. The proposal to pro-rate tuition waivers by assistantship level will further exacerbate this problem and rather than address it. I suspect that such a policy will lead to a decline in enrollment in many programs. I agree with the calls by other commentators to at very least review the effects of such a revision to the policy before going forward with it. Better yet would be to go in the opposite direction and provide full waivers for graduate assistants. The issue of programs dividing assistantships too frequently (and thus underfunding graduate assistants who want 20-hour assistantships) could be addressed in a way that does not punish graduate students in the process. Finally, I must not neglect the opportunity to mention that it is unacceptable that graduate assistantship budgets are only issued well into the new year as opposed to November and December as they used to be. This late notification hampers recruitment and retention and will continue to do so if not rectified. The university managed timely notification of assistantship budgets in the past and could do so again. Perhaps adding a requirement that assistantship budgets be issued before the new year to this policy would help?

- Andy Bruno

This proposal will affect my students, the majority of whom are international, drastically. Even with a full tuition waiver and graduate assistantship, international students struggle to make ends meet as they are restricted in terms of the number of hours they are allowed to work; as such, it becomes an extremely difficult task to pay for student fees, insurance, etc.

Our steelband program has attracted some of the very best young musicians from around the world; in large part, this is because of the financial assistance they have received from NIU. More than likely, this proposal will lead to students opting to go elsewhere, and the quality that the steelpan program has been known for (the band just celebrated its 50th anniversary) will be severely compromised. Many of my colleagues and students have previously commented and have articulately laid out the potential detrimental ramifications of this proposal.

- Liam Teague

I received a call from an NIU student asking my opinion on this policy change. I am currently a graduate student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, which is going through budget cuts. However, they are finding alternative funding to keep supporting their graduate students.

At many universities, graduate students are getting an increase in benefits, treatment, and pay; not decreases. I would encourage NIU to reconsider the message they are sending to their graduate students.

- Andrew D

Prorating tuition waivers to percentage of appointment is going to make NIU less attractive to all incoming graduate students and put an undue burden on research and teaching assistants who will see their stipends disappear in trying to pay for tuition. For international students who can barely make ends meet with additional restrictions imposed for maintaining their full-time status, this policy change will make it extremely difficult to make ends meet.

- Sachit

I think the change that will prorate tuition waivers to match the GA, such that part-time GAs will only receive partial tuition waivers, is extremely short-sighted. NIU is well-known for its efforts to be inclusive. However, a policy like this will undoubtedly disproportionately affect those with the fewest resources. For example, a parent trying to work part-time and go to grad school part-time will now have the added burden of covering tuition costs. For that reason, I'm willing to bet students in this position will look elsewhere for their graduate education. Thus, while we might save money in the short term, I think this change in policy will likely reduce graduate student recruitment in the long-term. I would strongly encourage the admin to reconsider this policy or, at the very least, assess the potential impacts of this change prior to making them.

- Jennifer Koop

This proposed policy is both concerning and disheartening. Most graduate students, including myself, require assistantships in order to manage the costs of higher education. With only a 50% tuition waiver, it is likely that students will not be able to continue their education, and if they are able to, it will be with great hardship and impacting their ability to commit fully to their academics. This is particularly harmful to international students, who bring needed diversity and perspective to the university but cannot work outside of the university. It is also worrisome that this is could be applied to students who are already committed to their programs without any alternatives.

Graduate students are necessary for the university to function, and the university should not create additional barriers for them to seek their education while providing fundamental support to other students and faculty.

- Kavita Khara

I am a former graduate assistant, an alumnus of NIU, and now an eighth year faculty member (instructor). In my twenty years of affiliation with this institution, I have seen a slow eroding of support for graduate scholarship that we need to set NIU apart from other regional institutions. This proposal shows a woefully short-sided view of what our graduate students bring to this institution. Without a *robust* Masters and Ph.D. program, our school will inevitably drift into the arena of underwhelming contributions to our field(s), thin our offerings, and hurt our recruitment. I believe the scholarship, research, and artistry at the graduate level is what sets so much of our work apart from simply becoming a trade school or something akin to a community college. I work with graduate students every day and see a clear delineation between the output of students who have to work 20+/weeks in the private sector and those who do not. I have seen the merits of what it is for undergraduate students to work along side graduate students. I have seen our immediate program benefit in profound ways from ideas our graduates bring from their undergraduate experiences. Please do not gouge support for our undergraduate and graduate students like this. Our school benefits in such profound ways from the hard work and diversity of our graduate students' contributions. Please do not pay for other things off the backs of already hard-working and underfunded students who make our community great. The last thing NIU can afford to be right now is mediocre.

- Ben Wahlund

Reducing graduate assistantship tuition waivers based on appointment hours undermines the financial support crucial for many students pursuing advanced degrees. Graduate assistantships are crucial for retaining students within academic programs. Limiting tuition waivers might lead these students to seek opportunities elsewhere. Decreasing tuition waivers could increase student debt burdens, discourage potential applicants as well as add stress to those currently enrolled. Maintaining robust tuition waivers for graduate assistants is essential not only for students but also for the diversity and sustainability of academic institutions.

- Candelaria Barrientos Jimenez

This year, I had the fortunate opportunity to become a TA. Without this TA and its tuition waiver, I would not have been able to afford and pay for my tuition this year. This reduction in tuition coverage based on the number of hours one will be working will have an immensely negative effect on the student body. The tuition waiver has contributed to the decision of many diverse students that have chosen to go to NIU and make up their student body and to take that away will take away opportunities that many students cannot provide for themselves due to the financial burden they will now face.

- Christy Tran

In my personal opinion, graduate assistantships are not only life changing in terms of financial reasons. However, they also offer incredible opportunities to learn, grow and connect. Reducing tuition will deter graduate students from pursuing these influential opportunities, in order to pursue avenues that are financially stable. This not only is detrimental to the university, but also the graduate student development. Speaking for myself, my graduate assistantship has given me the opportunity to pursue the career of my dreams. As well as being able to volunteer with the NIU women's soccer program. Furthermore, my graduate research advisor has been incredibly influential and inspiring in my life/career. Without the full tuition coverage, I would not have the ability to learn and grow from someone as impactful and knowledgeable.

- Taryn Jakubowski

Graduate students are a vital part of NIU, both on and off campus. Many students provide services in unpaid internships off campus, positively representing NIU, while simultaneously holding a 10-hour graduate assistantship. Without these assistantships covering tuition, there might not be as many graduate students because of the cost of living and cost of schooling. It may be wise to reevaluate and see the potential financial and organizational loss compared to financial gain.

- Anna

NIU’s current assistantship policy was critical in my choice to attend NIU and I, like many other students, would not be able to achieve my impending master’s degree without the full tuition waiver. I love being a graduate student at NIU; there is no other school or graduate program I would rather attend. By adopting this new policy, the university will increase financial barriers to attendance and discourage students from attending their first-choice program. This is especially relevant for our international graduate students, who are often the most dedicated and hardworking students on NIU’s campus. So many bright, talented, and motivated individuals might not have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact on the world because they cannot afford to attend university without a full tuition waiver. These are not just prospective students, but future alumni to be proud of because of their positive contributions to the university, the community, and society.

The other posters have made it abundantly clear how adopting this policy would hurt NIU’s recruitment, retention, and reputation as a university AND place more financial burden on NIU students. I sincerely hope our voices are heard and considered as the costs of this policy far outweigh any potential benefits.

- Katie Dedic

As a graduate assistant at NIU, the consideration of this policy change is disheartening to say the least. The stipends do not cover living expenses as is, and the tuition waivers do not cover fees. Many of us are struggling financially, and cutting the tuition waiver in half for 10-hour assistantships would cause future students to take out loans, pursue second and third jobs, or opt for a different institution altogether. As a result, students will have less and less time to focus on their education nor their assistantships. Graduate assistants earn their spots, and we deserve at least partial financial security to facilitate a learning environment where we can thrive.

The decision will reduce the number of graduate students who will come here, especially international students; as a result, the university will lose much more money, directly and indirectly, in the long run than they will make in the short term with this decision. Perhaps more importantly, NIU will damage their excellent reputation. Other major universities offer complete tuition waivers to GAs, including the fees which are not covered here already, and usually stipends are higher than here as well. Cutting down the tuition waiver for NIU graduate assistants will effectively push any prospective graduate students anywhere else but here.

In addition, graduate assistants, including myself, often go above and beyond because we care about our students, programs, NIU, etc. If I were to do the same job I do now for only half of the tuition waiver, my motivation to go the extra mile would be extinguished.

Lastly, I am extremely confused as to how graduate students with tuition waivers–those who are not graduate assistants–would be unaffected. I don't want any funding cut for graduate students, but it makes even less sense to remove funding from the employees who contribute so much to NIU.

- Jonah Payne

I understand finances are a major issue for universities, but without the 10 hour GAship with total tuition waiver I was given during my 3 years on campus, I would not have been able to afford NIU. And honestly, with all the requirements of the Counselor Ed doc program, 10 hours was more work than I could really handle on top of my classes, the master's level classes I had to co-teach, the supervision sessions, counseling requirements, etc. And honestly, even with the tuition waiver, I still added tens of thousands of student debt on the debt I accumulated from my master's program. And I know NIU is great for helping folks from disadvantaged backgrounds earn college degrees; I worry that students from such backgrounds will bear the weight of such a change. If the GAship wasn't a total tuition waiver, I think I might have chosen another university. I think this might hurt NIU in the long run, especially as so many people are seeing less and less value in taking out student loans and college degrees.

- Anne M

I have been serving as an international graduate student assistant at the school under a contract spanning from the fall of 23 to the spring of 24. The current terms of the contract involve providing full tuition waivers and corresponding living expenses support to teaching assistants working 20, 15, and 10 hours per week. However, the school has recently expressed an abrupt intention to change its policy, offering full tuition waivers exclusively to teaching assistants working 20 hours per week.

I am writing this opposition statement due to concerns that such a decision may adversely affect both students and graduate assistants. Students have already planned their academic and personal lives based on the contracted conditions for tuition and living expenses. Particularly, international students like me, who chose NIU primarily due to the promised full tuition waiver and living expense support, are expected to face increased burdens if the school's policy suddenly change proceeds. Potentially, students and anyone who supports NIU students could be lose their reliability about NIU.

Moreover, many graduate assistant students are over working for school very often because considering it an opportunity to growing their ability. Despite their dedication, insufficient support to students and teaching assistants could limit the school's overall progress. If only a few students could work for 20 hours, their workload would be even more excessive, which would be overwhelming for those who have to work a living at the same time. Also, if only a few students could work for 20 hours, it would be like losing the opportunity for many more students in NIU to develop and thereby demonstrate their potential.

In a realistic point of view, if individuals are required to pay a tuition fee similar to NIU's while working for the school, the likelihood of choosing another school becomes significant, potentially leading to a decline in NIU's enrollment rates.

In some departments, international students play a central role as GAs, and if they lose this support, they might leave the school. Furthermore, a decrease in the enrollment rate of new students could pose challenges to the sustainability of entire departments and the university itself. For example, if some department's enrollment students decreased and finally closed, current employees would lose their job and it would not only increase unemployment but also eliminate opportunities to enroll prospective students in the future.

Considering the current situation, where jobs in the DeKalb area are limited, many people who seeking employment prefer residing closer to the city center. Consequently, it will be challenging looking for sourcing replacements for tasks previously handled by students in areas like Chicago or elsewhere, and even if alternative personnel is found, their wages might exceed the budget allocated for student support.

Through this statement opposing the school's policy change, I respectfully request that stable academic and operational activities for both students and teaching assistants be ensured. I anticipate mutual understanding and collaboration between the school and students, urging decisions that minimize uncertainty and confusion.

Thank you.

- K

My name is Andrew Dreelin, and I am a graduate assistant/4th year Ph.D. candidate at NIU.

Before addressing the substance of the potential policy, I want to highlight that it was brought forth at the end of the fall 2023 semester right before winter break, and it was not directly communicated to graduate students by NIU administration (I was only notified by professors in my department). Therefore, I believe that the amount of comments and feedback on this proposed policy is far lower than it would be otherwise. These proposed changes need to be communicated better to the graduate assistants that would be affected to solicit their input.

In terms of the actual policy, I believe that pro-rating tuition waivers by appointment would be deeply harmful to graduate students at NIU, as well as to the university itself. Graduate students are essential laborers for universities because they carry large teaching loads, secure grants, and conduct research for the university.

Many graduate students at NIU are already struggling financially on low stipends that only cover 9 months, in addition to credit-based fees that NIU imposes. Numerous graduate students already work second jobs or are on food stamps. This policy would put graduate students in a no-win situation where they have to take more credits to receive a full tuition waiver, and then pay more in credit fees for those additional credits. This direct effect of this policy is that it would cause NIU to be financially out of reach for many graduate students, and it would cause many other graduate students to simply pick other institutions over NIU because of the lack of financial incentive. This will disproportionately harm PoC and international graduate students and continue to make graduate degrees harder to access for those who do not have generational wealth.

This proposed policy will perpetuate a self-defeating cycle that harms NIU as an institution by weakening the graduate student body and the labor we provide. Further, it undermines the values that I appreciate about NIU and what it stands for in its mission to promote social and economic advancement, scholarly research, and local community. Thank you.

- Andrew Dreelin

I understand the motivation behind the policy that 10 hour GAship only qualifies for a 50% reduction in tuition waiver. However, I do think we need to consider the graduate enrollment situation NIU has. Many students will not join in NIU if they are going to pay. They have many other choices if they have to pay out of their own pocket. On the other hand, the CEET is growing in the new Ph.D. programs that need the graduate school to invest resources in addition to encouraging faculties to apply more external funding. With the cut in tuition waiver, it will slow or even hurt the new programs. Many other universities offer in-state tuition for international students, which may seems to lose revenue from the graduate school's perspective but it will attract more enrolled students. It is a simple math problem, thinking about it: an apple costs $1, if you sell it at $4, probably you will sell 2 apples. However, if you sell at $2, you may sell 10 apples! That is a gain of $10 instead of previous $6. Students also contribute to the local economy at DeKalb and IL including house, food, etc. The current situation at NIU is that our graduate program size is shrinking. I think we should try to increase it instead of reducing it.

- Jifu Tan

An area I have brought forth with various entities on campus is the lack of a FMLA type policy for graduate assistants who need leave for pregnancy. There have been challenges to all involved on a few situations that have come my way of not having a true policy on such. Just thought I would share given the conversations around it and the GA policy being updated. Thank you

- Sandra Cox

There are many students who have benefitted from the current policy who are grateful alumnus who recruit students to attend NIU from their current academic positions.

- Scot Schraufnagel

It’s insulting and disregarding how vital GA’s and TA’s are for NIU. By cutting the tuition waivers hurts so many people. I chose to be a GA because it helped cover my grad school which is so expensive and I’m unable to cover myself. If a student works more hours it gives them less time to focus on school which is the whole point of being at NIU. If I had known about this I definitely would not be at NIU and surely not pursing my doctorate. This is not fair to any student or family.

- Monica Maravilla

This change in policy would negatively impact NIU in many ways, many other commenters have already highlighted, such as a decline in graduate students as a whole, decline in the quality of scholarship from graduate students at NIU, a decline in quality of life for graduate students that will be reflected in their work, both as TAs/RAs and as students themselves, etc.

I would not have come to NIU as a graduate student if this policy was in place at the time of my admittance, and would have instead accepted a better offer at a different university. This policy may allow the university to save money in the short-term, but it will have negative impacts in so many ways that far outweigh the short term benefits, and not recognizing that is gross negligence on the part of the university and will make me less proud to be a huskie if this policy goes into affect and would prevent me from recommending this school to anyone.

- Bailey

As a full time law student it is important to me that all graduate assistantships (part time and full time) are granted the full tuition waiver instead of a partial tuition waiver. The main reason I chose to work as a graduate assistant is to receive the tuition waiver and any interference with a full tuition waiver will cause me and other students great financial strain. Please consider that the price of rent and food has increased significantly over the years and not receiving the full tuition waiver will put students such as myself in a position in which we must over work and burn ourselves out by seeking a second job.

- Geoffrey Diver

The pro-rating of the graduate assistantships based on hours worked will render NIU non-competitive when recruiting graduate students to our programs. We have so few positions and the NIU GA stipend is already very low when compared to other institutions potential students are considering. The 20 FTE stipend is barely enough to meet the rising living costs that current students face. This is especially true for our international students who have no other options for employment beyond campus positions. Should this policy be implemented, all existing grants should be exempted from implementing it as the policy was not in place when the grant was awarded and was not considered in the budget as proposed.

Pro-rating tuition waivers will not generate the income for the University, but will reduce the overall number of students coming to NIU to pursue advanced degrees; will reduce the potential for diversity in our graduate students; reduce the capability of many programs in their instructions; and lower the quality of our overall instructions and programming. Graduate students are an important and integral part of what NIU is and they deserve financial security as they pursue their academic and professional goals.

- Kanjana Hubik Thepboriruk

I am concerned about the effects changes to the tuition waver will have on graduate recruitment and retention. Though, in my experience, 10 hours positions are not too common they provide programs and, more importantly, students necessary flexibility. Removing this option, especially without further study, places a further burden on students and, as others have suggested, will decrease our ability to bring the best students to campus. This policy seems particularly short-sighted given that half-time appointments are likely to be particularly beneficial for non-traditional students that are a particular strength of graduate training here at NIU. While I understand that the overuse of partial appointments does not do any favors to students either, a blanket removal of tuition waivers for non-full-time assistantships seems likely to have minimal benefits with large drawbacks for graduate training across the university.

- Colin Kuehl

This attempt to cut funding for graduate programs at NIU will be a huge disaster, and will severely affect the ability of graduate programs to recruit high-quality graduate students, whose work as TAs and GAs helps to make the campus experience enriching and fulfilling for undergraduates.

Not only that, it will also severely impact NIU's ability to ensure that graduate education programs have a diverse composition and equitable structures. In NIU's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement posted online, you state that: "We strive to improve access, retention and completion for all students and to uphold the NIU mission to value 'A community of diverse people, ideas, services, and scholarly endeavors in a climate of respect for the intrinsic dignity of each individual.'" Cutting funding for graduate programs is directly in opposition to NIU's DEI policies, as it will ensure that only students who already have access to resources and external sources of support will be able to undertake graduate education at NIU.

NIU wants to be a "minority-serving institution," and is on-track to become designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Students at NIU depend on graduate workers for their educational needs. If the graduate student Teaching Assistants do not reflect the diversity of the undergraduate student body, then the education of those undergraduates will suffer. Sufficient funding for graduate studies is necessary to ensure that NIU can fulfill its DEI commitments and stay on track to becoming a minority-serving institution.

- Peter

I align with the sentiments expressed by others that this alteration won't benefit NIU by compelling graduate students to partially cover tuition costs. Instead, I anticipate a potential exodus of students to alternative institutions, causing a detriment to all graduate programs. The decline in enrollments is poised to impact NIU negatively. This adjustment is a shameful attempt to generate revenue by targeting those already earning the lowest incomes.

- Kara Coffman-Rea

The proposed change to minimum hours required to obtain tuition waivers undervalues and ignores the benefits received by the university from the work by Graduate Students. These positions, while educational in their own right, are time spent by students dedicated beyond their studies to their departments and the university as a whole. As a result the university is benefitted and improved in the education it provides. It should seem apparent that Graduate Students would be able to share in rewards of their work by having tuition waivers that further their education. This allows Graduate Students to continue their work without the burden that the cost of tuition could otherwise deter.

The university making this proposal for further qualifications to obtain this waiver places the value of the work of Graduate Students in a quantitative lens when hours worked are no measure for their contribution.

- Parker Gray

I have concerns with the suggested changes regarding tuition waivers for the GA policy. The proposed revision to prorate tuition based on the level of appointment could have far reaching consequences on the availability of graduate assistants, and quality of education/resources at NIU. This is effectively increasing the cost of attendance for graduate students at NIU which could dissuade many students from attending. In addition, current students may be less likely to seek a GA position, or may be more likely to leave in order to seek other sources of income. Likewise, some GAs may be pushed to work larger appointments (i.e. 20 hours instead of 10) which could affect quality of research, work, and coursework due to their increased work load. The same could be said for those who work a 10 hour appointment but must supplement their income elsewhere. In the current economic state, I do not believe changing the Graduate Assistantship Policy's tuition waiver proration rates is the right move. To reduce hardship on students and their experience at NIU, the current methods must be preserved.

- William Gonigam

As an undergraduate student here at NIU, I believe that reducing funding for graduate students will also negatively impact the undergraduate programs. In the School of Music, we rely heavily on GAs to teach important courses (such as the group piano class, which is necessary for nearly all undergrads), direct and participate in ensembles, and accompany students on juries and recitals. Personally, I have learned so much from working with graduate students and I believe they have enriched my college experience. They work very hard and it is disrespectful to their time and energy to reduce their tuition waivers. If NIU continues with this proposal, they will drive away talented individuals who enhance the quality of NIU’s student body and increase financial hardship for GAs.

- Mikayla