When will I be paid for my graduate assistantship?

You should be paid each month on the last working day of that month. If you don’t receive your direct deposit on that day, please contact the Physics HR Liaison at Lenelle.Wallace@colostate.edu. If the amount of your direct deposit looks wrong, please check your pay stub and look at what was deducted first. If that doesn’t explain why the payment is different than you expected, please contact the Physics HR Liaison.

Where can I find my pay stubs?

Your pay stubs which include your gross monthly salary, taxes, and deductions (pre- and post- tax) can be found online. Go to https://aar.is.colostate.edu and click on HR System under the Application Systems on the right hand side of the webpage. You will be directed to sign in with your NetID and password. Once you’re in the system click on the folder titled, “CSU Employee Self-Service”. Then click on “Pay Advices” from the drop down list that appears. Your last pay period will appear but you can view past pay periods from the “Choose a Payslip” dropdown menu.

What is SERP and why are they taking money out of my paycheck?

If you aren’t registered for at least 5 credits (in fall and spring semester) or 3 credits (in summer semester) by around the 15th of the month, when a registration check is run on all graduate assistants, a portion (7.5% or about $150) of your monthly paycheck gets routed into a SERP (Student Employee Retirement Plan) with TIAA/CREF. You can learn more about SERP here: http://www.ses.colostate.edu/student-employee-retirement-plan-serp.

Do I need to enroll in the Student Health Insurance?

It depends:

  • If you are enrolled in 5 or more credits and have not completed a health insurance waiver (because you already have health insurance), you will need to OPT in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for that semester.
  • If you are taking fewer than 5 credits but would like to be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan, you must enroll.
  • International students are automatically enrolled in SHIP, regardless of the number of credits, unless you submit a waiver.
Do I need to pay the Student Health Insurance Premium showing on my RAMweb account?

It depends:

  • If you are taking more than 5 credits and have a full graduate assistantship in a semester, then 100% of your SHIP premium is covered. The Graduate School runs enrollment checks at around the 15th of each month to determine your eligibility for SHIP coverage. So make sure you are registered for 5 credits by the 15th of August (for fall) and the 15th of January (for spring) to qualify for the payment of your health insurance premium.
  • If you are taking exactly 5 credits and have a full graduate assistantship in a semester, then 100% of your SHIP premium is covered. The Graduate School runs enrollment checks at around the 15thof each month to determine your eligibility for SHIP coverage. So make sure you are registered for 5 credits by the 15th of August (for fall) and the 15th of January (for spring) to qualify for the payment of your health insurance premium. * Students taking less than 6 credits are not charged the University General Fees, therefore, the health access and counseling fees are added to the student’s account approximately 4-6 weeks after the beginning of the semester.
  • If you are taking fewer than 5 credits even if you have a full graduate assistantship, you do not qualify for premium coverage. Therefore, you will be responsible for paying the premiums on your account. You may want to talk to your research advisor about the possibility of being compensated for your health insurance with a monthly salary above the standard amount.
What can I do if I am concerned about a student, either one I am teaching or a fellow grad student?

We request you “Tell Someone” either through the online portal or by calling (970) 491-1350: Tell Someone

Notice and Respond is another great resource: Notice and Respond

Will I be assessed a late fee if I don’t pay my student bill before my tuition and health insurance contributions are credited to my bill?

The Graduate School, in partnership with Business and Financial Services, has implemented a permanent program regarding the payment of your student fees. This program is exclusively for graduate assistants and waives student late fees for the first billing cycle of each fall and spring semester. This program was implemented because many of you do not receive your first paycheck until after the first billing cycle due to processing delays in your department or other units involved in processing your appointment. Therefore, please disregard the first eBilling notification of each semester indicating that you will receive a late charge if your balance is not paid by the first billing date of the semester. You will be exempt from this charge.

What research/thesis/dissertation course(s) should I register for?

Any of the 699/799 and 698 courses are acceptable for either degree (MS or PhD) and it is not a problem for students to list these courses on their GS6 forms for either degree. The Physics graduate advising committee offers the following interpretation of the meaning of these courses:

PH 698 (“Research”) Pre-MS research

PH 699 (“Thesis”) Plan A MS

PH 799 (“Dissertation”) Post-MS research

Recommendation: Students in their 1st year should register for PH 698 if they are in the MS program. Students in their 4th semester and beyond who are working with a specific research advisor should register for PH 799, unless they are working on an MS thesis and then they should register for PH 699 until that is completed. Students who come in with an MS degree should register for PH 799 from their 1st year onwards.