If you have a question about your funding, please contact: Morgan Sibley (msibley@uci.edu) or set up an appointment via Microsoft Bookings.

Academic Student Employees and Graduate Student Researchers in the Department of Chemistry are covered by collective bargaining agreements between the Regents of the University of California and the Student Workers Union, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) AFL-CIO. The Department follows the salary scales agreed upon between the Regents and the UAW (AFL-CIO). The agreements can be found at https://ap.uci.edu/ase/

General Funding Information:

Chemistry PhD students are full time students that hold part-time UCI employment. The Department of Chemistry will employ students at 50% effort during the academic year beginning October 1st. Students are paid monthly, in-arrears, and the first paycheck will be issued November 1st.  Written Notice of Appointment (WNA) letters will be issued through DocuSign. Summer funding is not required by the GSR or TA contract. It is typical for Chemistry PhD students to be employed at 50% during the summer months (July 1st – September 30th), the specific type of employment will be issued in the WNA.

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) Salary Scale effective 10/1/2024

GSR Salary Point

Minimum Experience Requirements

Monthly Salary (50% effort)

1

No experience as a GSR

$2,880.38

2

3 quarters as a GSR

$3,103.63

3

6 quarters as a GSR

$3,344.17

Teaching Assistant Salary Scale effective 10/1/2024

TA Salary Point

Minimum Experience Requirements

Monthly Salary (50% effort)

1

0 quarters (first quarter teaching as a TA)

$3,777.78

2

3 quarters as a TA

$3,891.11

3

6 quarters as a TA

$4,007.83

Note: these salary charts are a summarized version of the full GSR and TA salary scales posted at https://ap.uci.edu/ase/.

It is the student's responsibility to report any variation in payment (other than slight adjustments in payday or net income due to withholding). While we make every effort to process pay accurately, mistakes do happen. Please always confirm receipt of funds before spending and bring any inconsistencies to the attention of Department staff immediately. Students will be held responsible in cases of payment overages.

Experienced based placement: 

  • TAs: Experienced based placement will be reviewed each appointment.
  • GSRs: Experience based placement will be reviewed each Fall quarter.

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) and Teaching Assistant (TA) appointments:

Students are paid via payroll for Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) and Teaching Assistant appointments (TA). 

  • UCPath Online (UCInetID sign-in required): sign up for payroll direct deposit, view paystubs, download W-2's, verify personal information, view employment verification and update your W-4 (domestic students).  
  • Employee Experience Center (EEC). Employee resources including DUO enrollment, UCI Zot!Portal, and UC Online Learning Management System.

Fellowships and Training Grants:

Students on Fellowships and Training grants are typically paid via the fellowship system. These payments are set up to pay at the end of each month, however the fellowship system often pays early.

Students are encouraged to seek extramural funding. Students will receive the amount of their extramural funding or their experience level pay, whichever is greater. In most cases, students cannot be funded as a TA or GSR on top of their fellowship.  

In order to receive a fellowship payment, students must complete an annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or tax form (Glacier) depending on their citizenship status. FAFSAs must be completed once each calendar year.

Direct Deposit:

There are two different ways of signing up for direct deposit at UCI. Students are recommended to sign up for direct deposit from their ZOT Account to receive disbursements and refunds electronically. Employees should sign up for direct deposit of their paycheck using the University of California's payroll system, UCPath. If you have recently completed re-hire paperwork you will need to reenter your direct deposit information into UC Path.

Home Address vs Mailing Address in UC Path:

  • Home Address is a required field and what UC uses to mail paper paychecks and other essential information. This is where employees want to receive paychecks. It’s critical for new employees to have the correct home address in the system, as the first check is often not direct deposit. If the home address is not a valid address where the employee will be able to pick up their paper paycheck, it can result in a 2+ week delay in getting their paycheck.
  • Mailing Address is an optional field in the system and is only used for W-2 if different than home address.  

Taxes and Withholding:

Funding received via payroll is subject to withholding. The amount deducted depends on how one fills out their W-4 (withholding form) or your country's tax treaty. International students are required to complete their Glacier record so their withholding can be determined. To eliminate the need to update Glacier records quarterly, international students should indicate that they are an employee receiving compensation wages and a student receiving fellowship recipient. The purpose of Glacier is to determine the withholding status of each type of payment when it is made. If no such payment is being made, then no withholdings will be applicable.

Funding received via the fellowship system may be considered taxable, but is not subject to tax withholding by the University. An exception may be international students whose fellowship stipends are, by federal law, subject to tax withholding depending on the tax treaty status of their home country. For more detailed information, consult IRS Tax Information for Students.

Mandatory contribution: DC Plan (Safe Harbor) is for eligible UCI employees who worked more than 750 hours in a continuous 12-month appointment. Defined Contribution Plan is not a tax but a mandatory contribution to a self-directed investment account. This is administered by Fidelity Investments. Once you graduate or leave UCI, you can contact Fidelity 30-days after your separation to view your options. DC Plan should only be deducted if the student is enrolled in 6 units or less (during the summer). Students are encouraged to check their paychecks stubs monthly and report any discrepancies to Morgan Sibley (msibley@uci.edu).

GSR and TA Employment includes the following remissions:

  • Tuition Remission: Payment of 100% of tuition for the quarter.  
  • Health Insurance Premium Remission: Payment of 100% of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program (GSHIP) mandated fee. For any student employee who is charged the GSHIP premium but waives out of coverage by GSHIP, Health Insurance Premium Remission will not apply. 
  • Student Services Fee/Campus-Based Fee Remissions: Payment of 100% towards the Student Services Fee and payment of 100% towards Campus-Based Fees. 

To be eligible for the GSR and TA remission, students must be enrolled in 12 units. If the student fails to enroll on time or has charges on their account that cause fees not to be paid, the late fee is the responsibility of the student.

Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition:

US citizens and permanent residents are expected to establish California residency by the end of their first year or will be subject to Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) beginning in Fall of their second year.

eTech Fees:  

These fees are assessed when you enroll in undergraduate classes. The eTech fees are the student’s responsibility to pay. Detailed information can be found at www.reg.uci.edu/fees/ listed under Undergraduate Student Fees.