Payroll-Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you have been appointed as a Teaching Assistant, your first paycheck for the semester will come on the 15^th day of the following month (Spring semester = February 15 for the January check, Fall semester = September 15 for the August check).  Thereafter your paycheck will come on the last day of the month.

Depends.  Payroll cutoff deadlines for timely processing are the first day of each month.  Are you a new student?  Did you complete all the signup forms before the first day of the month?  If you are being reappointed and you are an international student, is your work clearance current and valid through the length of appointment?  Did you talk to your professor before the first day of the month and did he give me the information to appoint you before the first day of the month?  If yes, then you will receive your first check at the end of the month of appointment/reappointment.  If no, and all the payroll information from you and your professor was submitted by the 20^th of the month, then you should receive your first check by the 15^th of the following month.  If no, and all the payroll information from you and your professor was submitted after the 20^th of the month, then your first check will be added to your second check and you will receive both at the end of the following month.  If you have turned in all your payroll forms but you don’t know whether your professor has turned in the appointment/reappointment information then you must check with your professor to see when he turned it in.

Usually the first check is sent to the Bursar’s office in the Student Union Atrium area (south end of the counter where you pay your tuition bill) to be picked up, and usually direct deposit has been activated by the second paycheck.  Only after you have checked your bank account and after you have checked with the Bursar’s office, should you then check with Daleene in the MAE office to see what has happened.

You must be appointed as a Graduate Teaching and/or Research Assistant for a minimum of 25% FTE (2 hours/day) for the entire semester.  The entire semester is the first day of class to the last day of finals week.  If you are an international student and you are working in another department (such as Residential Life, Physical Plant, etc), you must make arrangements with that department to insure that your appointment does not exceed 25% FTE for this time period.  You must also change your Student ID number to your Social Security Number.  You do this at the registrar’s office.

If you qualify for an out-of-state fee waiver, the waiver will be processed by February 15 for the Spring semester and by September 15 for the Fall semester.  Tuition statements are printed and mailed before the out-of-state tuition fee waivers are processed.  You must check the SIS on-line screens after receiving your statement and before the due date to see if the fee waivers have come through.  After the tuition due date there will be a grace period before late fees are assessed, so don’t panic, just pay all other expenses and check the screens again after February 20/September 20 to see if the fee waiver has come through.  If not, then check with Daleene in the MAE office. 

The criteria for qualifying for health insurance is the same as for the out-of-state tuition fee waiver (see previous question), for in-state as well as out-of-state students.  The health insurance is processed out of the Student Health Center Office.