Employment

Employment Policies and Resources

Graduate students may be employed as Graduate Student Researchers, Teaching Assistants, Teaching Associates, Readers or Tutors.  Students earn a salary and, depending on the type of employment, may have all or part of their fees paid as a benefit. Please refer to Registrar’s site for the Schedule of Fees/Tuition. 

A. Graduate Division Employee Experience Center (EEC) Support

Please submit a ticket thru Graduate Division Employee Experience Center (EEC) Support for various requests or exceptions. Form(s) can be downloaded under Faculty and Staff. For specific deadlines, please refer to the Student and Administrator Deadlines form.

Departments

• Employment and Fellowship Exceptions or Requests
• Childcare Program Requests 

Departments and Graduate Students

• Fee Remission, Employment, Fellowship and Childcare Program Inquiries

B. UCPath and Direct Deposit

The salary earned by graduate students for employment is paid from UCPath. With UCPath, employees can view personnel and pay information, sign up for direct deposit, update tax withholdings, and more. Direct deposit is highly encouraged for all graduate student employees. Please visit How to Manage your Direct Deposit and UCPath Graduate FAQs for more information. 

Important: Fellowship stipends bypass UCPath and are instead processed via Graduate Division’s financial system, then issued to students through SBS (Student Billing System). Graduate Student Researchers-Fellows/Trainees are the only fellowship recipients paid through UCPath. Stipends processed by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships are also paid through SBS. Fellowship stipend direct deposit is setup thru your ZOT Account by clicking the “Electronic Refunds” link in the navigation side bar. 

C. Service Limitation

Employment of graduate students may not, in any combination, exceed 50% time during the academic quarter. Between quarters and during the summer recess, employment may be increased to 100% time. For more information regarding intersession dates, please visit the Registrar’s website, Quarterly Academic Calendar 2025-26.

In cases where employment beyond 50% time is deemed advisable by both the academic department and hiring department, an exception must be approved by the Graduate Dean.  Please refer to Instructions for Beyond 50% Employment. 

D. Career Employees

Career employees are also eligible for the Employee Reduced Fee Program. Students, who are career employees at UCI, UCI Medical Center, or another University of California campus, are eligible for a two-thirds reduction of the Student Services fee, the University Tuition and Fees, and campus-based fees. Find more information on the Registrar’s website. 

E. Employment Tools 

The Employment Tools document provides a single location for policies, procedures, processes, and other information related to the employment of graduate students. For further details regarding graduate student employment policies, procedures, or guidelines, please see Section IV of Graduate Policies and Procedures

F. Student Title Salary Scales

This document provides information on student pay rates.

Transitional Position Program (TPP)

• Application Form

This form is to apply for the Transitional Position Program. Before completing this application, please review the program overview information provided below and confirm you meet all program criteria and requirements as established below. This program is only available to graduate student employees currently appointed as Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) or Academic Student Employees (ASEs), who have an appointment funded by a Principal Investigator (PI), and who are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Please contact the Graduate Studies Director or Chief Personnel Officer of your hiring School with any questions regarding the program and your application. Once completed (save it as a PDF), the application form above must be submitted thru Graduate Division’s Service Now.

• Overview & Eligibility Criteria

1. The purpose of the Transitional Position Program is to provide a transitional position to a limited number of graduate student employees who have PI-funded appointments, when the graduate student employee’s PI left the University or when there exists irreparable employment-related conflict in the supervisor-supervisee relationship (see eligibility criteria below).
2. Graduate student employees who are selected will receive up to one quarter of a transitional position as an ASE or GSR, subject to all the terms and conditions of the appropriate collective bargaining agreement and subject to the conditions outlined below:
   1. At UCI: Up to 10 graduate student employees per year per location will receive a transitional position; i.e., two graduate student employees per quarter, per campus.
   2. At UCI, there is a financial cap of $100,000 per year to fund this program.
3. Eligibility Criteria: Graduate student employees are eligible for this program who meet the following criteria:
   1. Are in good employment standing, including conduct and performance
   2. Are dependent on their Principal Investigator for employment
   3. Have been with their Principal Investigator for at least three quarters (or the equivalent amount of time)
   4. The graduate student employee has made a clear argument, corroborated by the department, that there is an irreparable employment-related conflict in the supervisor-supervisee relationship and that the supervisor relationship is beyond repair for reasons outside of the graduate student employee’s control, or that the graduate student employee’s PI left the University.
   5. Has not previously received a transitional position.
4. Application Process: Graduate student employees meeting the eligibility criteria should complete an application,  save it as a PDF, and submit it thru Graduate Division’s Service Now.
   1. Applications will be forwarded to the associate dean(s) of the employee’s hiring School. 
   2. The applicant’s school will review each application, determine whether the request is approved or denied, and communicate the outcome to the applicant.
5. TPP Position:
   1. If approved, a TPP position must be an employment position (not a fellowship), and the TPP position can be either a GSR or ASE appointment and can be provided for a full or partial quarter.
   2. In most circumstances, the appointment percentage and salary point for the TPP position should be the same or substantially similar to the original appointment.
   3. Depending on the reason for and timing of the transition, the graduate student employee’s original PI may ask the graduate student employee to finish wrapping up work assignments even if the graduate student employee has already transitioned to a new work assignment.
      1. In no case will a graduate student employee who receives a transitional position be asked to continue work at their former lab/unit for longer than a period of two weeks.
      2. In no case will wrapping up work assignments cause a graduate student employee to exceed their total allotted FTE per the Time and Effort Commitment article of the BR CBA.
6. Conclusion of Program: TPP applications will remain available until either the 10 transitional positions or the $100,000 funding limit is fulfilled.