For master's and doctoral students in the US, an assistantship isn't just a side job — it's the main way they fund their education. Teaching Assistant (TA) and Research Assistant (RA) positions usually include three components: a tuition waiver or remission, a monthly stipend, and health insurance. At some universities, an assistantship also grants the right to pay in-state rates instead of international rates — which noticeably reduces the overall cost for the year.
How TA and RA Differ
A Teaching Assistant works with a professor: leading seminars, grading papers, and advising undergraduate students. For international students, this position comes with an extra hurdle — you must prove your spoken English. Universities set a minimum score for the speaking section of the exam: most often TOEFL iBT Speaking of at least 26 (on the old scale) or IELTS Speaking from 7.5 to 8.0. Without this certificate, you won't get a TA position, even if your overall score is high.
The University of Washington illustrates how this works in practice. Its Graduate School minimum for teaching assistants is a Speaking score of 5.0 on the new scale (26 on the old scale, for tests taken before 21 January 2026). There are alternatives: IELTS Speaking 7.0 or a Duolingo DET Conversation score of 140. Crucially, these are minimums — hiring departments retain the right to set higher or more specific requirements depending on the course. And a score below 26 is not an automatic dead end: candidates with 4.5 (23–25 on the old scale) may still be appointed to duties that do not involve direct interaction with students, such as grading or lab setup, while they work towards the full requirement. Read more — link.
A Research Assistant works on a research project under a professor's supervision. Here, the requirements for spoken English are lower — the emphasis is on academic skills, not teaching. RAs are often awarded to students who have already decided on their research direction and found a supervisor before or during admission. RA funding usually comes from the professor's grant, so the availability of a position depends on whether a particular faculty member has the funds for a new assistant.
How to Find Positions
Most assistantships are distributed at the department level, not centrally. This means the application should be sent not to a general HR office but directly to the programme or the professor. During admission, many departments automatically consider candidates for available TA and RA positions — no separate application is required. But this isn't the case everywhere: at some universities, positions are posted on Handshake or internal portals, and the student must apply independently.
The most effective path is to write to a professor whose research matches your interests before you are even admitted. The letter should be specific: not "I want to work with you," but "I read your article on (topic), I am interested in (specific aspect), I have experience in (skill)." Professors who have grant funding often look for RAs in advance, and early contact gives you an advantage.
On-Campus Work for Undergraduates
Undergraduates rarely receive assistantships — these positions are intended primarily for master's and doctoral students. But undergraduates have another available option: on-campus work. F-1 students can work in the library, dining hall, administrative offices, sports complexes, or bookstore without special permission from USCIS. The limit is 20 hours per week during term time and up to 40 hours during holidays.
It's important to understand that on-campus work doesn't come with a tuition waiver. It's an hourly wage that covers current expenses but not tuition. Moreover, international students are not eligible for federal work-study — that programme is only for US citizens and permanent residents.
What to Consider When Planning
An assistantship isn't guaranteed — it's a competitive position. Even if a university promises "full funding" upon admission to a PhD, this may mean that the assistantship will be provided depending on whether you pass English certification and whether the professor has a grant. For master's students, the situation is more complicated: many programmes do not fund master's studies at all, and you have to find an assistantship yourself after enrolment.
The assistantship stipend is usually paid monthly during the academic year — 9 or 12 months, depending on the terms. For a 10-month position in engineering programmes at the University at Buffalo, the minimum stipend is $27,000; for a 12-month position — $35,100.
The page clarifies where these figures come from. The minimum stipend for teaching and graduate assistantships is established by the GSEU, the Graduate Student Employees Union that represents TAs and GAs across SUNY and negotiates their contract with New York State — so the number is not set unilaterally by the university. The funding package also covers tuition and a fee waiver, but recipients remain responsible for certain school fees, and GSEU members receive state-subsidised health insurance and a transportation fee waiver as part of the same contract. Read more — link.
At the University of Pennsylvania, the annual TA stipend for the 2026–2027 academic year is set at $49,000. The range is wide, and when choosing a programme, look not only at whether an assistantship is available, but also at the stipend amount relative to the cost of living in the city.