Contact the NAU Office of Graduate & Professional Studies
Graduate assistantships and tuition waivers
What is a tuition waiver?
NAU tuition waivers are scholarships which pay for all or part of a student’s tuition. There is no work requirement for tuition waivers.
To be awarded a tuition waiver, students must be graduate degree-seeking students in good academic standing. These awards may be based on academic merit and/or financial need. They are available to both resident and non-resident graduate students. The application process for tuition waivers is available through the academic program.
What is a graduate assistantship?
Graduate assistantships (GAs) are an outstanding way to fund graduate education while simultaneously developing professional skills. Graduate assistants perform vital teaching, research, and service duties to their program and earn a stipend for their work.
To be awarded a graduate assistantship, students must be graduate degree-seeking students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students that are conditionally admitted to a graduate program due to a GPA below 3.0 upon admission are not eligible to receive a graduate assistantship.
All graduate assistants with an appointment of 10 or more hours per week are considered residents for tuition purposes during the term of appointment. The application process for graduate assistant positions is available through the academic program or service unit.
The Graduate Student Orientation is available in the student’s Canvas portal, under the Learning @NAU: Graduate Student Orientation shell.
Graduate assistantship benefits
Full-time (20 hours/week) graduate assistantships offer:
- 100% tuition remission (excluding any university and program fees)
- *For online students, tuition payment is capped at 9 credits per semester. Talk to your GA coordinator to learn if further tuition coverage can be offered departmentally.
- a waiver of the student health insurance premium
- please visit NAU SHIP to explore insurance plan eligibility
- stipend
- The minimum stipends for 20-hour GAs are as follows:
- $15,000 for masters level students
- $18,000 for doctoral level students
Part-time (10 hours/week) offer:
- 50% tuition remission (excluding any university and program fees)
- stipend
Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Waiver FAQs
Graduate assistantships and tuition waivers are highly sought out awards which leaves new and incoming students with many great questions! Please review our Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Waiver FAQ page for the answers to our most common questions.
NAU graduate student job opportunities non-benefit eligible
Postings under this section are not graduate assistantships meaning they do not come with tuition remission benefits. With that said, university-wide offices reach out to the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies with positions that hold excellent opportunities for gaining valuable experience, working on campus, and increasing professional development.
Looking for a graduate assistantship position?
NAU teaching and research assistantships
Graduate teaching and research assistantship opportunities at NAU are offered through individual academic units and grant-funded programs. Students are encouraged to utilize the NAU Directory to connect with the graduate coordinator or department chair in their specific program area for detailed information on available assistantships.
NAU non-academic or “at-large” graduate assistantships
Non-academic graduate assistantships are available through many university-wide offices. They are awarded with stipends that vary by office, job duties, and degree-level.
- Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIE+ Student Services (IMQ), Graduate Assistant (GSA) – Alliances Position Description, AY 2025-26
- Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIE+ Student Services (IMQ), Graduate Assistant (GSA) – Resources Position Description, AY 2025-26
- Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIE+ Student Services (IMQ), Graduate Assistant (GSA) – Community Position Description, AY 2025-26