For the most up-to-date information about the impact of the Wisconsin budget repair and budget bills on employees, including graduate students, click here.
Q: Will our Teaching Assistant, Program/Project Assistant, Research Assistant, and Graduate School fellowship salaries remain the same in the future?
A: Assuming the budget repair bill is enacted, the TAA will continue to bargain with the Office of State Employment Relations (OSER) over TA and PA "wages." If we become an authority, the Board of Trustees will bargain over “wages” with the TAA instead of OSER. In either case, future wage increases will be limited to the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Research Assistant and Graduate School Fellow stipends will continue to be reviewed and established annually by the Graduate School Academic Planning Council.
Q. What does/will health insurance cost for grad assistants and Graduate School fellows?
A: The grad assistant or Graduate School fellow portion of the health insurance premiums currently is:
Current Monthly Grad Asst Premium |
Tier 1 HMOs |
Tier 2 Standard Plan Assigned to Work out of State |
Tier 3 Standard Plan |
TAs and PAs |
$15.50 |
$34.50 |
$82.00 |
TAs and PAs |
$39.00 |
$86.50 |
$206.00 |
RAs Single Coverage |
$18.00 |
$39.50 |
$94.00 |
RAs Family Coverage |
$44.50 |
$99.00 |
$235.50 |
If the budget repair bill is enacted, grad assistant or Graduate School fellow premiums will increase to:
Proposed Monthly Grad Asst Premium |
Tier 1 HMOs |
Tier 2 Standard Plan Assigned to Work out of State |
Tier 3 Standard Plan |
TAs, PAs, and RAs |
$42.00 |
$61.00 |
$113.00 |
TAs, PAs, and RAs |
$104.00 |
$153.50 |
$283.50 |
The higher health insurance premiums were supposed to be deducted starting with the April 29, 2011 paycheck. However, enactment of the bill is on hold under a restraining order issued by the courts. At this time it is unknown when/if the higher premiums will start. If the bill is enacted before the end of the spring semester, then it may impact grad assistants or Graduate School fellows who have “May Multiple” deductions.
Q. What are “May Multiple” deductions and how do they affect me?
A: Academic year based grad assistants or Graduate School fellows who are expected to return to employment in the fall will have four insurance premiums (health, dental, life, etc) deducted from their June 1 paychecks (payment for May), the final paycheck of the academic year. These “May Multiple” deductions allow the employee to maintain insurance coverage through the summer. Premium deduction then automatically resumes from the following October 1 paycheck (payment for September).
It is possible that the higher proposed premiums will start with June 1, 2011 paycheck. Depending on your salary / stipend, this could leave you with a smaller than expected net paycheck. Local Credit Unions provide short-term loans with no interest to their members. You may wish to contact your financial institution for assistance.
Q. Will tuition remission for assistantships continue as is permitted now?
A: Yes. Please see Provost and Graduate School message to graduate students: http://budget.wisc.edu/budget-news/clarification-on-tuition-remission/
Q. Will graduate tuition continue to increase?
A: Yes, graduate tuition will likely increase, but to what degree is unknown at this time. We would anticipate knowing the tuition amount for 2011-12 in July 2011.
Q: If I have been offered a multiple-year funding commitment, is it at risk?
A: The University and its departments make multi-year funding offers to graduate students in full awareness that they must be fulfilled. The contingencies that accompany such offers characteristically focus on satisfactory academic progress, not cost issues. If expenses to fulfill offers exceed original projections, or if revenues fall short, the characteristic way to respond is to cut back the number of future offers, not to rescind commitments already made. The University and its departments honor their funding commitments to students.
Q. Given the budget, can the university recruit/retain faculty? I want to keep my faculty mentor.
A: Many universities are struggling in these budgetary times. We will continue to compete hard to recruit and retain faculty, and will use the full range of tools at our disposal to do so. We track and assess our success rate in faculty recruitment and retention, and create new creative tools to improve them. In spite of the challenges we face, we remain attractive in many respects, because we are a leading university with a strong research profile, an exceptionally bright student community, a staff of quality professionals, and a strong tradition of civic engagement.
Q. Where can I go for more information?
A: Here are several sources for further information:
UW Madison Office of Human Resources Benefits Services (for insurance and benefits questions): benefits@ohr.wisc.eduUW-Madison and the State Budget: http://budget.wisc.edu/
FAQs on TA/PA Collective Bargaining: http://budget.wisc.edu/budget-news/employee-benefit-and-retirement-faq/#tapa
New Badger Partnership FAQs: http://budget.wisc.edu/new-badger-partnership-faq/
Wheeler Report (A daily summarization of statewide news stories and editorials concerning state government – including the biennial budget): http://www.thewheelerreport.com/
WisPolitics.com (A Wisconsin political news service): http://wispolitics.com/
Posted May 9, 2011
