A Question about Graduate Assistantship

[Jack Horner]

I realize that this probably depends a lot on the institution, but I'm hoping that some of your experiences can help me as I try to figure out how to move forward.

Recently, I was accepted at my number one choice with a very generous tuition fellowship (80%) for a masters program. Later that day, I received an e-mail saying that I was under consideration for a Graduate Assistantship that would cover 100% of my tuition costs and provide an annual stipend of ~$9k in exchange for a 20 hour/week administrative job at the school. Basically, it would be the equivalent of a part-time $15/hour job. Sounds great, especially considering the fact that I'll need to find a part-time job wherever I go.

I'm pretty sure that I can handle a part-time job and a full load of classes (I did it as an UG), but if I decide to drop the Graduate Assistantship after 1 year or if I'm dropped (unlikely, but possible), does that usually mean that I will lose any tuition assistance that has been offered previously (specifically, the 80% fellowship)? If so, it seems much safer to take the tuition fellowship and worry about finding employment that isn't tied to funding. Anyone have any similar experiences?