In addition to the bi-weekly stipend distribution that will take effect next year, graduate students could also be seeing a 2.5 percent increase in their stipends.
This would be the third year that graduate students have seen an increase in their stipends. Stipend amounts vary among all graduate students depending on their area of study and the degree they are pursuing. Stipend amounts could range from about $3,500 to $11,000 per year.
“With a master’s, it’s below the poverty level,” said Graduate Student Senate President Tracy Kelly at Monday’s meeting.
The increase would match the faculty members’ increase in stipends.
The money that would potentially go toward the increase would be allocated to the deans of each college. They would then decide whether to allocate the funds for hiring additional graduate assistance in specific departments or higher graduate stipends overall.
In the past, GSS has been heavily involved in the increase of stipends for graduate students. Last year, they managed to extend the 1.66 percent faculty stipend increase to graduate assistants after passing a unanimous resolution for their inclusion.
“If you as graduate students have a strong feeling about how that money should be allocated, I would strongly recommend that you reach out to your deans,” Kelly said.
The budget planning council will determine the recommendations for the university’s budget regarding the increase. The recommendations will then go to the president and the OU Board of Trustees for approval.
“I’m very happy,” Kelly said. “That was one of the things I wanted to see this year.”
hm156809@ohiou.edu
