Employee Benefits
Employees Covered Under the Graduate Assistant Benefits Package
If you are in this group, you are considered unclassified, but you are not eligible for coverage under the Wisconsin Retirement System, either because you are not expected to work for one year or for the minimum percent of full-time, or because your position is excluded by state statute.
To be eligible for insurance and other benefits you must have an eligible university appointment
- Eligible short-term academic staff employees must be appointed for less than one year but at least one semester (6 months for year-round positions) and for at least 28% of full-time (21% for year-round positions). If you have a short-term academic staff appointment, you may qualify for WRS coverage and additional benefits later in the future.
- Visiting Faculty and Academic Staff must meet the same minimum time and duration standards as short-term academic employees. If you are on leave from another educational institution, state law excludes you from WRS coverage for the first twelve months of UW employment. However, your health insurance premiums are the same as for WRS-covered employees if your appointment is for at least one year.
- Eligible Student Assistant and Employee-in-Training employees are those who are appointed to work for at least one semester (6 months for year-round positions), and for at least 33% of full-time. Eligible job titles include: Research Assistant, Fellow, Advanced Opportunity Fellow, Scholar, Trainee, Grad Intern/Trainee, Post Doc Trainee, Research Associate, Research Intern, Postgrad Trainee/1-7, Intern (Non-Physician), Teaching Assistant, Program Assistant, Project Assistant, Graduate Assistant.
Undergrad Assistants and Interns have a more limited array of benefits.
For information about enrollment deadlines, links to benefit enrollment applications and benefit eligibility, go to the Enrollment Deadline page. View an online Benefits Summary to learn more about your benefits.
Not all employees covered under the Graduate Assistant benefits package are eligible for all benefits within the package. Some benefits are restricted to certain employee classes. See Enrollment Deadline page for eligibility restrictions. Benefits in the Graduate Assistant benefits package include:
Health Insurance and Health-Related Benefits
State Group Health Insurance (for graduate assistants and short-term academic staff)
EPIC Excess Dental and Major Medical Insurance (includes EyeMed Vision Discount Plan)
Life Insurance
Individual and Family Life Insurance
UW Employees Inc. Life Insurance
University Insurance Association (UIA) (mandatory for all academic staff and Research Associates who meet the minimum salary standard)
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Life Insurance (includes Zurich Travel Assistance)
Employee Reimbursement Account
Retirement and Savings Programs
Social Security and Medicare coverage (unless you are exempt due to student status)
The Tax-Sheltered Annuity Program
Wisconsin Deferred Compensation Program
EdVest (College Education Savings Plan)
Pre-tax Parking Fees and Bus Passes
For More Information
Read more about unclassified position titles in the Unclassified Titles Definition Book.
Read more about eligibility for Wisconsin Retirement System coverage.
This document was last revised on April 12, 2010
