Advanced Opportunity Fellow (AOF) SA001

Fellow SA002

Trainee SA013

According to Graduate School policy, students must be enrolled full-time at a UW System institution to be eligible for a student assistant (SA) appointment. It is the responsibility of the hiring department/unit to verify full-time enrollment.

Fellows

• Fall & Spring:
• Non-Dissertators: 8 credits.
• Dissertators: 3 credits.
• Summer (General 8-Week Session - DHH):
• Non-Dissertators with 12-month/Annual appointments: 2 credits.
• Dissertators with 12-month/Annual appointments: 3 credits.
• Not pay-rolled over summer: No enrollment required.
• Pay-rolled during any part of summer: Must enroll in DHH session.

Trainees

• Fall & Spring:
• Non-Dissertators: 8–15 credits (including research or thesis credits).
• Dissertators: 3 credits.
• Summer (General 8-Week Session - DHH):
• Non-Dissertators: 2 credits.
• Dissertators: 3 credits.

Please note the enrollment requirements may be different for International Students, contact the International Student Services office for additional guidance. 

It’s important to understand the distinction between a stipend amount and a compensation rate (comp rate), as these two figures are not always the same for a given appointment.

• The stipend amount is the total amount of money a fellow or trainee will receive over the course of their appointment.
• The compensation rate is the academic year or annual salary rate assigned to the appointment in Workday. This rate is used to calculate the stipend amount based on the appointment’s duration and FTE (full-time equivalent).

When Are They the Same?

• If a 9-month (C-basis) appointment spans the full academic year, or a 12-month (A-basis) appointment spans the full calendar year, the stipend amount and compensation rate will be the same.

When Are They Different?

• If a 9-month (C-basis) appointment covers less than a full academic year, or a 12-month (A-basis) appointment covers less than a full calendar year, the stipend amount will differ from the compensation rate. In these cases, the stipend is prorated based on the actual length of the appointment.

The University supports graduate students in gaining teaching and research experience. As such, students holding Fellowships or Traineeships may hold concurrent appointments, provided these do not significantly delay progress toward their fellowship or degree goals.

• Approval Required: All concurrent appointments must be approved by the student’s major professor or academic advisor (sponsor) and the payroll-responsible department(s).
  
  
• Federal Compliance: Written policies are required to maintain eligibility for federal funding. Federal and other funding sources may limit allowable work (FTE) and supplemental earnings.

1. Concurrent Appointments and Compensation Limits

A. Student Assistant Appointments

• Total UW compensation (fellowship/traineeship + assistantship) must not exceed the full-time Research Assistant (RA) rate of the student’s academic home department.
• The academic home department may differ from the employing department (e.g., a Mathematics student employed in Chemistry).
• Approved program rates are listed on the Graduate Assistantships – Graduate School webpage.
• Refer to L&S Procedures on Fellowships and Traineeships under “Limitations on Supplementation.”

Note: Fellow, Trainee, and Scholar appointments are non-service and do not count toward FTE appointment limits.

B. Student Hourly Appointments

• Permitted, but must be included in the total compensation limit.

C. Academic and University Staff Appointments

• Require prior approval from the Graduate School.
• These appointments are not closely tied to student status and must be reviewed for compliance with fellowship/traineeship terms.
• Approval is required for any concurrent Academic Staff (AS), University Staff (US), or Limited (LI) appointments.

2. Registration Requirements

A. Academic Year

• Non-Dissertators: 8–15 graded credits (300-level or above), excluding pass/fail and audit.
• Dissertators: 3 credits directly related to dissertation research.

Students not enrolled full-time may face issues with visa eligibility, funding, and academic progress requirements.

B. Summer (Annual Appointments)

• Non-Dissertators: Minimum of 2 graded credits (300-level or above) during the 8-week general session.
• Dissertators: 3 dissertation-related credits during the 8-week general session.

3. Waivers and Exceptions

A. Waiver Policy

• If a donor’s policy allows higher supplementation than University policy, the University policy still applies unless a waiver is granted by the Graduate School Dean or designee.

B. Required Documentation

• Submit a Concurrent Appointment Waiver Request Form and the donor’s policy/terms.
• For concurrent academic or university staff appointments, use the Concurrent Appointment Waiver Request Form for Predoctoral Fellows and Trainees.
• Waivers must be requested annually.

4. Additional Conditions and Restrictions

These policies apply only to funds payrolled/administered through UW–Madison.

• Federal Restrictions:
  • Fellows/trainees funded by federal sources cannot hold concurrent teaching/project/research appointments also funded by federal sources.
  • Exceptions: Federal Work Study funds.
    
    
• NIH-Funded RAs:
  • Total cost (stipend + tuition remission + fringe) must not exceed the NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellow/trainee stipend + 21.7% fringe.
  • Find the current stipend scale here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-105.html
    
    
• International Students (F-1/J-1 Visas):
  • Limited to 20 hours/week (50% FTE) during the academic year for service SA roles.
    
    
• Departmental Restrictions:
  • Schools, colleges, and departments/units may impose stricter limits – consult for additional requirements.

5. Again 

If the graduate student has a fellowship/traineeship, graduate school policies limit total earnings in all combined appointments during the fellowship/traineeship (to no more than the full-time RA rate of the graduate student’s academic home department).  

See L&S Procedures on Fellowships and Traineeships under “Limitations on Supplementation of Fellowships/Traineeships”

Contact the graduate school Fellowship Office (funding@grad.wisc.edu) or the Student+ Team (studentplus@ls.wisc.edu) for assistance verifying supplementation limits to determine if the student will exceed the appointment limits.

Please note the registration requirements may be different for International Students, contact the International Student Services office for additional guidance. 

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Advanced Opportunity Fellows, Fellowships, and Traineeships each have a designated template, along with a separate template for reappointments. Every new appointment and reappointment requires an individualized letter, which must be reviewed and approved by the L&S Student+ Team.

Draft letters should adhere as closely as possible to the template. While departments/units and ART HR may include additional information specific to the appointment or their department/unit, any modifications must not imply guarantees, such as potential extensions.

Offer and reappointment letters must confirm whether the supervisor/mentor has secured funding for the full duration of the appointment. If full funding is not available, the letter should specify the duration of assured funding. Additionally, if the appointment is contingent on external funding (e.g., research grants, contracts, or training grants), the letter must explicitly state this, along with the funding end date, even if renewal is anticipated.

The date at the top of the letter should reflect the date on which the unit administrator or chair signs the final version before submission.

• Advanced Opportunity Fellow Offer Letter Template rev 7.1.2025
• Advanced Opportunity Fellow Reappointment Letter Template rev 7.1.2025
• Fellowship Offer Letter Template rev 7.1.2025
• Fellowship Reappointment Letter Template rev 7.1.2025
• Traineeship Offer Letter Template rev 7.1.2025
• Traineeship Reappointment Letter Template rev 7.1.2025

For questions, contact the department/unit Administrative Regional Team (ART) HR staff or the Student+ Team  at studentplus@ls.wisc.edu 

• Fellowship Administration Guide
• Graduate School Information on Fellowships
• Graduate School Information on Traineeships
• University of Wisconsin–Madison Policy for Supplementation and Concurrent Appointments for Graduate Students Holding Predoctoral Fellowships or Traineeships
• Trainee Fellow Payments  video
• Trainee Fellow Payment Solution PowerPoint
• Non-Service Appointment Policy
• Non-Service Job Aid Form
• Graduate School - Fellowship Administration Guide revised January 2023
• Policy on Traineeships