Graduate assistants employed with the Texas A&M University College of Engineering or Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station are required to be enrolled full time with few exceptions. Learn about student registration requirements below.
Fall/Spring Enrollment
- Those hired in a position for graduate assistant research, graduate assistant teaching and graduate assistant non-teaching are required to be enrolled in nine hours in both fall and spring terms.
- Graduate assistant lecturers are required to be enrolled in at least one credit hour in both the fall and spring terms.
Summer Enrollment
- If you are a graduate assistant lecturer and employed at any point in the summer semester (first day of summer term to last day), you must be enrolled in at least one hour.
- If graduate assistant teaching and employed for only the summer session I or summer session II, you must be enrolled in a total of three hours in that specific term in which you are teaching.
- If you are graduate assistant teaching and employed for summer session I, any of summer session II or the 10-week session, you must be enrolled in six hours in any combination.
- If you are a graduate assistant researcher and employed at any point in the summer (first day of summer term to last day), you must be enrolled six hours regardless of if employed part of the summer and/or are going on leave without pay for an internship at any point.
If you are in a graduate assistant non-teaching position and employed at any point in the summer semester (first day of summer term to last day), you must be enrolled in a total of six hours regardless of if you are only being employed part of the summer and/or are going on leave without pay for an internship at any point.
| Graduate Assistant Title | Summer Employment Session | Minimum Registered Hours Required |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Assistant Lecturer [GAL] | Employed any portion of the summer semester | one |
| Graduate Assistant Teaching [GAT] | Employed only Summer Session I or II | three |
| Graduate Assistant Teaching [GAT] | Employed (Summer I AND II) or (10 week session) | six |
| Graduate Assistant Research [GAR] | Employed any portion of the summer semester | six |
| Graduate Assistant Non-Teaching [GANT] | Employed any portion of the summer semester | six |
For more information, see the Texas A&M University Office of Graduate and Professional Studies registration requirements for graduate assistants.
Q-Drops
Q-drops are allowable for graduate assistantships, as Texas A&M University does not mandate assistantships be terminated upon failure to maintain enrollment requirements after the census date. However, assistantships may be terminated by the employer/supervisor upon failure to maintain enrollment requirements if they so choose to seek that resolution.
Registration Deadline
In order to not be assessed a late registration fee, you must be enrolled prior to the first day of classes.
- Students who register on or after the first day of classes, but before the 13th day of classes (before the fourth class day for summer sessions) are assessed a $100 late registration fee.
- Students who register after the 12th class day are assessed a $200 late registration penalty (fourth class day for summer sessions).
- Students who add classes after the census date (12th class day for fall and spring term and fourth class day for summer sessions) are assessed the cost of the tuition and fees associated with the extra hours in addition to the $50 late add fee.
- For more information, see Texas A&M's Student Business Services billing and fee explanations.
A student may drop courses during the first five days of a fall or spring semester (first four days of a summer term). Students also may drop classes with special permission from the dean through the 12th class day of a fall, spring, or 10-week summer term. For more information regarding the impact of registration changes, see the Student Business Services adding, dropping and withdrawing webpage.