Other Employment

If you are working as a graduate assistant, we generally do not recommend that you take on an additional job. You will need the approval your department chair to accept off-campus employment, and you will need the approval from both your department chair and the Graduate School dean to accept an additional on-campus position.

One thing to note: If you take on an on-campus job in addition to being a graduate assistant, you will likely have FICA (Social Security) taxes deducted from your graduate assistant stipend. Normally, graduate assistants are exempt from FICA and Medicare taxes. However, if your additional job is for 10 hours or less per week at the student wage, you will remain exempt from FICA and Medicare taxes.

If you are approved to work at Ball State at the professional level, you will be reclassified as a faculty member, and all wages including your stipend will be subject to FICA and Medicare taxes.