USF Graduate Assistants Face Pay Freeze Until July
The university denied requested stipend talks, citing a budget that is not yet finalized, leaving staff to cover rising living costs without wage adjustments.
By Harper Laurent ·
University of South Florida graduate assistants will not negotiate pay raises for the 2026-2027 academic year until at least July. The administration told the Graduate Assistants Union (GAU) that the Board of Trustees has not authorized increases. This decision leaves staff waiting for budget finalization before any wage discussions can occur.
GAU president Tessa Barber stated that the university denied the union’s request for stipend bargaining last week. She explained that the union signed an agreement with the university last year, believing they would negotiate pay for the current school year. When the negotiation window opened this month, the university’s team cited the lack of board authorization for raises.
Barber noted that more than a quarter of classes at USF are taught by graduate students. These assistants also generate hundreds of millions of dollars through research. Despite this contribution, she said the university is leaving members financially behind. She highlighted that housing, food, and gas prices are rising while pay remains stagnant.
“Housing prices are going up, costs of living are going up, food prices, gas prices,” Barber said. “But our pay has remained stagnant. It hasn’t even kept up with inflation. So graduate assistants are experiencing food and housing insecurity.”
Graduate assistants are generally required to work a minimum of 40 hours per week on learning and teaching. Many also hold service industry jobs to supplement their income. Barber said the university has begun cracking down on outside employment, making it harder for assistants to work elsewhere without fear of job loss.
USF President Moez Limayem told students at a town hall this year that graduate assistant stipends are not high enough. However, he also stated that assistants are “not supposed to live on” their stipends. The GAU, which unionized in 1980, faces a new legal hurdle. State law SB 1296 now requires half of all workers to vote in a union election for it to be valid. A staff analysis by the legislature found the law could violate the state Constitution.
The next bargaining session is open to the public. It is scheduled for 10 a.m. on November 13 on the USF campus.
