F.A.Q.

You can find the GSA budget here Board of Directors. The GSA fiscal year runs through August 1 st – July 31 st .

The university charges a separate broad-based fee, which is different from the GSA fee. In addition, our fee is separate from the international student fee, which goes to ISSS and other related services. Our fee is currently on the lower end of student activity fees; for example, the Student Association (undergraduates) and the professional schools (dental, pharmacy, medical, law, management) each charge about $100 a semester. Other GSAs across the SUNY system also tend to charge about $100, and oftentimes offer less conference and research funding than we do.

If you live more than 75 miles away or face significant financial hardship, you can apply for a fee waiver for the GSA fee here: Fee Waiver Application

Based on the current budget, each member on the E-Board receives an annual stipend of $20,000. Elections for E-board positions are in April, and their terms begin June 1 and run for 12 months. The E-board tends to work between 15-25 hours per week. The staff, depending on their position and requirements, make between $13,000 – $14,500. These positions are usually filled between July and August, which also run for 12 months. They tend to work between 10-15 hours per week. All positions are advertised through the GSA newsletter, on our website, and through the departmental Graduate Student clubs.

GSA advocates for graduate student needs on a daily basis, but much of it happens behind closed doors. We meet with the Graduate School once a month, and ask for meetings with anybody in the university administration on a needs basis. For example, if you have a problem with on-campus housing, with UB transportation, with one of your professors, or with the lack of services for your needs, you can come to us and we will find the right person to talk to about your issue. Further, the GSA President can and should also advocate for larger issues, such as increasing TA/GA/RA pay, better parking, support for parenting students, more professionalization assistance from UB, more support for online and long-distance students, better integration for international students, and of course always oppose unjustified fee increases. If you have noticed an issue that UB and the GSA do not pay adequate attention to, please tell us! Maybe we are already advocating for it behind the scenes, or maybe we just haven’t noticed yet that the issue exists. Most importantly: get involved by emailing gsa-president@buffalo.edu so that we know how to better serve you.

The GSA Editorial Service provides free graduate student professional editors to all fee-paying graduate students. We are a copy-editing service and, as part of our service, we provide explanatory comments in Microsoft Word Track Changes that elaborate on recommendations, note difficult phrasing, and describe grammatical patterns tailored to each student’s individual needs. In addition, we are always happy to answer specific questions over email or in-person by appointment. We also offer several writing workshops a semester. You can find more information about the GSA Editorial Services here Editorial Assistance Program. The Center for Excellence in Writing, on the other hand, provides writing tutors that do not offer line/copy-editing. Although the CEW caters heavily towards the undergraduate population, graduate students may also make appointments with their tutors.

Online fee-paying graduate students can make use of most of the GSA services: conference funding, MDRF funding, editorial assistance (through the editorial website and email), as well as the advocacy work that we offer for all on and off-campus fee-paying graduate students.

MDRF can award up to $35,000 each grant cycle. The number of grant recipients varies based on how many applications are received, as well as how much each student asks for in relation to his or her degree program.

Most events that SA organizes are fully funded by SA fees, and as a graduate student you do not pay the SA fee. Sometimes we are able to co-sponsor an event, and then you can get a free ticket.

Yes, there will always be vegetarian options at events with food.

The Programming Coordinator generally checks the area where the group was and will bring anything that is found back to the GSA office. You can contact the office during normal business hours to ask if an item has been found or email the Programming Coordinator at gsa-programming@buffalo.edu.