GRADUATE ASSISTANCE FUND:
For GE’s experiencing a life situation requiring financial assistance for: pregnancy, birth of a child, child care expenses, care for a medical condition, caregiving for a dependent’s medical condition, loss of a dependent, unexpected housing displacement, you may be eligible for the “Graduate Assistance Fund.”
This fund was established through contract negotiations with between the UO and the GTFF Union. The UO’s Division of Graduate Studies administers the fund and application process.
TO APPLY, go to the site here.
PAID LEAVE OREGON (P.L.O.):
GE’s are eligible for 12 weeks paid family and medical leave under Oregon law. You can check out the state’s site about it, here.
The highlights: if you need to take leave from your GE position for medical or family reasons, and have been approved for the PLO, you get:
12 weeks of pay (salary is based on a formula, and it will be equivalent, but not exactly what you get as a GE)
To retain your subsidized GTFF insurance. i.e., your insurance continues as it would if you were working as a GE.
Note: for pregnancy or birth you may be approved for an additional 2 weeks of paid leave with insurance.
P.L.O. is administered for the UO (the employer) by a company called “Unum.” Unum will be the ones sending you your paychecks.
To apply for P.L.O., click here.
Couple things to consider:
- you can take partial leave, you do not need to use the full 12 weeks. If you use, for example, 6 weeks, you may use the remaining 6 weeks any time within a year from the point of your initial leave beginning.
- If you are planning on taking leave straddling two separate academic terms, but do not come back to finish the remaining portion of your second academic term the leave occurs—CHECK WITH GLENN. He works closely with the Graduate Division to determine if you are eligible to retain the insurance coverage if you do not come back to finish the term.