U1 Other Benefits

TA Advance

Carleton does not issue the first pay check to Teaching Assistants until the end of the first month of each term. Teaching Assistants holding a TA position of 130 hours can apply for the TA Advance, and receive short-term funding to help them bridge the gap in income. Via the TA Advance, you can receive up to $750 in the middle of the first month of the term. Any amount received via the Advance is repaid to Carleton through automatic deductions on your first three pay checks.

You can download the TA Advance application form here. Applications should be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Provost by email at: AlyssaLaird@cunet.carleton.ca

TA Priority Extension Form

Per Article 13.01 (a): When an Employee exhausts their priority terms, they may apply once to have their priority extended for one (1) term for Master’s Students and up to two (2) terms for Ph.D. Students.

The deadline to be considered for extensions for the Fall 2024 Term is August 1st.

If you wish to apply, fill out the form and submit to your program department via email with the subject line “TA Priority Extension”. The Department will provide the required information and submit the form to the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will either approve, partially approve, or deny the request for priority extension and submit the form and the decision to the Academic Relations Coordinator in the Office of the Deputy Provost.

The Academic Relations Coordinator will communicate the decision to the TA (e.g., approved, partially approved, or denied). If approved, the Academic Relations Coordinator will direct the Department to submit an in-program revision and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (FGPA) will be responsible for building the priority TA award(s) as approved by the Department and the Dean’s Office.

If you know you will be around for longer than the next term or two and want to be considered across multiple terms, make sure to indicate your flexibility in the written portion of the form.

Emergency Fund

The Emergency Fund is available to CUPE local 4600 Members who have experienced an unexpected hardship within the last three months resulting in financial emergency. This fund is available only to Members of the Local

In order to apply, you must be currently employed as a TA/RA/SA with some exceptions:
– those on approved medical leave
– those without a TAship during the summer months
– those who have held contract in the last 5 months

The Emergency Fund (Article 29) may be accessed for one of the following reasons:

(a) Unexpected situations that result in a need for emergency assistance (e.g., fire, flood, theft).
(b) Domestic violence and/or abuse situations that result in a need for emergency assistance.
(c) Unexpected and abrupt homelessness that results in a need for emergency assistance.
(d) Situations impacting personal health, psychological, or safety needs requiring emergency assistance.

For reasons (a) and (d), we ask that Members fill out the description section of the application form to describe the nature of the emergency and provide attachments of invoices, bills, overdue notices, or other relevant documentation.

For reasons (b) and (c), detailed explanation and documentation is NOT required, but Members may attach relevant documentation such as expenses, eviction notices, or brief descriptions of the financial emergency. If the applicant chooses to include a description, personal and/or sensitive information is not required.

See Guidelines for what does not qualify.

Apply to the fund here

If you have any questions, please reach out to vp.unit1@cupe4600.ca

Tuition Increase Assistance (TIA)

For more info on the TIA, see this page.

Gender Affirmation Fund