Changes to How Nine-Month Faculty and Graduate Assistants Are Paid to Begin in August 2026

Slight adjustments to how faculty and graduate assistants with 9-month appointments are paid will begin in August 2026 to help make payroll processes more efficient.

Starting in August 2026, faculty and graduate assistants who have 9-month appointments will receive an additional paycheck in mid-August to align with the beginning of their appointment period.  With this change, 9-month faculty and graduate assistants will receive 19 paychecks throughout the course of their appointment instead of 18 paychecks.

This new pay schedule will allow the University of Arkansas to pay faculty and graduate assistants immediately instead of the past model that paid in fixed installments regardless of appointment dates.

With this new payroll schedule, faculty and graduate assistants with 9-month appointments will receive their first check on August 14, 2026, for work completed August 10-14. Regular semi-monthly pay will continue through May 2027, with a final check for work completed in early May (May 1-9). No action is required from faculty or graduate assistants, and total compensation remains unchanged.

Nine-month appointed faculty and graduate assistants can visit the Payroll website for more information. For questions, contact payroll services at payroll@uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.