I gave notice for my TA job and University is threatening to charge me $8000

[Anonymous]

I got a job offer that starts in 2 weeks. The University says now that I will no longer be a TA they will charge me $8000. My dissertation defense is scheduled in 3 weeks. Can they really do this?

[Anonymous]

What does your contract state?

[Anonymous]

Op here: $8000 is University tuition. They say because I'm no longer a ta I have to pay this fee.

[Anonymous]

Depends on what it says in your contract or employee handbook. At the least, I think they'd be open to making you pay a prorated amount for the remainder of the semester you're not a TA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here: $8000 is University tuition. They say because I'm no longer a ta I have to pay this fee.

You have to check your contact, but most likely they can. Usually those kinds of benefits are conditioned upon actually doing the job for a specified period of time, to keep people from accepting the job, taking the money and then bailing. Just like you're trying to do here.

[Anonymous]

Isn't being a TA part of the overall package for PhD students in exchange for free tuition? So it doesn't seem totally surprising.

[Anonymous]

Yes they can charge you. You're a TA in exchage for tuition, correct?

[Anonymous]

Can you ask the new employer if you can start a week or two later?

[Anonymous]

You just quit as a TA at the start of the semester? Didn't you think that would be problematic for the school to replace?

[Anonymous]

They almost certainly can. Check your contract.

[Anonymous]

If you're not working to pay for the cost of tuition then yes they can charge you tuition. Why would they give you a free semester?

Can you make the TA job work?

[Anonymous]

Yeah, they definitely can. You're not fulfilling your contract of being a TA in lieu of tuition.

You're going to either have to come up with $8k or see if your potential employer will allow you to start working after the semester ends (doubtful).

Most people use the time after they defend their dissertation to look for jobs while still fulfilling their TA obligations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got a job offer that starts in 2 weeks. The University says now that I will no longer be a TA they will charge me $8000. My dissertation defense is scheduled in 3 weeks. Can they really do this?

Also, your job offer isn't contingent upon a successful dissertation defense? Usually they don't hire until after the PhD. becomes official.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got a job offer that starts in 2 weeks. The University says now that I will no longer be a TA they will charge me $8000. My dissertation defense is scheduled in 3 weeks. Can they really do this?

Also, your job offer isn't contingent upon a successful dissertation defense? Usually they don't hire until after the PhD. becomes official.

You don't know what OP's job offer is. There are plenty of places that would hire an ABD.

[Anonymous]

Yet another example of how people in academia have no understanding of the real world.