Rice University Policy No. 305

TUITION REMISSION

Policy Overview:  

Rice University charges tuition remission on amounts paid to graduate students who provide services to the university as research assistants or teaching assistants as part of their enrollment at the University. This policy applies regardless of the funding source.

Implementation:  

Tuition remission is a mechanism to recover the cost to the University of providing tuition waivers to graduate students who provide services to the university as research assistants (RA) or teaching assistants (TA). In accordance with federal costing guidelines, the tuition remission rate at Rice is calculated annually based on pooled tuition waiver costs and stipends provided to graduate RAs and TAs and is charged as a percentage of compensation.

A graduate student may be appointed as a trainee/fellow or as a RA or TA, depending on his or her assignments. A trainee or fellow is not required to provide services to Rice; the appointment is to pursue a training program or course of study. A research or teaching assistant, who is appointed to such a position consistent with their enrollment at the University as a graduate student, provides services to Rice, for which he or she receives compensation. For RAs and TAs, the tuition remission charge will be applied against the funding source supporting the graduate student's compensation unless prohibited by the awarding agency regulations or specific award terms. If tuition remission costs cannot be charged to the funding source, the costs will be charged to the responsible department's unrestricted operating budget. The university establishes guidelines under which graduate students are eligible for tuition waivers provided by the university and procedures under which tuition remission is processed.

Office of Management and Budget Circular OMB A-21 allows for tuition remission support to be charged on the basis of the individual's participation in a project or activity. Associated tuition remission charges for all RAs and TAs are calculated as a percentage of compensation regardless of source of funding.

Policy No. 305 Issued: February 9, 2009

********************************************************************

Procedures:

Additional information about graduate student tuition remission procedures and links to federal circulars are available from the Research and Cost Accounting Office .