Fee Remission for Graduate Research Assistants

Tuition for graduate research assistantships (GRAs) must be directly charged to externally sponsored grants and contracts when the student's work is specifically tied to the work performed under those agreements.

1. When the sponsor allows tuition and stipends as expenses, all new and competitive renewal proposals for funding of research, public service, and instructional activities submitted by the University must include, within the sponsor request budget, the cost of any GRA student stipend(s) at a minimum of $850 per month, and the cost of tuition, for each supported GRA position listed in the proposal.  Tuition should be budgeted, at a minimum, at the level of in-state tuition cost for full-time WSU graduate students and escalated by 4% per year for multi-year proposed projects.
2. If the grant-supported GRA requires out-of-state tuition, the difference between the two rates must be supported by funds provided outside of the Vice Provost for Research's (VPR) Office (e.g., the PI's RIF, college dean's funds, or the like).

A.  Current awards/grandfathering

1. Tuition support currently provided to GRAs working under active grants or contracts, or budgeted and approved by the VPR in proposals submitted before July 1, 2021, will be honored to the extent committed and approved in the original sponsor and cost-share budgets or amendments.

B. Prior Approval

1. If a sponsor does not allow graduate student tuition costs (according to the sponsor's published guidelines), then other support for the cost (e.g., the PI's RIF, the college dean's funds, or the like) must be documented at the time the proposal is routed in Research and Sponsored Programs.  The minimum GRA stipend to be charged to the sponsor (currently $850 per month) must be included in the sponsor budget.
   
   Other circumstances may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.