GRADUATE TUITION

INTERIM POLICY

Volume 3, Financial Management 
Chapter 13, Graduate Tuition 
Responsible Executive: Provost
Responsible Office: Dean of the Graduate School
Issued as Interim: July 15, 1998
Expiration Date: January 15, 2010
Updated: 2/25/99
Revised: 5/20/05
Errors or changes? Email us.

CONTENTS

POLICY STATEMENT

REASON FOR POLICY

ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

WHO SHOULD READ THIS POLICY

RELATED DOCUMENTS

CONTACTS

DEFINITIONS

OVERVIEW

POLICY STATEMENT

Cornell University charges a uniform tuition rate to all graduate students in a particular unit, but rates differ between units.

REASON FOR POLICY

The university has established uniform rates for graduate tuition to increase financial equity, reduce the impact of financial considerations on educational policy, improve support for research and graduate education, and increase uniformity across the university.

ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

WHO SHOULD READ THIS POLICY

RELATED DOCUMENT

CONTACTS

Direct any general questions about University Policy 3.13, Graduate Tuition, to your department's administrative office. If you have questions about specific issues, call the following offices:

DEFINITIONS

These definitions apply to these terms as they are used in this policy.

OVERVIEW

Introduction

Note: Unless otherwise specified, the following provisions apply only to students in Ph.D. programs or in Master's programs that are the necessary first step toward Ph.D. programs.

 Statutory

APPOINTMENTS ON STATUTORY FUNDS

Assistantships and Fellowships Paid On Statutory Accounts

Each contract college has policies and processes in place for providing support towards graduate tuition. Departments frequently partner with external funding sources via grants, gifts, or contracts. Fellowships typically provide a lump sum award, and are excluded from the example below. Unless the external funding source specifies a fixed rate or amount, 50% of the graduate tuition charge will be charged to the grant/contract and 50% will be supported by the contract college. Less than full-time assistantships may be prorated.

Procedure 1
Contract College Assistantships on Contract College Grants/Contracts with External Funding Sources
Example 1
GA/GRA/RA/TA appointments (Example tuition is $16,600 per academic year)

Units may choose to commit to cost sharing with the external funding source per the Cornell University institutional cost-share policy. Once committed, however, the obligation must be met in full even if the student is not appointed to the grant. For this reason, establishing a cost-sharing agreement is not recommended for providing student support with external funding sources.

Each contract college has in place policies and procedures for providing support toward tuition for students on fellowships. Any support should be negotiated with the college and, if appropriate, with the Graduate School in advance of committing support to the student.

Traineeships on Government-Funded Statutory Training Grants (Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

 For trainees appointed to government (United States federal, state, and local) sponsored statutory training grants, charge the training grant account the full amount of tuition and fees per trainee. If the grant provides less than full tuition and fees, Statutory Deans are responsible for the Dean's income portion of tuition and fees. If the grant provides more than the administrative fees plus SUNY income, this will reduce the amount for which the Dean is responsible. If the training grant does not provide sufficient funding to cover fees and the SUNY income, the Graduate School will provide the shortfall in fees from endowment income that is not charged back to the colleges.

Proposal Budgets

 In preparing proposal budgets for training grants, request full tuition and fees per trainee or the maximum allowed by the agency.

 Appointments

 Appoint trainees using an Award Recommendation Form. The form should show the training grant account number and the amount of tuition and fees provided by the training grant along with the balance of tuition and fees needed from the Dean. For students with a statutory chairperson, forward the Award Recommendation Form to the College Dean's office for approval and identification of the institutional support account. The Dean's office should then forward the form to the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Financial Aid. If your department appoints endowed students on statutory training grants, send the Award Recommendation Form directly to the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Financial Aid.

 Procedure 2
Traineeships on Government-Funded Statutory Training Grants

Traineeships on Non-Government-Funded Statutory Training Grants (Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

 The university will not automatically provide institutional support towards tuition and fees for traineeship appointments on non-government funds. Departments are responsible for obtaining funding for shortfalls in tuition and fees. They may wish to negotiate with their College Dean's office for any shortfall.

 Appointments

 Students are charged full tuition and fees; the Award Recommendation Form generates the entry to credit the student's bursar bill. Process the award for the entire amount of tuition and fees that will be covered by all sources of funds.

APPOINTMENTS ON ENDOWED FUNDS

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) on Endowed Grants and Contracts

 The university will provide funds to cover a portion of tuition in an amount equal to that provided by the grant or contract for both statutory and endowed students paid on endowed grants and contracts. This will normally result in one-half of the tuition costs for GRA tuition being charged to the grant/contract and one-half being provided by the university.

Proposal Budgets

 In preparing proposal budgets, request one-half of full tuition for each Graduate Research Assistant.

 Departments may choose to commit in their proposals the other half of the tuition cost as institutional cost sharing. However, once cost sharing is committed, the obligation must be met in full, even if a graduate student is not appointed to the grant. Prorate tuition budgets for less than full time assistantships. Appointments

 Graduate students are charged full tuition. The appointment generates the entry to credit the student's bursar bill, and results in a full tuition charge to the grant; the accounting system automatically places a credit on the grant/contract for half of the amount charged. Therefore, on the appointment form and consolidated billing form indicate twice the amount of tuition to be covered by the grant/contract.

 Accounting for Tuition

 Graduate Research Assistant tuition entries (object code 427X) posted to endowed accounts (fund groups 471 or 473) that also have a function code of 410, 43X or 440, will be eligible for automatic institutional tuition support. The institutional support entry will be posted to the grant/contract account using salary object code 477X. The institutional support transaction will appear each month on payroll reports as part of the Graduate Research Assistant's payroll entry. The entry will equal 50% of the total Graduate Research Assistant tuition charges and credits that hit the account that month. The difference between the net tuition charges/credits and the institutional support entry is the final tuition cost to the grant/contract.

 Procedure 3
GRA Paid on Endowed Grant/Contract
 

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) on Endowed Gifts, Endowment Income, and Designated Funds (Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

 Institutional tuition support from the university for endowed Graduate Research Assistant appointments on these funds is not an entitlement. Departments should seek supplementary tuition funding, if necessary, from other sources. They may also choose to negotiate with the Graduate School for institutional support. These negotiations should be made in advance of committing support to the student.

 Appointments

 Students are charged full tuition, and the appointment generates the entry to credit the student's bursar bill. The university does not automatically provide institutional support for Graduate Research Assistant appointments on these funds. Therefore, process the appointment for the entire amount of tuition that will be covered by these funds. If, however, the Graduate School agrees to provide institutional support, it will process a payment for the negotiated amount of tuition and the department does not need to submit additional paperwork.

 Procedure 4
Endowed GRA on Endowed Gifts, Endowment Income, and Designated Funds (Ph.D., M./Ph.D.)

Assistantships Other than Graduate Research Assistantships on Endowed Grants and Contracts, Gifts, Endowment Income, and Designated Funds (Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

 Institutional tuition support from the university on assistantship (TA, RA, EA, GA, VA) appointments on these funds is not an entitlement. Departments should seek supplementary tuition funding, if necessary, from other sources. They may also choose to negotiate with the Graduate School for institutional support. These negotiations should be made in advance of committing support to the student.

 Appointments

 Students are charged full tuition, and the appointment generates the entry to credit the student's bursar bill. The university does not automatically provide institutional support for assistantship appointments on these funds. Therefore, process the appointment for the entire amount of tuition that will be covered by these funds. If, however, the Graduate School agrees to provide institutional support, it will process a payment for the negotiated amount of tuition and the department does not need to submit additional paperwork.

 Procedure 5
Assistantships Other than GRAs on Endowed Grants/Contracts, Gifts, Endowment Income, and Designated Funds (Ph.D., M./Ph.D.)
 

Assistantships on Appropriated Funds

 There is no institutional support towards tuition costs for assistantship (TA, GRA, RA, EA, GA, VA) appointments on appropriated funds.

 Appointments

 Students are charged full tuition, and the appointment generates the entry to credit the student's bursar bill. Process the appointment for the entire amount of tuition that will be covered by these funds.

 Procedure 6
Assistantships Paid on Endowed Appropriated Funds
 

Example 6.1
Assistantship Paid on Appropriated Funds (full tuition for example is $22,780)
 

Traineeships and Fellowships on Government-Funded Endowed Training Grants and Fellowship Awards (Ph.D. and M/Ph.D.)

 The university will provide funds to cover the difference between the amount the agency will provide for tuition per trainee or fellow and the institution's full tuition rate for trainees and fellows appointed to government (United States federal, state, and local) funded endowed training grants and fellowship awards.

 Proposal Budgets

 In preparing proposal budgets for training grants, request full tuition per trainee or the maximum allowed by the agency.

 Appointments

 Trainees and Fellows are typically appointed using an Award Recommendation Form processed through the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Financial Aid. On the form, record an amount of tuition equal to the amount funded by the training grant or fellowship. Clearly mark the form as either a government training grant or fellowship award, in order to initiate the Graduate School's institutional support entry. If your departments appoints students with a statutory chairperson on endowed training grants or fellowships, send the Award Recommendation Form to the appropriate Statutory Dean's office for approval and identification of the institutional support account. The Dean's office should then send the form to the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Financial Aid.

 The Graduate School will process a payment for the balance of tuition not covered by the training grant or fellowship and the department does not need to submit further paperwork. The combination of these two transactions will cover the student's entire tuition bill.

 Whenever possible, appoint students for the entire year rather than semester by semester. If tuition funds are saved on a student because he or she registers in absentia, the amount of institutional support provided by the Graduate School will decrease. This assumes that the maximum tuition the grant allows per student has not already been fully utilized.

 Procedure 7
Traineeships/Fellowships on Government-Funded Endowed Training Grants and Fellowship Awards (Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

Example 7.1
Endowed Trainee/Fellow Paid on Government-Funded Endowed Training Grant or Fellowship (full tuition for example is $22,780)

Traineeships and Fellowships on Non-Government Endowed Funds (Foundations, Corporate Gifts, Endowment Income, Foreign Government, Designated, Etc.; Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

 Institutional tuition support from the university for traineeship or fellowship appointments on non-government (including foreign government, foundation, and corporate) endowed funds is not an entitlement. Departments should seek supplementary tuition funding, if necessary, from other sources. Departments may choose to negotiate with the Graduate School for institutional support. These negotiations should be made in advance of committing support to the students.

 Proposal Budgets

 If a proposal budget is required for training grants and fellowship awards from these funds, request full tuition or the maximum allowed by the agency.

 Appointments

 Trainees and Fellows are typically appointed using an Award Recommendation Form processed through the Office of Fellowships and Financial Aid. Be certain that the amount of tuition recorded on the form is equal to the amount funded by the training grant or fellowship. If the Graduate School agrees to provide institutional support, it will process a payment for the negotiated amount of tuition and the department does not need to submit additional paperwork.

Whenever possible, appoint students for the entire year as opposed to semester by semester. If tuition funds are saved on a student because he or she registers in absentia, the amount of institutional support provided by the Graduate School will decrease. This assumes that the maximum tuition the grant allows per student has not already been fully utilized.

 Procedure 8
Traineeships and Fellowships on Endowed Non-Government Funds (Ph.D. and M./Ph.D.)

Fellowships Administered By the Graduate School

ENDOWED NON-DEGREE STUDENTS

General Comments

 In general, the following guidelines apply:

SELF-SUPPORTING STATUTORY AND ENDOWED GRADUATE STUDENTS

General Comments

Applying for 'Grandfathering'

 Note: Partial tuition fellowships are not available on a retroactive basis.

 If a student successfully applies for the equivalent of reduced tuition, full tuition at either the endowed or statutory rate will still be charged to the student's Bursar account. On the endowed side, the Graduate School will receive sufficient funding to provide partial tuition fellowships to cover the difference between the full and reduced level of tuition. The Office of Graduate Fellowships and Financial Aid will be responsible for posting the fellowship to the student's account. Statutory students will need to contact their Director of Graduate Studies who will be responsible for asking the college dean to waive (pay) the difference between full and reduced level tuition.
 

Determining What Must Be Paid By the Department, the Student, and the Graduate School or the College

 Caution: The tuition portion of internally funded assistantships cannot be used for any other purpose, including stipends.

 A similar calculation should be used to determine the split on tuition for statutory 'grandfathered' students being partially supported on a teaching assistantship or research assistantship. The key differences will be the base full tuition rate and who is responsible for paying the balance of tuition not covered by the student and the department.