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UC DAVIS: OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
June 6, 2006
DEANS, DIRECTORS, and DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
Re: Fee and Tuition Buy-Down Program for Extramurally Supported GSRs
As part of our continuing effort to improve graduate student support at
UC Davis, the campus will allocate funds effective July 1, 2006 to
partially buy down fees and tuition for GSRs supported on extramural
sources (referred to as GSR buy-down program). Under this program, the
campus will pay 25% of the required fees and tuition for a GSR paid
with extramural funds and the balance will be charged to the extramural
contract or grant. This program recognizes the burden associated with
the cost of supporting graduate students from research funds and
responds to faculty concerns on this matter.
For 2006-07, this GSR buy-down program will result in a savings to a
faculty member's research award of approximately $2,300 for a California
resident and $6,000 for a nonresident GSR over three quarters. This new
GSR fee and tuition buy-down program will be on-going and the savings
will be set each year at 25% of then current fee and tuition costs.
Staff from Graduate Studies, Accounting and Financial Services, and the
Office of Resource Management and Planning have developed an
implementation plan. During the first year, a rebate of 25% of the fee
and tuition expense for each research account will be calculated and
credited monthly through DaFIS. This process will be implemented during
fall 2006. No action by department or program staff will be necessary
for the credit to post and it will be visible to DaFIS end users via
existing reports.
The Sponsored Programs Office has advised investigators that any proposal
submitted to Sponsored Programs that includes GSR tuition or fees payment
should only include 75% of the fee and tuition amounts as the amount
requested from extramural funds.
For GSRs funded from non-extramural funds (such as State General Funds,
gift funds or other campus funds), 100% of the applicable fees and
nonresident tuition will be charged to the fund source that pays the
GSR's salary.
In addition to the UC Davis buy-down program, The Regents have proposed
that Nonresident Tuition (NRT) for doctoral students who have advanced to
candidacy be eliminated effective July 1, 2006. This change is equivalent
to an investment of approximately $1.5 million at UC Davis alone. However,
this policy will not be final until the 2006-07 State Budget Act is
approved, probably in July. To be eligible for the Nonresident Tuition
exemption in a given quarter, a doctoral candidate must have advanced to
candidacy prior to the first day of that quarter.
Qualified students are exempt from NRT for three years after advancement
to candidacy. Students who have not completed their doctorate after the
three-year period and who remain enrolled students, will be assessed the
full NRT in effect at that time.
As you know, graduate student support remains a challenge, and the campus
is fully committed to investing in this critical area. As additional funds
become available in future years, the campus will explore the possibility
of allocating additional funds to increase the buy-down percentage.
Likewise, the campus is also committed to investing in graduate student
support in programs where few GSRs are employed. As with all major campus
budget decisions, future investments in graduate student support will be
evaluated as part of annual campus budget planning and will include
consultation with the Academic Senate and various administrative offices.
However, given the limited availability of new State funds, we also must
seek other fund sources to improve graduate student support. Campus
fundraising and expanding Federal training grants that support graduate
students are key elements of a comprehensive plan to invest in graduate
student support.
Virginia S. Hinshaw
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
06-064
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