Tuition

Graduate student tuition is an allowable cost under Uniform Guidance, §200.466. But it’s essential to review a sponsor’s solicitation for any specific limitations regarding tuition. Graduate student fees may also be allowable if expressly permitted by the sponsoring program, such as federal fellowship awards (see Student Fees Memo). Both costs should be budgeted in the “Other Direct Costs” category. Tuition and fees are excluded from the university’s Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) base for determining indirect costs, aka facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, and do not generate F&A. Tuition and fees are charged on a per-semester basis; budget two semesters for a full year of student support.

In-state tuition should be budgeted in all proposals where there is an in-state graduate assistant budgeted. In all proposals containing an out-of-state graduate assistant, in-state tuition costs and a partial nonresident graduate tuition remission match (GTRM) must be included. The GTRM is calculated as 25% of the difference between out-of-state and in-state tuition. Without the GTRM, the sponsor would have to pay the student’s entire out-of-state tuition amount. If you don’t know whether the graduate assistant will be an in-state or out-of-state student, the conservative approach is to budget for an out-of-state student; if it’s determined that the student selected is an in-state student, NC State University will not seek reimbursement for the difference between out-of-state tuition and in-state tuition nor the GTRM.

Current tuition rates and projected tuition rates for the next academic semester may be found on the Cashier’s Office website. Tuition rates and any increase in the cost of tuition are first set by the UNC Board of Governors and then approved by formal passage of an appropriations bill in the North Carolina General Assembly. The inflation factor recommended for tuition and fees is currently 10% each new project year.

The Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP) is a highly competitive support package developed by the Graduate School as a way to attract high-caliber students to NC State University. Under the GSSP, graduate students supported on a teaching assistantship, research assistantship or fellowship (whether internally or externally sponsored) who earn at least $666.67 per month and meet the minimum registration requirements receive health insurance and tuition at no additional cost to the student, for a limited number of semesters. GSSP tuition benefits are available for the spring and fall semesters only. Summer session(s) tuition is not covered. This Graduate School page provides additional information about the GSSP. To determine the amount of salary needed for an international applicant on the GSSP, please go to the Graduate School’s Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR) Calculator.