Action Items Following the Report of the Joint Faculty Senate and Provost Task Force on Graduate Tuition and Charges to Grants/Contracts

David R. Colburn, Provost

After reviewing the report of this joint Academic Affairs- Faculty Senate Task Force, I write to indicate my acceptance of the following recommendations.

First, the task force recommended that the University must be more efficient and supportive in insuring that out-of-state students process the necessary documents to become in-state after 12 months from their initial enrollment as graduate students. To this end, the University will make it known through its publications, web sites, and correspondence that out-of-state tuition waivers will only be available to out-of- state graduate assistants, who are U.S. citizens, for their first year of attendance. The Graduate School will emphasize this policy during the graduate student orientation, and the Office of the Registrar will assist students with questions whenever possible. While it is the student’s responsibility to process the necessary paperwork, it is incumbent on all of us to assure that they understand this policy and do all they can to assure that they achieve in-state status in a timely manner.

Second, with the assistance of the UF General Counsel’s Office, we have changed the definition of the Presidential and Alumni Fellowships. The change was done both to be more consistent with actual practice and to allow the recipients to convert to in-state status after the initial 12 months of fellowship (as opposed to having to wait 24 months before this conversion could be accomplished previously). I have attached draft letters of offer to students with the revised text that you should incorporate in your letters. As a result of this change, fellowship recipients may begin their four-year appointments with either a fellowship or an assistantship and still convert to in-state status after 12 months. Please begin using the new language in your letters of offer immediately.

Third, the task force also recommended that all grants and contracts be charged the same amount for graduate student assistants independent of their residency status. The amount to be charged immediately to all active grant and contract accounts (consistent with sponsor and A-21 requirements) for FY 2003/04 is $6,500 per student. The rate for succeeding years will be based on collections and tuition levels. This amount will cover the current tuition remission deficit costs associated with grants/contracts and will enable all researchers to select the best students for their projects, regardless of their residency status. In addition all new proposals, including resubmissions, competing renewals, and supplements, where tuition is an allowable cost, shall budget tuition at $6,500 for FY ’03-04. Rates will be posted on the DSR web site each April for the following fiscal year. Tuition funds will be collected through a capitation method already in use by some UF units. This capitation method means that approximately $270 will be collected per pay period from the grant or contract by the University from the appropriate accounts. If a specific grant or account on which a graduate assistant is paid does not allow for the payment of tuition remission or does not have sufficient funds to make the payments, you will be required to provide a departmental or college account number from which the University can obtain the funds each and every pay period. Charges will be collected during the period 08/15/03 – 12/18/03 for fall, 2003, 12/26/03 – 04/29/04 for the spring 2004 semester, and 05/07/04 – 06/22/04 for summer A and 06/23/04 – 08/05/04 for summer B. Nothing in the policy change prohibits a dean or department chair from providing funds to a grant or contract to replace part or all of the required capitation. College or departmental funds may be used to replace part or all of the required capitation charge. As we move forward in the next few weeks, training sessions will be held to explain the exact details of how this process will be implemented.

I thank the Task Force members for their hard work and guidance and also extend my thanks to the Faculty Senate, Vice Presidents Win Phillips and Ed Poppell for assistance and advice. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Vice Provost Charles Frazier at 392-1301.