3 ms·

My (limited) understanding is the claimed tuition compensation plays a big role in grant funding; universities couldn't alter the accounting to get around this

My (limited) understanding is the claimed tuition compensation plays a big role in grant funding; universities couldn't alter the accounting to get around this new tax without messing up the same grants that pay these students. I also suspect there's rules about charging students evenly for tuition; if they say it's now $100k/yr, that means non-funded students would have to actually be charged that amount.

betterunix2 9y ago
"universities couldn't alter the accounting to get around this new tax without messing up the same grants that pay these students." Sure they could. For example, universities could raise the lab space fees they charge for grad student desks to match the loss of tuition. They can raise other fees professors pay out of their grants, add new fees, etc.
- michaelhoffman 9y ago
  Research funders set rules that determine what costs are allowable. For U.S. federal funders, tuition up to a certain maximum amount is an allowable direct cost. An arbitrary "lab space fee" is not allowable for space on a university campus. There is a facilities indirect cost that partially pays for the cost of facilities but the university cannot increase it whenever they want. They have to justify it based on their auditable actual costs, and you can rest assured most are already claiming the maximum that they can here.