Graduate Tuition Categories (GAP 6.1)

Summary

Matriculated graduate students at Stanford University are expected to enroll for at least eight units (full-time enrollment) at the 8,9,10-unit tuition rate during the school year. Schools and departments may set a higher minimum. Reduced tuition is available in particular circumstances, upon petition to the Office of the Registrar. Stanford University does not waive tuition in any circumstances.

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Rationale

Tuition rates for Stanford University are set annually by its Board of Trustees. As a matter of policy, Stanford does not waive tuition charges. Graduate students are expected to enroll full time and pay full tuition. Under some circumstances, graduate students may petition to be placed in a lower tuition category.

1. POLICY

Matriculated graduate students at Stanford University are expected to enroll for at least eight units during the academic year (Fall, Winter and Spring quarters). Schools and departments may set a higher minimum enrollment.

Stanford University charges the same tuition for graduate students enrolled in 8,9 or 10 units (the 8,9,10-unit rate). Except during Summer quarter, this is the minimum tuition charge, with the exception of the categories of reduced tuition for graduate students described in the subsections below. Note that some are closely linked to academic progress (TGR or TMR), and some are applicable to particular circumstances.

Tuition adjustments can have some adverse effects of which students and departments should be aware. Students registered at less than the 8,9,10-unit tuition rate, unless they are registering TGR/TMR, cannot be classified by Stanford as full-time students. Loss of full-time status, especially in the Autumn, Winter, or Spring quarters, may endanger a student’s eligibility to defer educational loans and, if attending Stanford on a student visa, result in the student being out of status. Part-time status may imperil other financial awards.

Departments and students are encouraged to consult with the staff in the Office of the Registrar if they have questions about adjusted tuition and resulting academic status.

1.1 Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR)

Doctoral students, master's students, and students pursuing Engineer degrees who have completed all degree requirements other than other than the university oral exam and dissertation (doctoral students) or a required project or thesis (Engineer or master's students) and meet the conditions listed below may request Terminal Graduate Registration tuition status.  Students with more than one active degree program must satisfy the requirements for TGR status in ALL programs in order to request TGR status. 

Doctoral students who have been admitted to candidacy, completed all required courses and degree requirements other than the university oral exam and dissertation, completed 135 units, and submitted a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form may request Terminal Graduate Registration status to complete their dissertations. Students pursuing Engineer degrees may apply for TGR status after admission to candidacy, completion of all required courses, and completion of residency. Students enrolled in master’s programs with a required project or thesis may apply for TGR status upon completion of all required courses and completion of residency. Students with more than one active graduate degree program must be TGR-eligible in ALL programs in order to apply for this status.

The TGR Final Registration status may also be granted for one quarter only to a graduate student who is returning after reinstatement, working on incompletes in their final quarter, or registering for one final term after all requirements are completed when Graduation Quarter is not applicable. TGR requirements above apply.

Each quarter, all TGR students must enroll in the 801 (for master’s and Engineer students) or 802 (for doctoral students) course in their department for zero units, in the appropriate section for their adviser. TGR students register at a reduced tuition rate set each year. Within certain restrictions, TGR students may enroll in additional courses at the applicable unit rate. The additional courses cannot be applied toward degree requirements since all degree requirements must be complete in order to earn TGR status.

1.1.1 TGR Plus Units

TGR students who enroll in units-bearing courses will be charged the HIGHER of the following rates (not both):

• TGR tuition, or
• units-based tuition applicable for their degree program.

Currently, TGR tuition exceeds the cost of three units of tuition, and therefore a TGR student may enroll for up to three units for no additional units-based tuition (the student will be charged only the TGR rate). Since currently the cost of four units is higher than the TGR rate, if a TGR student enrolls in four units or more, the student will be charged the per-unit tuition rather than the TGR rate.

Additional courses cannot be applied toward degree requirements since all degree requirements must be complete in order to earn TGR status. TGR students enrolling in units of course work must also enroll in the 801 or 802 TGR class.

1.2 Graduate Tuition Adjustment

Graduate students who need fewer than 8 remaining units to complete degree requirements or to qualify for TGR status, may apply to register for one quarter on a pre-unit basis (3 to 7 units) to cover the deficiency. This status may be used only once during a degree program. The Request for Graduate Tuition Adjustment form must be submitted prior to the beginning of the quarter for which the request is being made. Note that these students will not be eligible for Graduation Quarter status in the following quarter.

1.3 Students in the Schools of Law or Business, or M.D. Students

1.3.1 Terminal Medical Registration (TMR)

TMR is the reduced tuition status for M.D. students. It is similar to TGR, except that TMR students may continue to register for course work without paying the unit rate. TMR Tuition is applied after 13 full quarters paid for M.D. students and 16 full quarters paid for MD/PhD students (three at full graduate student rate).

1.3.2 Other tuition adjustments

Tuition adjustments for M.D. students or students in the Stanford Law School or Graduate School of Business are relatively rare, other than TMR/TGR. Eligibility is at the discretion of the school dean.

1.4 Part-Time Programs (Honors Cooperative and Master of Liberal Arts)

The Honors Cooperative Program (Honors Co-op) and the Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) programs are officially recognized as a part-time graduate enrollment programs (see GAP 5.2, Part-Time Enrollment)

Honors Co-op students may register for as few as 3 units per quarter. If they are not carrying a full load of courses, their tuition rate can be adjusted to the unit rate appropriate for the total number of units they are taking. The Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD) will handle all tuition adjustments for Honors Co-op students. Honors Co-op students rarely register at the 8,9,10-unit rate or above, so are rarely classified as full-time students. SCPD will notify the Office of the Registrar if an Honors Co-op student will enroll on a full-time basis.  

MLA students may take a maximum of 8 units (two seminars) per quarter, and a total of 12 units (three seminars) in two consecutive quarters. MLA students must complete a minimum of two MLA courses within the academic year in order to remain active in the program. 

1.5 Summer Quarter

During the Summer quarter, most matriculated graduate students may either choose not to enroll, or they may remain enrolled for as few as one unit. Stanford University charges the same tuition for graduate students enrolled in 1, 2 or 3 units (the 3-unit rate), and this is the minimum tuition charge for graduate students enrolled in Summer quarter. Schools, departments and programs may require a higher level of summer enrollment.  Note that if a student chooses not to enroll during Summer quarter, they will normally be ineligible for any financial support during that quarter, in particular any assistantship appointments. 

1.6 Graduation Quarter

Registration is required for the term in which a student submits a dissertation or has a degree conferred. Students who meet the conditions listed below are eligible to file a Petition for Graduation Quarter, and, upon approval, to be assessed a special tuition rate for the quarter in which they are receiving a degree.

Only one Graduation Quarter may be requested. There is a registration fee of $100 for the graduation quarter. Students must enroll in the appropriate TGR course during their Graduation Quarter.

To be eligible for a Graduation Quarter, the following conditions must be met:

1. all course work, degree requirements, and residency requirements for all graduate degree programs, including joint degree programs, must be completed
2. a graduate or professional student must have enrolled or have been on an approved leave of absence in the term immediately preceding the term chosen as the Graduation Quarter
3. the student must have formally applied to graduate
4. the student needs only to submit the dissertation, project, or master’s thesis by the deadline for submission in the term designated as the Graduation Quarter
5. The student has filed all necessary forms regarding graduation quarter before the first day of the term chosen as Graduation Quarter.

Students who are properly enrolled in a Graduation Quarter are registered at Stanford and therefore have the rights and privileges of registered students.

1.7 Other Tuition Exceptions

A student on an approved childbirth accommodation period, or a student with a statement of support from the Student Disability Resource Center, may petition for reduced enrollment. In addition, tuition exceptions may also be available for students who are faculty spouses, regular Stanford employees, or full-time educators in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1.8 Tuition for Students in Multiple Programs

Graduate students who are eligible to pursue more than one degree at Stanford, where each program charges a different tuition (other than concurrent enrollment in a coterminal bachelor’s and master’s program), must document a tuition payment agreement by means of the Enrollment Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs (see GAP 5.1, Changes and Additions of Degree Programs).

The Enrollment Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs is not required if the programs all charge identical amounts of tuition (e.g., M.A. and Ph.D. programs that are both in the School of Humanities and Sciences).

The student filing this enrollment agreement indicates the degree program to be used for tuition assessment in each quarter and academic year. The student must obtain the necessary signatures from the dean or associate dean representing each graduate or professional school program listed.

Each Joint Degree Program (JDP) has a pre-approved tuition agreement detailing which graduate tuition level is paid at which point in a student’s career (see GAP 4.9, Joint Degree Programs). JDP tuition agreements approved for each JDP reside with the Office of the Registrar.  All students enrolled in a JDP must submit the Enrollment Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs to document the tuition agreement and ensure that correct charges are applied each quarter.

1.9 Tuition Refunds

Students who take an approved leave of absence are eligible for a tuition refund during the first 60 percent of the quarter. Refunds are calculated on a per diem basis (including weekends and university holidays) starting the first day of instruction of each quarter. Tuition is charged on a daily basis (including weekends and holidays) through the first 60 percent of the quarter. After the first 60 percent of the quarter, students are liable for the full amount of tuition that they were charged. Health insurance charges are not refundable after the first day of instruction.

1.10 Departmental Tuition Payments

Departments or programs wishing to pay all or part of an enrolled student’s tuition will use the Graduate Financial Support (GFS) system to do so. A tuition payment will automatically be made for enrolled and matriculated students with assistantship appointments; the amount of the tuition allowance is proportional to the size of the appointment. In addition to the tuition allowance associated with assistantship appointments, departments may approve tuition payments in GFS by using the “Fellowship tuition” panel. Approved payments will be applied to the student’s bill to pay tuition charges. GFS requirements related to student eligibility for financial support apply to the payment of tuition (See GAP 7.1, Graduate Financial Support).

2. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES

2.1 Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR)

PROCESS STEPS		RESPONSIBILITY
1.	Completes the TGR Request and submits to all departments in which the student has an active degree program.	Student
2.	Gathers all required signatures; form must be reviewed and signed by: The student’s adviser Department Graduate Student Affairs administrator Bechtel International Center (in the case of international students.	Student
3.	Reviews the information on the form and confirms that the request is complete and appropriate, before the student delivers to the Student Services Center.	Department
4.	Forwards the completed and signed form to the Student Services Center.	Student
5.	Confirms the appropriate residency completion and, upon final approval, adjusts the student’s tuition charge to the TGR rate.	Registrar

2.2 Other Graduate Tuition Adjustments

PROCESS STEPS		RESPONSIBILITY
1.	Completes the Request for Graduate Tuition Adjustment and submit to department. This form is used to request: reduced enrollment in the final quarter of a degree program (when fewer than 8 units are needed to complete residency or degree requirements) qualification for TGR tuition status in the final quarter reduced enrollment while on an approved childbirth accommodation period accommodation for a student with a disability.	Student
2.	Gathers all required signatures; form must be reviewed and signed by: the student’s adviser department Graduate Student Affairs administrator Bechtel International Center (in the case of international students. The student is responsible for gathering the signatures and forwarding the completed form to the Student Services Center.	Student
3.	Reviews the information on the form, confirms that the request is complete and appropriate, before the student delivers to the Student Services Center.	Department
4.	Forwards the completed and signed form to the Student Services Center.	Student
5.	Adjusts the student’s tuition charge,	Registrar

2.3 Terminal Medical Registration

PROCESS STEPS		RESPONSIBILITY
1.	Makes appropriate academic progress, and pays tuition.	Student
2.	After the 13th quarter, converts the M.D. student's tuition to TMR status. For M.D./Ph.D. students, makes this conversion after the 16th quarter.	Medical School Registrar

2.4 Graduation Quarter

PROCESS STEPS		RESPONSIBILITY
1.	Completes the Petition for Graduation Quarter.	Student
2.	Gathers all required signatures; form must be reviewed and signed by: Department or School administrator Bechtel International Center (in the case of international students).	Student
3.	Reviews the information on the form, confirms that the request is complete and appropriate, before the student delivers to the Student Services Center.	Department
4.	Forwards the completed and signed form to the Student Services Center.	Student
5.	Upon approval, adjusts the student’s tuition to the appropriate fee for the Graduation Quarter.	Registrar

2.5 Tuition for Students in Multiple Programs

PROCESS STEPS		RESPONSIBILITY
1.	Completes Enrollment Agreement for Students in Multiple Programs and indicates degree program for each quarter. Gathers the necessary signatures for each degree program listed.	Student
2.	Reviews the information on the form, confirms that the request is complete and appropriate, before the student delivers to the Student Services Center.	Department
3.	Forwards the completed and signed form to the Student Services Center.	Student
4.	Processes the request and, upon approval, adjusts the student’s tuition to the appropriate fee for each quarter.	Registrar

2.6 Tuition Refunds

PROCESS STEPS		RESPONSIBILITY
1.	Requests the appropriate refund: via HelpSU (request category Student Services, request type University Bill/Student Account), in person at the Student Services Center or by phone at (650) 723-2181.	Student
2.	Processes the request and, upon approval, issues the refund. (This can be accomplished at the Student Services Center.)	Student Financial Services

 

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