Graduate Tuition Return Incentive Program (GTRIP)
The Graduate Tuition Return Incentive Program (GTRIP) aims to grow graduate enrollment at UGA. GTRIP returns the tuition dollars included on sponsored projects to the principal investigator’s (PI) unit to support additional graduate assistantships. When allowed by the sponsor, all proposals that include graduate assistantships or training grant stipends are required to include in-state tuition.
GTRIP Changes: Effective October 1, 2025
Since July 2024, PIs who include graduate assistantships in their sponsored project budgets have been required to include full-time, in-state tuition for these students in the project’s direct costs, when allowed by the funding agency. Likewise, PIs of training grants are required to include full-time, in-state tuition for all graduate trainees whose stipends will be paid from their grants. With these requirements in place and with recent changes in the federal funding landscape imposing new constraints on the University, the following adjustments to GTRIP are forthcoming:
- Moving forward, GTRIP will limit the return to 100% of tuition charged to sponsored projects, rather than 150%.
- This change applies to:
(a) all new proposals submitted on or after October 1, 2025, and
(b) all competitive renewals submitted on or after October 1, 2025. - This change does not apply to:
(a) new proposals submitted before October 1, 2025, and
(b) non-competitive renewals. - The requirements to include tuition in sponsored project budgets and training grants remain unchanged with this transition.
History
In fall 2015, the Voluntary Tuition Incentive Program (VIP) was established to help fund additional graduate assistantships and to incentivize faculty/principal investigators (PIs) to include tuition in grant and sponsored project proposal budgets. This program returned the tuition charged to sponsored projects to units in support of additional graduate assistantships. Moreover, 150% of the tuition charged to sponsored projects was returned to the PI’s unit.
The VIP program was transitioned to the current Graduate Tuition Return Incentive Program (GTRIP) in July 2022. While the amount of tuition revenue returned to support additional graduate assistantships remained at 150%, GTRIP included a reduction of the return to 100% after 1,000 grant-funded graduate assistants were funded.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO ME?
The University will return 100% of the in-state tuition paid from the sponsored project to the PI’s unit to support additional graduate assistantships. If the graduate program includes a tuition differential, the tuition return will be 100% of the standard graduate tuition rate.
HOW DOES THE TUITION RETURN PROCESS WORK?
Because the tuition is returned as state funding, all GTRIP funds must be used within the fiscal year in which they are returned. Units can choose whether to receive the GTRIP funding in the fiscal year of the tuition expenditure or at the start of the following fiscal year. This will allow units to maximize the time in which the funding can be used. GTRIP funding may not be split over fiscal years. Please note that some colleges or units may have more specific guidelines regarding timing of tuition return funds distribution.
HOW MAY THE TUITION RETURN FUNDS BE USED?
Units are expected to deploy at least 75% of the returned GTRIP funds to support graduate student assistantships. Students on assistantships funded by GTRIP dollars will receive the same benefits (i.e., tuition waiver and university contribution to health insurance) as students on other forms of university-supported assistantships. Colleges / Schools are strongly encouraged to work with their faculty PIs to ensure this program is beneficial to them.
Up to 25% of the GTRIP funds may be used to support graduate student training and professional development beyond assistantships (e.g., registration and travel for conferences and research-related trips; specialized training or software; access to core research facilities). GTRIP funds may not be used to pay mandatory student fees or health insurance premiums.
IS THERE A CAP ON TUITION RETURN FUNDING?
For PIs, there is no cap on the total number of assistantships eligible for GTRIP for either research or training grants.
