Ask a Good Question here Q. My Sponsored Projects accountant won't let me charge my research grant for my research assistant's tuition fees. This was standard practice at my last institution.
Federal regulations require consistent application of cost policies across all funds.
The federal government will not allow us to selectively charge federal funds for costs that other funding sources are not required to pay. Therefore, there is no allowable way for an individual principal investigator to cover tuition costs for research assistants on a federal research grant apart from institutional practice. Other avenues may be available, however, for covering tuition for graduate research assistants. The investigator is free to raise the employee's hourly wage, within the limits of the employee's pay grade. Another option is to check with your department head for the eligibility requirements for a graduate tuition fee waiver.