Rates

Costs related to the general administration of departments, institutes, or the university, such as office supplies, depreciation of facilities and equipment, and utility costs of maintaining buildings and laboratory spaces. These expenses are part of the total cost of doing business at a research university, although the relationship of these costs to a specific sponsored project may be difficult to quantify.  

Institutions that accept federal funds negotiate indirect cost rates for a five-year period through an assigned federal agency. Indirect costs are applied to your project as a percentage of direct costs, and rates vary depending on the type and performance site of the research.

2021-2024 Facility and Administrative Rates

* Off Campus - Adjacent: Activities performed within the commuting area of Blacksburg, VA

** Off Campus - Remote: Activities performed outside the commuting area of Blacksburg, VA

Because budgets estimate costs associated with performing a particular program of research, salary increases for principal investigators and other staff that may occur during the budgetary timeframe must be factored into total costs, as well as the cost of any tuition rate increases. In those cases where sponsor documentation states that the sponsor does not allow or fund salary escalations, the PI is not required to include the salary escalations in their budget. 

Escalation rates are established by the Controller’s Office and are applied to base salaries and tuition rates on specific dates during the year.

Salary and Tuition Escalation Rates

Costs specifically tied to a single sponsored research project, such as the principal investigator's percentage of effort, materials and supplies needed specifically for the project but not for the general operation of the department or institute, or the tuition and stipend expenses of graduate students dedicating effort to accomplish certain objectives of the sponsored project.

Tuition costs must be applied to all projects that include a graduate stipend, unless prohibited by sponsor policy. The tuition costs are budgeted in proportion to the graduate student’s effort on the project. Summer tuition is included only if the principal investigator requests it. Normally, a graduate student does not take more than three hours credit in the summer, so the lowest rate is applied.

In cases where the sponsor disallows tuition costs, the principal investigator must provide the Office of Sponsored Programs with a departmental fund number from which tuition for the student can be drawn.

Graduate Student Tuition and Academic Fees

Tuition budgeted by the Office of Sponsored Programs includes in-state tuition costs+technology fee+library fee. Engineering, architecture, and MBA students are budgeted including additional supplemental fees.

• View complete listing of tuition fees for in-state and out-of-state students

Northern Virginia Campus Graduate Student Tuition and Academic Fees