Departments: Please visit Tuition Remission for instructions on entering waivers.

Graduate Assistants, as defined in Graduate Student Appointment Information, may be eligible for tuition remission and a fee waiver, depending on the percentage of your appointment. See the information below for details.

All students on graduate appointments of at least 15% who work a minimum of 12 weeks in a semester receive tuition coverage as part of their compensation package. The amount of tuition coverage is calculated based on the percent time of the appointment.

Tuition Remission Table
Hours employed per week Tuition remission Appointment
6 3 credit hours 15%
8 4 credit hours 20%
10 5 credit hours 25%
12 6 credit hours 30%
14 7 credit hours 35%
16 8 credit hours 40%
18–20 9–18 credit hours 45–50%

All students employed as Graduate Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, or Graduate Part-Time Instructors, who work at least 12 weeks during a semester at 20% time or greater also receive a waiver for fees listed below. Waivers will be applied to the student account within 24 hours after your department has entered your appointment. Check your account on the Tuition & Fees card in Buff Portal. Click Balance Summary, then View/Pay Bill and View Account Details. Then scroll down to the Credits and Payments section.

2023–24 Fees Waived Per Semester
Description One class of 5 or fewer credit hours 6 or fewer 7 or more Additional Information
Arts & Cultural Enrichment Fee $10.00 $10.00 $10.00  
Bike Program Fee $15.00 $15.00 $15.00  
Career Services Fee $12.00 $12.00 $12.00 This fee is charged in fall and spring only; does not apply to Law JD and students in grad status D
Graduate Professional Student Government (GPSG) Fee $11.62 $11.62 $11.62  
Mental Health Resource Fee $97.40 $97.40 $97.40 Exception: Students in grad status D will be charged this fee only if they select a student health insurance plan (SHIP). Grad status D students who waive the SHIP are not charged this fee.
Recreation Center Expansion Fee $85.27 $106.96 $106.96 Students in grad status D would not be charged this fee.
Student Activity Fee $48.01 $302.80 $302.80  
Student Computing Fee $33.62 $33.62 $67.24  
Student Health Fee  $97.07 $97.09 $97.09 Exception: Students in grad status D would be charged $97.09 for this fee only if they select a student health insurance plan (SHIP). Grad status D students who waive the SHIP would not be charged for this fee.
Transit Pass Fee $86.18 $86.18 $86.16  
Total Amount WAIVED Per Semester $476.17 $742.67 $776.29  

Also waived: A&S Tech (ASSET) Fee $1.32 per credit hour (applies to all classes in the College of Arts and Sciences, regardless of a student’s major or program of study)



Fees NOT Waived Per Semester (if applicable)
Description Fee Amount Additional Information
Law Graduate Fee $40 Applies to law students only
Law Student SRVCS/Activity Fee $150 Applies to law JD students only
Immigration Compliance Fee $40 Applies to international students only
New Student Fee $62–$145 This is nonrefundable one-time fee is $62 for new domestic graduate students and transfers and $145 for new international graduate students and transfers
Total Amount of Fees NOT WAIVED Per Semester $292–$375  

All CU Boulder undergraduate and graduate students have access to a full range of on-campus health and wellness services in addition to a variety of virtual offerings. Visit Health & Wellness Services for more information.
 

Health Insurance

In addition to the tuition remission, you receive $2,104 per semester ($4,208 per academic year) towards the cost of the Anthem Gold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for fall and spring. There is no health insurance benefit for summer appointments but if you have the SHIP coverage for the spring, you are covered through the following summer. Please check with your department if you have questions.

2023–24 Tentative Student Health Plan Costs for RA/TA
Health Plan Cost Per Semester Benefit Your Cost
Anthem Gold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) $2,311* $2,104* $207*
BuffCare Supplemental Coverage $250 $0 $250

*Tentative until approved

Graduate students enrolled in one credit hour or more are charged automatically for the Anthem Gold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). If you choose to waive the health plan, you will need to provide proof of your health insurance coverage (policy number, group number, effective date of plan coverage, etc.). BuffCare Supplemental Coverage is available to help cover out-of-pocket expenses for students with private health insurance coverage. See Student Health Insurance Requirements for more information. Students with less than 20 percent appointment or who waive the SHIP are not eligible to receive the insurance benefit.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is provided at no cost to the student. Visit Graduate Student Dental Insurance for more information.

Fall: Oct. 5

Graduate assistants who qualify for tuition remission and the fee waiver can pay the bill by the second due date of the fall semester (Oct. 5) without incurring late and finance charges or registration holds.

If Spring is Your First Term, Pay By Mar. 5

If spring is your first term, graduate assistants can pay the bill by the second due date (March 5) without incurring late and finance charges. If you are a graduate student on appointment and you feel you were not given this opportunity, please contact the Bursar’s Office at bursar@colorado.edu. You are responsible for paying your portion of the bill by the due date, even if your department has not entered the RA/TA tuition waiver. Late and finance charges will be assessed if payments are not received on time. See Paying Late for more information.

We offer payment plans each semester and in summer. Visit Payment Plans for more information.

Retroactive changes to any prior semester record can result in additional charges to your account. The Bursar’s Office is unable to bill a department for a retroactive change of record, even if you had an RA/TA appointment for that term. If a department wishes to pay for any additional tuition added to your account, they need to contact Jason Swope (jason.swope@colorado.edu) in the Provost’s Office at 303-492-0107, who will then notify the Bursar’s Office. Please check with the Bursar’s Office (bursar@colorado.edu) if you have any questions regarding the financial consequences of retroactively adding, dropping or expunging credit hours.