Adapted from @lizneeley

If a university increases the stipend by 15k per year with no compensation to labs, it also gives itself a big raise in overhead costs (~10k per year per student), which it takes from our grants, too. Does it really cost the university more to administer a higher stipend?

I have been told that Caltech reduced the tuition they charge to lab budgets to compensate for increased stipends. (But this has not been independently verified.) See link: lh3.googleusercontent.com/u/2/drive-vi...

Have they reduced the graduate tuition they take from your grant budgets? Reduced the overhead charges (typically 55-80%) that they impose on student stipends? Reduced the overhead they take on your salary as PI? Other ideas?

Dan, I’m so sorry about the loss of your dad. What a rich and inspiring life he led. May his memory be a blessing.