Right - so my question is, why not just set a PhD student tuition of zero? They don't make any money off this, so why charge it and always waive it? Why not just get rid of it.
That would remove the option to occasionally charge the tuition, but research PhD programs, especially in STEM at elite universities? Tuition from PhD programs must be close to irrelevant.
1. That would mean redefining enrollment. What if a PhD student takes a class that involves instruction time during their research period - as I did, and as some of my students will likely do?
2. The money used to pay the instructors for PhD-level classes, of which there are some, has to come from somewhere. And for many universities, there is $0 that is "irrelevant".
That would remove the option to occasionally charge the tuition, but research PhD programs, especially in STEM at elite universities? Tuition from PhD programs must be close to irrelevant.