Fee discounts for full time PhD Students; is this discriminatory?
This is not discriminatory. A large number of full-time PhD students, mostly among top-tier schools, sign a non-compete type of contract that ensures that they will not have a job while attempting their degree. So for conferences awarding discounts on a financial need basis, part-time PhD students who typically have the liberty to work if they wish, do not qualify for this financial assistance. Of course corner cases exist etc. , but in general, this is the mentality.