A port-of-entry TN involves the CBP application fee; a USCIS petition involves the Form I-129 fee and any premium-processing charge under the fee schedule. There is no rule against the applicant paying TN costs, unlike some other categories, but the arrangement should be stated plainly rather than disguised.
Know the fees and who is paying them
For a Harrison Hot Springs applicant the immigration costs are modest compared with a petition-based category. If she presents at a port of entry, CBP collects its TN application fee at the time of admission. If the lodge prefers to file Form I-129 with USCIS, the petition fee and any optional premium-processing fee apply, and the current amounts are set out in the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, which should be checked on the filing date because the schedule changes.
A credential evaluation, if needed, and any professional advice are separate costs. TN has no prevailing-wage or labour-condition requirement, and no rule prohibits the employee from bearing the costs, so the lodge's request is lawful; it is nevertheless worth confirming in writing which costs are hers, because a later dispute over reimbursement can sour the employment on which the status depends. None of these fees is refunded if the application is refused, and a refused application at a port of entry becomes part of the record.