Tuition Remission

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Effective Date: April 1973

Revised: July 1978; October 1986; January 1993; July I998; September 2002, February 2003; September 2003; August 2010, December 2010

The College of St. Scholastica recognizes the significance of continuing education for the personal growth and professional development of its employees. As a benefit to its employees, the College offers tuition remission to eligible faculty and staff and to their eligible spouse and dependent children. This policy provides employees with guidelines to follow when applying for and using this benefit.

Eligibility

The tuition remission benefit is intended to apply equally to all current employees as follows:

Full-time faculty and staff - full amount of tuition for both undergraduate and graduate courses, less need-based aid, beginning the first full semester following their employment start date.
Part-time faculty and staff - prorated percentage of tuition for both undergraduate and graduate courses, less need-based aid, based on the employee's appointment percentage, beginning the first full semester following their employment start date. In the case of married part-time employees, the prorated percentage of tuition remission is calculated at the highest percentage of time of those part-time employees.
Adjunct faculty - prorated percentage of tuition for both undergraduate and graduate courses, less need-based aid, based on the number of credits being
taught for the enrolled semester as compared to a 12 credit full-time load, beginning the first full semester after the adjunct has taught at the College for
two semesters. The waiting period may be waived by the Vice President for Academic Affairs if the reason for taking the course is directly related to the adjunct's teaching responsibilities at the College. Spouses and dependent children of adjunct faculty are not eligible to receive tuition remission.
Spouses - same waiting period and prorated percentage of tuition as their related employee. Spouses are eligible for tuition remission for undergraduate courses only. For spouses awarded tuition remission for undergraduate study beyond their first baccalaureate degree, 90% of the benefit will apply. Note the "Income Tax Considerations" section of this policy.
Dependent children - same waiting period and prorated percentage of tuition as their related employee. A dependent child is the employee's child (whether by blood or adoption) or a stepchild who was claimed as a dependent on the employee's most recent federal income tax return for the tax year prior to receiving the tuition remission benefit or qualifies as a dependent under the applicable FAFSA definition. A dependent child must be under the age of 24 at the start of the semester. The same waiting period and prorated percentage of tuition as their related employee applies. Dependent children are eligible for tuition remission for undergraduate courses only.

The amount of the benefit is determined according to the following:
- If the child is claimed as a dependent on the employee's most recent federal income tax return, 100% of the available benefit will apply.
- If the child has not been claimed as a dependent on the employee's most recent federal income tax return but qualifies as a dependent under the FAFSA definition, 90% of the available benefit will apply.
  
  Note: The "Income Tax Considerations" section of this policy.
Siblings of members of the St. Scholastica Monastery who are Member Service Providers of the College - same amount of tuition and same waiting period as their related employee. Siblings are only eligible for tuition remission for undergraduate courses towards the completion of their first bachelor's degree.

Student employees, casual employees, seasonal coaches and temporary employees are not eligible for tuition remission.

Conditions and Limitation

To be eligible for tuition remission, the student must meet all College admission standards and registration requirements. All College academic and administrative policies apply to tuition remission recipients. This policy does not constitute a guarantee for admission into a specific degree program.

Number of credits - employees may receive tuition remission for a maximum of 8 credits at any given time. An employee wishing to take more than eight credits at any given time may do so only with supervisory approval and will be required to pay for the additional courses entirely at their own expense. Spouses and dependent children receive tuition remission for up to 18 credits per semester. Accumulated, attempted undergraduate credits for any one individual under this tuition remission program may not exceed 160 credits.

Taking courses during regular work hours - As a first consideration, employees are encouraged to enroll in evening courses (or courses during non-working hours). An employee who wishes to take a class during the workday must obtain approval from his/her supervisor. An employee may take only one course per enrollment period during his/her normal working hours. The employee must arrange to make up time lost from work due to course attendance. Scheduled breaks may not be used to make up time for class attendance.

Course capacity - Employees and spouses may enroll in courses with available capacity after tuition-paying students have completed registration. Employees or spouses may not supplant a tuition-paying student. Dependent children may select and enroll in courses on the same basis as a full tuition-paying student.

Fees and supplies - The employee, spouse, and/or dependent children must pay for course fees, health service fees, room, board, books, supplies, and other assessed charges. Standard College collection policies will apply for balances due. An employee, spouse, or dependent child with an overdue account balance will not be eligible for tuition remission.

Special courses - Prior learning assessment, portfolio, consortium credits, and CLEP fees are not covered by the tuition remission. This benefit applies to tuition for study abroad programs in which St. Scholastica faculty serve as course instructors or coordinators. See Financial Aid Officer for details.

Application for Tuition Remission

The employee must apply for the tuition remission benefit each semester for themselves, their spouse, and/or dependent children. Please see the benefits section on the Human Resources page of my.CSS for the application form.

The application must be completed upon receipt of the first electronic Schedule/Bill and prior to the third week of each term. If there are questions regarding eligibility, coverage, conditions or limitations, the applicant for tuition remission must contact the Financial Aid Department for clarification.

Financial Aid

Undergraduate degree-seeking employees, spouses, and dependent children caking six or more credits per semester must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and accept all available need-based grants and scholarships from government sources. Required financial aid forms and documents must be completed within the term of enrollment. If the employee, spouse, or dependent child is eligible for other St. Scholastica financial aid, they must choose between the standard financial aid package and the tuition remission benefit. Tuition remission and all sources of grant and scholarship financial aid will not exceed 100% of tuition. An employee receiving tuition remission benefits of less than 100% is encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Officer to review their options.

Income Tax Considerations

This tuition remission benefit is intended to primarily operate within Internal Revenue Service rules and regulations as a qualified tuition reduction plan and a
qualified educational assistance plan under IRS code sections 117 and 127. Tuition remission is generally a nontaxable benefit for employees, spouses or dependent children enrolled in undergraduate courses that qualify towards a first degree. Employees are subject to federal and state taxes for tuition remission benefits exceeding IRS limits. The value of the tuition remission benefit is subject to federal and state taxes to the employee for spouses seeking undergraduate study beyond their first baccalaureate degree and/or for children qualifying as dependents under FAFSA rules but not qualifying under IRS rules. Employees caking graduate-level courses are subject to federal and state taxes for tuition remission benefits exceeding $5,250 per calendar year unless the education is required by the College or the education maintains or improves skills needed in the employee's present work.

Termination of Employment

Voluntary resignation- When an employee resigns from employment during a term, tuition for the employee, spouse, and/or dependent children will cease at the end of that term.

Termination for cause - If an employee is dismissed for dishonesty, misconduct, substandard work performance, or some other prejudicial reason, tuition for the employee, spouse, and/or dependent children will cease as of the employee's termination date.

Termination without cause - If an employee is dismissed due to modifications in curriculum, cancellation of a program or some other nonprejudicial reason, the employee, spouse, and/or dependent children will receive full tuition remission through the end of the academic year providing class attendance had started at the time of termination. Exception - Employees with twelve or more years of service will continue to be eligible for tuition remission for themselves, their spouse, and their dependents as long as these individuals are enrolled on or before the date of termination. Their enrollment going forward must be continuous, and the benefit would be provided only until they have earned a degree. If the employee has a dependent who is in the twelfth grade on the date of termination, that dependent will also qualify for tuition remission under the same conditions. All other conditions and limitations of this policy would also apply.

Retirement - A retired employee, spouse, and dependent children may receive tuition remission if a retired employee has met the Rule of 70 (i.e., the total of the employee's age and years of service at the College is 70 or more) and is at least 59½ years of age and has a minimum of 10 years of full-time service at the College.

Tuition remission is only available to dependent children the employee had on the date of retirement.

Death or long-term disability - The spouse and dependent children of an employee who had at least three but less than ten years of service who have commenced enrollment at the College may receive tuition remission for the remainder of his/her undergraduate work, provided there is no interruption in attendance. The spouse and dependent children of an employee who had ten or more years of service may receive tuition remission for undergraduate work, regardless of his/her enrollment status at the time of the employee's death or long-term disability. Conditions and limitations listed in other sections of this policy apply.