Center for Learning & Professional Development

New Mexico StateUniversity

Center for Learning & Professional Development

Tuition Remission Benefit FAQ’s

New Mexico State University encourages all regular employees to engage in life-long learning to enhance their careers by taking advantage of the Tuition Remission program. The Tuition Remission Benefit entitles regular employees to attend University classes without tuition charges. The following represents some frequently asked questions about the tuition remission benefit program and the Self-Service Tuition Waiver Request Process used to submit benefit requests. Refer to NMSU Policy 7.05 for complete policy and details.

Contents

Contacts

Policy

Taxability

Self-Service Tuition Waiver Request Process

General Submission Questions

Employee Tuition Remission

Employee & Spouse Tuition Remission

Dependent Tuition Remission

Supervisor Approval

Help

Contacts

Contacts

HRS Service

HRS Benefit

Treasury

ICT Help

Policy

Who is eligible for the tuition remission benefit?

The tuition remission benefit is available to regular employees working half time (.50 FTE) or more. Spouses or qualified domestic partners may share the benefit with the employee (for simplicity, the term “spouse” is used throughout this document to refer to spouse or qualified domestic partner). If both the employee and spouse are taking classes, the benefit is applied to the employee first. Dependents are also eligible for a 50% discount on tuition.

How many credit hours can I apply to the benefit?

Refer to NMSU Policy 7.05 for program details.

My class is scheduled during working hours. Can I make up the time?

With supervisor approval, class time may be made up or the employee may use annual leave.

Taxability

When are taxes applied to the benefit?

All courses may be subject to federal and state tax withholdings. Generally, taxes are applied when…

• An employee has a bachelor degree and the class taken is a hobby, game, or sport and not related to educational requirements or…
• A spouse has a bachelor’s degree and the class taken is for a graduate degreeprogram.

All taxability questions should be referred to Treasury Services.

When are taxes paid?

Taxable courses will be processed based on the following schedule however it is subject to change based on when Payroll receives the information. Employees should expect a one-time, lump sum deduction forthe additional taxes. For questions regarding tax deductions, contact the HR Service Center.

Fall Taxed in the November 30th pay check

Spring Taxed in the April 30th pay check

Summer Taxed in the August 31st pay check

Will I be notified of the tax amount to be paid?

You will be shown the amount of tax to be applied when you submit your waiver request.

Self-Service Tuition Waiver Request Process

For step-by-step procedures on completing the Tuition Waiver Request, refer to the following manuals.

• Employee/Spouse Submission Process
• Dependent Submission Process
• Approver Process

General Submission Questions

How do I apply for the tuition remission benefit?

After registering for classes, use the Self-Service Tuition Waiver Request Process to apply for the tuition remission benefit. The Tuition Waiver formsare available on the Employee link of My.NMSU.

In the Banner Self Service portlet, click Employee to see full list of options. Two forms are available – “Tuition Waiver – Employee/Spouse” and “Tuition Waiver – Dependent”.

What is the timeframe to submit my waiver?

The Tuition Waiver form is available for submission 10 days prior to the start of classes through the following dates…

• Fall Semester – deadline November 1st
• Spring Semester – deadline April 1st
• Summer Semester – deadline August 1st

What if I miss the deadline?

Late submissions will not be accepted. Contact Benefit Services at 575-646-8000 for assistance.

What happens if my class schedule changes?

Class schedule changes require a new tuition waiver request be submitted.

Why do my courses show up without a date/time?

Courses appearing on the tuition waiver form without dates and times are web-based courses.

Employee Tuition Remission

Who approves my waiver?

All employee submissions of the tuition waiver form require the approval of the employee’s supervisorof record.

What if my supervisor is incorrect or unavailable when I submit my waiver?

If the supervisor information is incorrect or your supervisor is not available during the submission window (i.e. on leave, sabbatical, etc.), contact Benefit Services at 575-646-8000 for assistance.

If my supervisor declines my waiver, can I resubmit it?

Resubmissions are not allowed unless a change in class schedule has occurred.

Employee & Spouse Tuition Remission

How are benefits allocated between employee & spouse?

When an employee and spouse are both taking classes, the credits are applied to the employee first. Any remaining credits may be applied to the spouse.

Does my spouse receive the benefit automatically?

No. You must select yes or no to allow your spouse or domestic partner to participate in the program.

Why are the questions different on my & my spouse’s portion?

Taxability is determined differently for employees and spouses. Spouses who have a bachelor’s degree and are working towards a graduate degree are taxed.

Dependent Tuition Remission

Who is considered a dependent child?

Unmarried, biological & adopted children and legally dependent stepchildren, under the age of 25, of regular employees are eligible to participate in the program.Dependent children must be listed as your dependents with HRS Benefits Services to be eligible. To verify if your children are listed as dependents, contact HRS Benefits Services.

My child has a lottery scholarship. Is he eligible for the benefit?

No. Lottery scholarship recipients are not eligible.

Do I have to submit a waiver form for my dependent child?

Yes. If a request is not submitted for each session, the dependent child will not receive the waiver of tuition.

I have more than one child. Can I select which child gets the benefit?

No. The benefit is applied to all eligible children.

I submitted a waiver for one child and now my second child has registered for classes. Do I have to submit another waiver form?

Yes. If both children were not enrolled at the time of submission, you will need to resubmit the waiver form.

Supervisor Approval

How will I know if I have waivers to approve?

You will receive email notification when a tuition waiver form is submitted for your approval. When you open the tuition waiver form from the Employee tab of My.NMSU you will be given the option to access your own request or to authorize requests. From the authorize requests option, you will see a list of your employees and who has requests waiting to be approved.

What if I miss the deadline to approve my employee’s request?

Late submissions will not be accepted. Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Contact Benefit Services at 575-646-8000 for assistance.

Can I disapprove an employee’s waiver?

Yes,with valid business reasons (see next question for acceptable reasons).

What are acceptable reasons for disapproving a waiver?

Submitted requests may be disapproved for the following reasons…

• Time constraints
• Project constraints
• Other (must provide reason) – please ensure reason is appropriate and valid
• Staffing constraints
• Work load constraints

Why am I getting my employee’s waiver request again? I’ve already approved it.

Any time a change is made to the employee’s course schedule, a new tuition waiver request has to be submitted.

Help

For additional information regarding the Tuition Remission Benefit, click the Help button in the tuition waiver request form.

For Additional Information or Assistance, the following contacts are provided.

Contacts

HRS Service

HRS Benefit

Treasury

ICT Help

May 2011 Note: names & identifying information have been alteredPage 1

to protect confidentiality.