Subject:Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance Process and Procedures

Issued to: Full Time Benefits Eligible Faculty/Staff

Issued:2/11/2015

Policy

Employees seeking Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance are expected to meet with the Office of Professional Development to complete their application. Applications are submitted between September 1st and December 1st for approval the following fiscal year. Budgetary constraints will dictate the number of employees approved each fiscal year and number of credit hours supported. Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance is limited to tuition charges only. The employee is financially responsible for all other expenses, including texts, travel, fees (i.e. lab fees, tech fees, and late fees), housing and meals. Reimbursement will only be given for courses in which a grade of at least “pass” or “C” is received. The College will pay tuition when the faculty or staff member has an approved Academic Plan, approved Tuition Assistance/Reimbursement Request form, signed Tuition Repayment Agreement and submits supporting documents as outlined by the Regional Practice. The faculty or staff member must present evidence of successful completion at the end of the course by the defined date. The faculty or staff member must return the payment of tuition back to the College if the course is not successfully completed, as defined by Ivy Tech’s employee handbook.

Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance Covers

Tuition only. Other expenses including texts, travel, fees (i.e. lab fees, tech fees, and late fees), housing and meals are the financial responsibility of the employee.

Distribution of Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance Funds

Tuition reimbursement applicationswill be categorized into levels. The maximum reimbursement amount per credit hour will be $309/hour for Bachelors and $377/hour for Masters and Doctorate, but the number of credit hours supported is determined from year-to-year by annual budget. Examples below indicate the maximum range of approval. Upon approval, applicants will be notified of the number of credit hours supported for the upcoming fiscal year.Submitting an application for tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance does not guarantee funds will be available. Below is the criteria used to determine the level of support. Criteria listed from highest to lowest level of priority.

Faculty credentialing/staff who must complete a degree in order to meet the minimum requirements of their job description (Up to 9 credit hours per semester, up to 18 credit hours per fiscal year maximum)*
Employees seeking the preferred requirements of their job description (Up to 9 credit hours per semester, up to 18 credit hours per fiscal year maximum)*
Employees attempting to exceed the preferred requirements of their job description, in an effort to expand their current role (Up to 9 credit hours per semester, up to 12 credit hours per fiscal year maximum)*
Employees seeking a degree not presently related to current position, or if the employee already has earned a degree at the same degree level (Up to 6 credit hours per semester, up to 6 credit hours per fiscal year maximum) *

*When providing tuition reimbursement, Ivy Tech Community College will make no distinction between semester credit based programs and quarter credit based programs.

**Applicants will remain at the determined priority level for the duration of their academic plan.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisors with employees utilizing tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance should follow up yearly with each employee, during their annual appraisal, regarding the employee’s progress on their academic plan. Supervisors should provide feedback to the Office of Professional Development if concerns arise regarding an employee’s progress towards their academic plan.

Eligibility Requirements for Participants

Must be employed at least one year prior to applying for Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance funds*
Employees on a disciplinary track or who are not in good standing on their performance evaluation per employee’s supervisor are not eligible for Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance.
All non-Ivy Tech 100 and 200 level courses will be denied Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance unless documentation of need can be provided by the employee via letterhead from the institution where coursework is being completed. This documentation should state that Ivy Tech coursework will not substitute for requested courses or Associate level equivalent degree is not offered by Ivy Tech.
Coursework must be taken at an institution accredited by the federally recognized regional association (i.e., Higher Learning Commission for an Indiana college or university).
Approval through the Office of Professional Development must be obtained for any coursework to be covered by Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance.
Failure to make progress on your Academic Plan for two consecutive semesters will require the recipient to reapply to the program.*

*Employees requesting tuition assistance as a condition of their employment are exempt from this eligibility requirement.

Incomplete Coursework

Incomplete coursework for fall and spring semester courses must have final grades and repayment request form submitted before July 1st. Incomplete coursework for the summer semester must have final grades and repayment request form submitted by December 1st.

Unsuccessful Completion of Approved Coursework

For any coursework for which Ivy Tech Community College pays upfront directly to the Institution, and the coursework is not successfully completed, the repayment agreement guidelines will be applied starting on the repayment request date.

Voluntarily Leaving the College

When an employee voluntarily chooses to leave employment at Ivy Tech Community College, the employee is required to provide notification to Human Resources. Upon notification, Human Resources will notify the Office of Professional Development and Payroll.The Office of Professional Development will verify whether or not the employee utilized Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance. The Office of Professional Development will provide data to the Business Office to substantiate the amount owed by the employee.

Assuming a written revocation has not been received, Payroll will use the termination/separation form to have the last check withheld. The employee’s final check or disbursement will be used to satisfy the balance when possible. In the event that the entire amount of the employee’s final paycheck or disbursement does not satisfy the balance due, or in the event that the employee revokes authorization to withhold from said final paycheck or disbursement, the remaining balance is forwarded to the Office of the Bursar. The Office of the Bursar will notify the employee, via an invoice, of their outstanding balance with instructions to contact the Bursar to setup payment arrangements. Failure to pay or follow an established payment plan will result in the debt being placed with a collection agency.The Region reserves the right to pursue all legal and equitable means at its disposal to collect such balance due.

Certification/Degree Completion “Increases”

The College recognizes and acknowledges the importance of degree attainment. Benefits-eligible employees who meet the stated eligibility criteria will receive a base salary increase for the completion of an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree. Employees completing a lesser degree than required for their position are eligible provided the degree is pertinent to their continued employment with the college. An employee is limited to one (1) base salary increase per degree level.

Eligibility criteria:

Successful completion of the ninety (90) working day probationary period
The degree is related to the employee’s current position or for possible future employment opportunities at the college
Submit official transcript to the Human Resources office no later than June 28th.

The Chancellor or Vice President has the discretion to determine the amount of the increase within the ranges listed in the employee handbook. For more details about this benefit, contact your supervisor or Human Resources Administrator.

Date of Submission

New Request for Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance

Application for tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance must be submitted for approval by December 1st for next fiscal year unless classified as a degree required to meet the minimum requirements of an employee’s job description. If funding is available, late application submissions will be reviewed.
Applications will be approved by May of the following calendar year, pending budgetary approval.

Existing Request for Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance

Fall Semester (Aug. 1 – Dec. 31) – submit by July 31st; submit repayment request form (if required) and grades (required) by Jan 31.
Spring Semester (Jan. 1 – May 15) – submit by Dec. 1st; submit repayment request form (if required) and grades (required) by June 30.
Summer Semester (May 16 – July 31) – submit by April 29th; submit repayment form (if required) and grades (required) request by Aug. 31.

* Missing these deadlines may jeopardize your ability to receive tuition reimbursement/assistance fund or require you to repay funds received via tuition assistance.

Procedures for Requests

There are two request types; Requests for Tuition Assistance and Requests for Tuition Reimbursement. Immediately following are step by step instructions for each request type.

Requests for Tuition Assistance-For Terminal Degrees and Employees Pursuing a Required Degree

Each employee must apply for acceptance into the tuition assistance program. Applications are accepted from September 1st thru December 1st for approval the following fiscal year. Application to this program is done by submitting to the Office of Professional Development a completed Academic Plan with the required signatures and a hard copy of the Tuition Reimbursement Repayment Agreement. *
Employee will be notified of application status by May of the following calendar year, pending budgetary approval.
Each semester enrolled the employee must submit a hard copy of the invoice for their class(es) and a Request for Tuition Assistance form in accordance with the dates as outlined under the “Date of Submission” heading above. If the employee plans to deviate from the approved Academic Plan, the employee must submit a completed revised plan with the signatures of their supervisor, Regional Cabinet member, and the Office of Professional Development. An updated Academic Plan should be submitted in accordance with the submission dates for the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form.
The Office of Professional Development will submit payment to the other institution via Ivy Markets before the beginning of the semester.
Upon completion of each semester, the employee will submit to the Office of Professional Development a hard copy of their grades earned in accordance with the dates as outlined under the “Date of Submission” heading above. If grades are not received by the required date, the course will be considered an unsuccessful completion and the repayment process will be initiated. An updated Academic Plan and Tuition Reimbursement Request Form is required for approval to repeat the course.
If a final grade of “C” or better is not earned, the Office of Professional Development will notify the employee and the Payroll Department. The employee will be responsible for repaying funds dispersed on their behalf for the course(s) not successfully completed. The employee will coordinate with the Bursar Office to determine an acceptable repayment plan.

*Application submission deadlines do not apply to those who are requesting tuition assistance as a condition of employment. Employees will receive notification annually of the number of credit hours supported for the upcoming fiscal year.

Requests for Tuition Reimbursement-Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees or Elective Coursework

Each employee must apply for acceptance into the tuition reimbursement program. Applications are accepted from September 1st thru December 1st for approval the following fiscal year. Application to this program is done by submitting to the Office of Professional Development a completed Academic Plan with the required signatures and a hard copy of the Tuition Reimbursement Repayment Agreement. *
Employee will be notified of application status by May of the following calendar year, pending budgetary approval.
If approved, each semester enrolled the employee must submit a hard copy of the Request for Tuition Reimbursement form in accordance with the dates as outlined under the “Date of Submission” heading above. If the employee plans to deviate from the approved Academic Plan, the employee must submit a completed revised plan with the signatures of their supervisor, Regional Cabinet member, and the Office of Professional Development. An updated Academic Plan should be submitted in accordance with the submission dates for the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form.
Upon completion of each semester, with a grade of at least a “C” or “pass”, the employee will need to submit, to the Office of Professional Development, a hard copy of an invoice from the school they have attended, a hard copy of their grades, and a hard copy of the Repayment Request Form in accordance with the “Date of Submission” heading above.
The Business Office, upon receipt of required documentation from the Office of Professional Development, will provide the employee with the approved amount.

* Employees will receive notification annually of the number of credit hours supported for the upcoming fiscal year.

Responsibility: Office of Professional Development