|
GUIDELINES
FOR ADMINISTERING
DEPENDENT TUITION WAIVER POLICY
A. PURPOSE:
The
purpose of these guidelines is to assure consistent implementation
of Regent
Policy 940.32, Tuition Waivers for Dependents.
B. ELIGIBILITY:
1. All employees
who have been employed at ¾ time or more for at least five
years without a break in service are eligible for a dependent
tuition waiver benefit.
a. Temporary
service at ¾ time or more in a temporary position counts
toward the 5-year waiting period as long as there is no break
in service. Employment during an entire academic year is considered
one year of service and there is no break in service as long as
the employee is reemployed for the subsequent academic year.
b. No part-time
employment at less than ¾ time counts toward meeting the
5-year qualifying period. However, any time employed at ¾
time or greater will count, even when it is preceded by or followed
by less than ¾ time employment as long as there is no intervening
break in service. Employees must be employed ¾ time or
greater for the entire academic term to maintain their eligibility
to use the dependent tuition waiver.
c. Authorized
time in an official layoff status or on an approved leave without
pay does not count toward the 5-year qualifying period but does
not constitute a break in service.
d. Sabbaticals
and other forms of paid leave are considered time worked for purposes
of meeting the 5-year qualifying period.
e. Employees
who have prior service with a unit of the university system and
are later reemployed after more than a 5-day break in service
must serve the entire 5-year waiting period to be eligible for
the dependent tuition waiver benefit.
f. All time
worked at the Office of Commissioner of Higher Education or at
any unit of the university system at ¾ time or more shall
count toward the 5-year qualifying period as long as there is
no break in service when the employee accepts a new position at
a different unit of the university system. Employment at any private
institution, at any tribal college or the community colleges in
Kalispell, Glendive and Miles City does not
count towards meeting the 5-year qualifying period.
g. Employees
must have met all of the aforementioned eligibility requirements
prior to (or as of) the first day of the academic term in order
to be eligible for the dependent tuition waiver benefit.
2. An employee
must remain employed the entire academic term during which the
tuition waiver is utilized. If an employee terminates his/her
employment prior to the end of the academic term, the employee
shall be required to repay the cost of the dependent tuition waiver.
3. Jointly
employed spouses are each eligible for a dependent tuition waiver
benefit, however in no case may the benefit be pooled. Eligible
jointly employed spouses may utilize the dependent tuition waiver
benefit for two children at one time but any one child may not
receive more than a 50% tuition waiver under the dependent tuition
waiver policy.
C. APPLICATION/CERTIFICATION
PROCESS
1. Applications
for the dependent tuition waiver benefit are to be initiated
by the employee or the employee's dependent. Applications require
approvals/ signatures of the employee, the dependent utilizing
the tuition waiver and the Human Resources Office. The campus
Human Resources Office is responsible for certifying employee
eligibility for the dependent tuition waiver benefit. Human Resources
will send a copy of the eligibility certificate to the appropriate
financial aid office.
2. New certification
and recertification is required for each academic term.
3. Reasonable
deadlines for submitting an application for a dependent tuition
waiver
may be established by each campus unit. Employees who do not submit
a timely application for a dependent tuition waiver may be denied
the dependent tuition waiver benefit.
4. Employees
will be required to sign a statement verifying 1) that they are
not utilizing the tuition waiver for themselves; and 2) the child
utilizing the tuition waiver is claimed as a dependent for federal
tax purposes, is unmarried and has not reached age 25 as of the
first day of the semester for which the tuition waiver is granted;
or 3) the employee is married to the spouse utilizing the tuition
waiver. Documentation that a dependent has been claimed in the
tax year the benefit is used may be required for audit purposes
or in cases of suspected misuse. False certification of dependent
eligibility for the tuition waiver is cause for discharge and
the employee shall be required to repay the cost of the tuition
waiver.
D. EDUCATION
BENEFIT
1. The dependent
tuition waiver benefit is a 50% reduction in the cost of residential
tuition. This benefit is not taxable. In no case may registration,
course fees or any other mandatory fee be waived.
2. Dependents
may utilize the dependent tuition waiver at any unit of the university
system for which they have applied and been accepted as long as
eligibility standards are maintained. Students who are dually
enrolled at more than one unit receive a 50% reduction in the
cost of residential tuition for courses taken at each unit.
3. There is
no limitation on the number of credits that may be taken per semester
under the tuition waiver benefit.
4. If the
employer requires an employee to take a course at a university
unit in order to obtain new job skills and the employee wants
to utilize the dependent tuition waiver for a spouse or child,
the employer is responsible for paying the full tuition for the
employee, thereby preserving the option of the employee to allow
their child or spouse to access the dependent tuition waiver benefit.
5. The dependent
tuition waiver benefit may be used for on-line, electronic courses
as long as they are for credit and are not self-supporting. The
dependent tuition waiver does not apply to noncredit, continuing
education, or other self-supporting courses. The dependent tuition
waiver benefit may not be used to attend law school or obtain
a graduate degree. Graduate level courses are excluded from the
dependent tuition waiver benefit. Dependents may utilize the tuition
waiver benefit to obtain only their first baccalaureate degree.
6. Students
who receive other tuition waivers or scholarships awarded by the
university need to disclose their eligibility for the dependent
tuition waiver benefit and are only eligible to receive both benefits,
or portions thereof, at the discretion of the university. Such
students shall receive, at a minimum, the greater of the two benefits.
Scholarships awarded by outside entities are not subject to this
limitation.
|
