Tuition Aid
This program allows off-campus employees, and those Ithaca-based employees for whom no appropriate coursework at Cornell is available, an opportunity to pursue coursework that maintains or improves current career skills at other educational institutions. The coursework does not have to be college level.
Eligibility
After one year of regular full-time service or three years of part-time
service at Cornell, all regular nonacademic employees, and non professorial
academic staff and faculty members who do not hold voting status on any
college, university, or graduate faculty, are eligible to apply for tuition
aid reimbursement for up to four (4) credit hours (or equivalent) per
semester and eight (8) credit hours per fiscal year. Eligibility must
be met on or before the first day of classes for the semester in which
you are applying for funding. Listed below are the various university
status’ and their eligibility for this program:
| Full-time: | one year of service - 2007-2008: $102.40 per credit hour up to four credit hours per semester, eight credit hours per fiscal year |
| Part-time: | three years of service - 2007-2008: $102.40 per credit hour up to four credit hours per semester; eight credits hours per fiscal year |
| Temporary with Benefits: | not eligible unless temporary appointment is for more than one year. Employee may take classes after one year if appointment continues to span that academic semester |
| Layoff: | six credit hours per semester up to one year from layoff date if eligibility waiting period was satisfied before layoff |
| Retiree: | not eligible |
| Position Leave: | not eligible |
| University Leave: | not eligible |
| Family Medical Leave: | not eligible |
| Full Disability: | 2007-2008: $102.40 per credit hour up to six credit hours per semester for duration of disability status if eligibility waiting period was satisfied before disability |
| Partial Disability: | 2007-2008: $102.40 per credit hour up to six credit hours per semester for duration of disability status if eligibility waiting period was satisfied before disability |
| Long Term Disability: | 2007-2008: $102.40 per credit hour up to six credit hours per semester while on LTD status. Coursework does not have to be job related if eligibility waiting period was satisfied before disability |
| Termination: | not eligible |
General Information: If you are enrolled in an approved job-related degree program (coursework/training that maintains or improves a skill required in your current job), you may receive Tuition Aid for courses that help you fulfill your degree requirements even if some individual courses are not job-related. You may also use Tuition Aid for a career-related degree program. While the overall program may not be eligible for reimbursement, approval will be given to those courses that will relate to your current job.
The University will reimburse a percentage of tuition expenses at a fixed rate per credit hour or equivalent unit upon receipt of an official grade report or completion certificate. Expenses for fees, books, and associated costs are paid by the individual. The Tuition Aid reimbursement will be awarded after any TAP or scholarships for tuition have been applied. The combination of TAP, tuition scholarships and Tuition Aid cannot exceed the cost of tuition.
Tuition payment: You are required to pay for classes at the time of enrollment. If you are enrolled in classes at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) or BOCES, you are able to complete the reverse side of the Tuition Aid Form in order for deferment of 80% of the tuition rate. You are required to pay your 20% of the tuition cost to TC3 or BOCES at the time you enroll. Upon completion of the class(es), TC3 and BOCES will submit a list of grades for all Cornell employees to Benefit Services. Benefit Services will remit payment to TC3 for all grades of C or better or to BOCES for employees who completed 75% of class time. If you do not receive a grade of C or better, TC3 will bill you for the amount owed. If you do not complete 75% of the class at BOCES, you will be billed by BOCES.
Release Time: You will be granted release time only when courses are not available during evenings, weekends, or times other than scheduled work hours. Since the coursework being pursued is job-related, there is no requirement to make up time spent in class or in travel to and from the class if classes do occur during regular working hours. If you attend a course occurring at times other than regular work hours, no compensatory time off is permitted.