HR Policies: 6.10.5
Tuition Aid Program
Subject: Encouraging Employee Growth
Number: 6.10.5
Issued: 10/1/80
Revised: 6/30/98
Purpose
The Tuition Aid
Program allows off-campus Cornell staff and those Ithaca-based
staff 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.
Scope of Program
Coursework need not be college level. Programs offered by Tompkins
Cortland Community College, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES, certain
commercial organizations, and distance-learning schools may be appropriate
training sources.
Eligibility
After one year of regular full-time service or three years of part-time
service at Cornell, all regular nonacademic staff , and nonprofessorial
academic staff 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 year.
Degree Candidates
Staff enrolled in an approved job-related or career-related degree
program may receive Tuition Aid for courses that help them fulfill
their degree requirements, even if these individual courses are
not directly job-related or career-related.
A staff member pursuing coursework under the Tuition Aid Program is not entitled to benefits under the Extramural Program unless the total number of supported hours is four or less.
Extramural Program Participants
A staff member pursuing coursework under the Tuition Aid Program
is not entitled to benefits under the Extramural Program unless
the total number of supported hours per semester is four or less.
Application
A staff member should obtain a Tuition Aid Form from Benefit
Services in the Office of Human Resources or e-mail benefits@cornell.edu.
The staff member is then responsible for acquiring approvals from the
supervisor, the department head, dean/unit head or designee, and Benefit
Services on the tuition aid application prior to the beginning of the
course. Requests for exceptions should be directed to Benefit Services
at the earliest possible date for disposition. The staff member is also
responsible for meeting all registration requirements for the institution
attended.
Reimbursement
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 and tuition receipt (contact Benefit Services
for current rate). Expenses for fees, books, and associated costs
are paid by the individual.
Limited Funds
Tuition reimbursement funds are limited. Applications are processed
on a first-come, first-served basis through Benefit Services. Applications
may be denied due to lack of funds or a hold on funds. In such cases,
applications will be approved if and when funding becomes available.
No department funds are involved unless central funds are exhausted and a department chooses to support the staff member's participation in the Tuition Aid Program by using its own resources. In such cases, reimbursement should be consistent with the guidelines outlined in this policy.
Release Time
A staff member pursuing coursework under the Tuition Aid Program
will be granted release time only when courses are not available
during evenings, weekends, or times other than scheduled working
hours.
It is expected that the majority of staff will be able to schedule coursework at times other than regular working hours. However, since the coursework being pursued is necessarily 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 a staff member attends a course occurring at times other than regular working hours, no compensatory time off is permitted.
Contact the local hr representative or designee or Benefit Services (607) 255-3936 in the Office of Human Resources for more information.