Tuition Assistance Program
Code:
30-01-40-50:00 Effective date:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose: To assist eligible staff members to
enhance their professional skills and overall job performance.
Responsibility: Vice President for Human Resources ensures compliance with
this policy.
Policy: It is the policy of UMDNJ to extend participation to staff
members who meet the criteria outlined below.
To receive benefits described in this
policy, staff members and registered nurses must meet the criteria shown below:
·
Prior to the submission of an
Application for Tuition Assistance, must have completed at least one year of
continuous regularly scheduled service working twenty (20) or more hours a week
and are in an active pay status (i.e. eligible to receive a paycheck).
Temporary, Per Diem employees are not eligible. The following titles are not
eligible: e.g. students, PGY’s, post doctoral fellows, fellows, faculty, etc.
·
Current performance evaluation must be
satisfactory or better.
The course of study must meet one of
the criteria set forth below:
·
Relates to a person’s current position,
i.e., improves performance of current job;
·
Prepares a staff member or registered
nurse for realistic career advancement within the University.
In addition, the course of study must
meet one of these additional criteria set forth below:
·
Is a core or elective requirement
toward a degree;
·
Is a continuing education unit;
·
Is a special non-college course,
distant learning, seminar, conference or program sponsored by an accredited
college, university or professional organization.
Pre-Enrollment Procedures
Obtain
the Application for Tuition Assistance Program from the Campus Human Resources
Benefits Office. Upon submission, the application is to include following
additional required information:
· Copy of Acceptance Letter
or proof of initial acceptance.
·
Official course description from a
current official college catalog.
·
Supporting documentation for the
beginning and end dates of semester/course.
·
The completed Application for Tuition
Assistance for credit and non-credit courses must be submitted to the Campus
Human Resources Benefits Office fifteen
(15) business days prior to the commencement of the course(s). Where
possible, hand deliver.
The Campus Human Resources Benefits
Representative will review all information contained in the Application for
Tuition, including requests to attend seminars and conferences, and will notify
all applicants of the disposition of their Application for Tuition.
Reimbursement is limited to tuition
only and excludes books, registration, student fees, laboratory fees,
examination fees, etc. However, under article 10.05 of the HPAE Local 5094
contract, Local 5094 members will be reimbursed for registration fees
associated with obtaining and /or maintaining "certifications"
required by the University or the State of
To be eligible for reimbursement the
following conditions, where applicable, must be met; and, the application and
verifying documentation must be received in the Campus Human Resources Benefits
Offices no later than 15 days before the start of the course(s). The following additional information must be
received by to the Campus Human Resources Benefits Offices within ninety days
of the date of completion of the course(s).
·
An original or verifiable copy of the
record of grades, e.g., original or verifiable copy of a transcript or school
grade report, must be submitted.
·
An original or verifiable copy of a
certificate or original or verifiable copy of proof of satisfactory completion
must be submitted.
·
Attain at least a “C” grade for the
approved courses or a “pass” grade where pass/fail
structure is
in place.
·
Staff members attending special
interest non-college courses or C.E.U.’s must submit an original or verifiable
copy of a certificate or proof of satisfactory completion.
·
Staff members attending seminars or
conferences must submit an original or verifiable copy of proof of attendance.
·
An itemized bill separating tuition
from all the other fees.
·
Proof of payment, i.e., bursar’s
receipt or front and back copies of cancelled checks (except for HPAE
Professional - Local 5094), copies of financial aid documents, etc.
·
A signed agreement stating that the
University will be refunded any tuition
reimbursement received should employment separation occur within six (6) months of successful course completion, except for those who are laid off.
·
A signed authorization for the tuition
refund to be deducted from any monies due the employee at the time of
separation from employment.
Application for Tuition Assistance for
reimbursement for credit and non-credit courses must be received in the campus
Human Resources Office no later than 15 business days prior to the start of the
course(s).
In order to be reimbursed, once the course is completed, the employee has a ninety (90) day deadline from the date of completion of the course(s) the grade(s) to have the rest of the documents in the campus Human Resources Office. The grade(s) must be an original or verifiable copy of the grade report or an original or verifiable copy of the official document of course completion.
The Campus Human Resources Benefits
Representative will process all requests for reimbursements and will maintain
such records as may be required for the efficient administration of the
University’s Tuition Assistance Program.
Reimbursement Limits.
·
All eligible employees may receive up
to a maximum of $3,120 per calendar year for courses completed with a passing
grade of C or better.
·
HPAE Nurses employed on a full-time basis
will receive up to $3,120 per calendar year for non-UMDNJ nursing courses and
up to $7,280 per calendar year for UMDNJ School of Nursing courses completed
with a passing grade of C or better.
·
HPAE nurses employed on a part-time
basis (excluding per diems) will receive up to $1,560 per calendar year for
non- UMDNJ nursing courses and up to $3,640 per calendar year for UMDNJ School
of Nursing courses completed with a passing grade of C or better.
·
If a staff HPAE Professional member (Local 5094) takes a course at a
non-UMDNJ school that allows for deferred tuition reimbursement, the staff
member will not be required to pay the school first and apply for
reimbursement.
·
Full time non-union Nurses on the N scale will
receive up to $3,120 per calendar year for non-UMDNJ nursing courses and up to
$7,280 per calendar year for UMDNJ School of Nursing courses completed with a
passing grade of C or better.
· Non-union Nurses on the N scale who are
employed on a part-time basis (excluding per diems)
will receive up to $1,560 per calendar year for
non-UMDNJ nursing courses and up to $3,120 per
calendar year for UMDNJ School of Nursing
courses completed with a passing grade of C or
better.
The reimbursement amount
(s) is based on when the applicable course(s) is completed in determining when
the calendar year limit is met.
Undergraduate and graduate tuition benefits are not taxed up to the prevailing statutory limits. Contact your campus Human Resources Office for current limits.
by direction of the President
Vice President for Human Resources