Tuition Benefits
Policy #3.1020Effective: 2/7/05
Introduction
All regular full time and regular and limited part time employees of the University are eligible for tuition benefits at Lewis University, in accordance with the specifications of this policy. The tuition benefits, described herein, also apply to the following:
Employee
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Employees in applicable employment categories shall be eligible for
tuition benefits for themselves at the undergraduate level at date
of hire as follows:
Regular full time employees: 100%
Regular part time employees: 50%
Limited part time employees: 25%
-
Employees in applicable employment categories shall be eligible for
tuition benefits for themselves at the graduate level after one year
of service as
follows:
Regular full-time employees: 100%
Regular part-time employees: 50%
Limited part-time employees: 25%
With prior approval of the unit head, employees may enroll in one course (three credit hour maximum) during the regularly scheduled work day provided the function of the employee’s position is not impaired and the course is not available outside of the employee’s regularly scheduled work day. Such a course is limited to those offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. With prior approval of the employee’s supervisor, who has assessed and determined that there would be no adverse interruption of services or operations, an employee may enroll in a non-traditional format class, including classes offered during the summer months.
Employees enrolled in a course during the workday are to limit their lunch break to one-half hour on the days the class meets.
Spouse and Dependents
-
Spouse and dependent children of regular full time, regular part
time, and
limited part time employees become eligible for tuition benefits at the
undergraduate level as follows:
(a) After six months of service
50% waiver for regular full time employees
25% waiver for regular part time employees
25% waiver for limited part time employees
(b) After one year of service
100% waiver for regular full time employees
50% waiver for regular part time employees
25% waiver for limited part time employees
-
Spouse and dependent children of regular full-time, regular
part-time, and
limited part-time employees become eligible for tuition benefits at the
graduate level as follows:
Full-time Part-time Limited PT 0-4 years of service 25% waiver 25%waiver No waiver 5-9 years of service 50% waiver 50% waiver 25% waiver 10+ years of service 100% waiver 50% waiver 25% waiver
- Dependent children must satisfy one of the following criteria:
- meet all the conditions for dependency as established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); or
- by virtue of a divorce decree, the employee parent has responsibility
for education expenses.
- The employee is responsible to pay any University debts incurred by spouse or dependents who have received a tuition waiver which are past due over sixty (60) days. A notice will be sent to the employee thirty (30) days before payroll deduction arrangements are initiated
Retired Employees
- Retired employees of the University, who served on a full time basis, and their spouses and dependent children, are also eligible for benefits. Dependent children of retired employees must satisfy all the conditions for dependency as established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An employee shall be considered to be a retired employee for this purpose only if s/he is receiving retirement benefits from the Christian Brothers Employee Retirement Plan.
Deceased Employees
- Spouse and dependent children of deceased employees of the University who served on a full time basis for four years and nine months or an equivalent part time basis are also eligible for benefits. Dependent children of deceased employees must satisfy all the conditions for dependency as established by the IRS.
Disabled Employees
- Disabled employees of the University who qualify for benefits under the long term disability coverage of the Christian Brothers Employee Benefit Trust, and who served on a full time basis for four years and nine months or an equivalent regular part time basis are also eligible for benefits. Their spouse and dependent children may also receive tuition benefits. Dependent children of disabled employees must satisfy all the conditions for dependency as established by the IRS.
Application for Benefits
Employees seeking tuition benefits must file an Application for Tuition Waiver (Exhibit 8) with the Office of Human Resources each semester. Waiver applications are to be completed and submitted to the Office of Human Resources no later than the end of the first week of each semester. Applications submitted after the first week of each semester will not be authorized.
Limitations
The following limitations apply to this benefit:
-
Regular admission standards must be met.
-
Employees must be employed and eligible on the first day through
the last day of the semester to receive benefits. An employee who terminates
for any
reason, excepting lay off, will become responsible for a
pro-rated amount of the tuition bill based on the week of the semester
in which employment ends.
- Employees who move from one employment category to another with a higher level of tuition benefit (i.e. from part-time to full-time or limited part-time to part-time), must fulfill the service requirement in the new category prior to receiving those benefits for his/herself, spouse and/or eligible dependents.
-
Students receiving the tuition benefit must apply prior to January
1 of each academic year for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP)
in conformity with
the regulations established by the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission (ISAC). Recipients of the tuition benefit must also apply
for and accept all applicable
financial aid. ISAC awards will reduce the amount of the
tuition benefit. Students enrolled in less than six credit hours and
graduate students are ineligible
for the ISAC and are, therefore, not required to make application.
A tuition waiver will be granted to those ineligible for the scholarship
and for the
tuition amount not met by the scholarship.
-
Students receiving the Pell grant will be allowed a book allowance
there from. The remainder of the Pell grant will be used to reduce
the tuition benefit.
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If a student receives outside financial assistance (i.e., ROTC
scholarship, third party scholarship) the award can be used
to meet non tuition University
charges (i.e., room and board, flight fees, books).
These funds cannot, however, generate a cash refund to the
student. If the outside financial assistance
exceeds non tuition charges, the remaining funds
will be applied to tuition thereby reducing the tuition benefit.
Pell grants and ISAC are not included
in the definition of outside financial assistance for purposes
of this point.
-
Spouse and dependent children must first seek employer benefits (if
applicable) before tuition remission can be applied. A letter from
the Human Resources
Director or a copy of the policy outlining tuition benefits must
be submitted.
-
The student must pay for all fees and the cost of books and supplies
associated with courses.
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Recipients of tuition benefits shall not be eligible for part time
student employment, funded 100% by the University. Students who qualify
for the federal
work study program, however, are eligible to work on campus.
-
Recipients are ineligible to receive any other institution funded
grants or scholarships.
-
Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined
by the University in order to maintain eligibility for tuition benefits.
-
Employee tuition benefits are not applicable to any program or course
for which the University pays the direct cost for instruction to an institution,
entity or individual, such as on a one-on-one tutoring/instruction basis
(e.g. flight instruction, private music lessons), or for which the University
must pay out of pocket for provision of the program or course of study
to a third party (e.g. study abroad) The published rates must be paid
by the student in these situations.
-
The University reserves the right to ask employees, spouses and
dependents to defer enrollment if a program is at maximum capacity
and enrollment would
prevent a prospective student from enrolling.
-
Tuition waivers will be immediately canceled for employees found
to be falsifying information in order to receive this benefit. The
student will become
responsible for the entire tuition debt for that semester.
Disciplinary action against the employee may also be taken.
- This policy shall apply to all undergraduate and graduate level courses, but shall not apply to doctoral level courses or the MS, Occupational Therapy program. Independent studies are covered under this policy if they are required as part of the curriculum for degree completion.
-
This policy shall take effect July 1, 2005. Employees, spouses or
dependents that enrolled in a degree program and have completed at
least one course prior
to this date are eligible to continue their degree program
under the terms of the University Tuition Remission Policy dated 6/12/95.
This exception expires
on June 30, 2008.
- Graduate students taking undergraduate classes will be assessed tuition at the graduate program rate for those classes.
