Tuition Benefits

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

• 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:
  1. meet all the conditions for dependency as established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); or
  2. 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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.