Tuition Remission Policy

AUDIENCE

All Thomas More University employees and employees of vendor partners

PURPOSE

Thomas More University provides a values-based, excellent education and recognizes that the skills and knowledge of our employees are critical for our success. The purpose of this policy is to create a valuable benefit for our employees by providing an opportunity for them and their families to obtain a Thomas More education at a reduced cost. 

DEFINITIONS

Remission – waiver of some amount of Thomas More University tuition for those eligible.

Spouse – the legal married partner of a Thomas More employee or vendor partner employee.

Dependent – a child or other individual, 24 years of age or younger for whom a Thomas More employee or vendor partner employee may claim a personal exemption tax deduction.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES

Tuition remission is available to employees and employees of vendor partners, as well as their dependents and spouses, where eligible and certified as outlined below.

Section 1: Eligibility Requirements

To receive tuition remission, the employee, spouse, or dependent must meet admission requirements and all other requirements to remain at Thomas More University. 

Thomas More University employees, their spouses, and dependents are eligible for tuition remission benefits at the conclusion of one year of service. 

Full-time employees of Thomas More University, their spouses, and their dependents who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree-seeking program may receive 90% tuition remission.  Full-time employees and their spouses may receive 90% tuition remission for graduate programs.  Dependents are not eligible for remission of graduate programs. Full-time employees of Thomas More University may receive 50% tuition remission for post-graduate or doctorate programs.  Spouses and dependents are not eligible for remission of post-graduate or doctorate programs.  Employees, spouses, or dependents who are non-degree seeking are eligible for up to six hours per term at a rate of 90% tuition remission. 

Part-time staff, part-time faculty, and adjunct faculty may receive tuition remission for one three credit hour undergraduate course per semester for each semester in which they are actively working at a rate of 90% tuition remission.  Spouses and dependents of part-time staff, part-time faculty, and adjunct faculty are not eligible for tuition remission. 

Employees of vendor partners are eligible for tuition remission according to the contract between Thomas More University and the vendor partner at a rate of 90% tuition remission.  The President or Chief Financial Officer may extend tuition remission to employees of vendor partners through the vendor contract, not by individual employee.  Employees of vendor partners must work full time on Thomas More University’s campus for one year prior to being eligible for tuition remission for themselves, their spouses, or dependents.  The employee, spouse, and dependent are eligible for tuition remission as outlined in the policy.  Employees of vendor partners, their spouses, or dependents are not eligible for the tuition exchange program or graduate, post-graduate, or doctorate tuition remission.  Employees of vendor partners, their spouses, or dependents are eligible for tuition remission through consortium courses.  The employee is responsible for any taxes due as a result. 

Each employee and their spouse may receive only one graduate degree from Thomas More University through the tuition remission program.  The dual credit program is excluded from the tuition remission benefit.  Tuition for audited classes will be covered at 100% and fees will be waived. 

Consortium classes are for students enrolled at Thomas More University who are taking a class at a consortium college.  These classes are eligible for tuition remission at the rates set forth within this policy.  The student is responsible for paying all host school fees. 

To be eligible for tuition remission, the employee must claim the spouse or dependent on their most recent federal tax return (or in special circumstances, be able to provide the necessary documentation as listed below in Section 2 to verify the spousal or dependent relationship with the employee) and submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For purposes of IRS tax code, dependents must be under the age of 24. Federal and/or state financial aid (grants, KEES, etc.) to which a student is entitled will be retained by the university to offset the cost of education.  However, the federal and/or state financial aid can be used to cover all or a portion of fees, room and board charges.  Tuition remission is not stackable with other forms of institutional scholarships or financial aid. Tuition remission is not refundable to the student or employee.  The employee and/or student is responsible for any taxes due as a result of receiving tuition remission.  The Internal Revenue Code requires that tuition remission for graduate, post-graduate, and doctorate courses above $5,250 per calendar year be taxable to the employee and that amount added to their regular wages and all applicable taxes must be withheld.  Tuition remission for spouses in graduate programs is 100% taxable to the employee.  For Thomas More University employees, the amount will be calculated and Payroll will withhold all required taxes. 

The student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or remission will be reduced by a total of $1,000 for the following academic year ($500 per semester) in accordance with the Scholarship Renewal Policy.

When two or more members of the same family are employed by the University, it is to be understood that the educational benefits to which children of that family are entitled will be the same as if only one person in the family were employed by Thomas More University.

Section 2: Application Requirements

Employees must submit the tuition remission application to the Human Resources Department prior to the start of the academic year on an annual basis or prior to the start of the class.

Employees interested in this benefit must complete the application form for each academic year, or for each course if not enrolled in a degree program, and obtain their supervisor’s signature.  If remission is for the employee, the form must include a copy of the first page of the employee’s most recent tax return (redacting all non-relevant information, if necessary). If remission is for an eligible employee’s spouse, the form must include either a copy of the first page of the employee’s most recent tax return demonstrating the spouse has been claimed (redacting all non-relevant information, if necessary) or provide a copy of the employee and spouse’s marriage certificate. If remission is for an eligible employee’s dependent, the form must include either a copy of the first page of the employee’s most recent tax return demonstrating the dependent has been claimed (redacting all non-relevant information, if necessary); proof of a divorce decree or judgment of dissolution of marriage (to the extent that it outlines the employee and former spouse’s rights to claim the dependent for tax purposes); or, the dependent’s birth certificate, final decree of adoption, or decree of legal guardianship. If there is a reason that this documentation is unable to be provided, exceptions may be granted by the CFO in consultation with Human Resources.

If an employee is on a leave of absence, the Director of Human Resources will review the specific situation to determine the employee, their spouse, and their dependent’s eligibility for tuition remission.  If an employee resigns or is terminated from the University while using this benefit, the employee as well as their spouses or dependents can finish the term or the class they are in at the time the employee leaves the University.  No further remission is provided.

In the event that there are any changes to the spousal or dependent relationships which would render the individual ineligible for remission under this policy, the employee shall notify the Director of Human Resources immediately.  Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Section 3: Tuition Exchange Program

The Tuition Exchange (TE) provides a reciprocal scholarship exchange program for family members of full-time faculty and staff among its members of over 660 colleges and universities located in 47 states and four foreign countries.  For a list of member schools, visit www.tuitionexchange.org.  All students must apply for admission to the institution they wish to attend and that institution determines admission and admission procedures.

The primary obligation of a member institution is to maintain a balanced exchange pattern, a reasonable match between student “exports” and student “imports”. A member institution may import as many as it wishes. It may not, however, export more than it imports. Institutions with many candidates seeking TE Scholarships usually limit awards offered.

The following guidelines are applicable to Thomas More University employees who participate in the TE program.

1. Eligible Employee – A currently employed Thomas More University full-time faculty or staff member.
2. Family Member: Any child born to an employee, legally adopted by an employee, or for whom legal guardianship can be documented and shown as a dependent on the employee’s federal tax return.
3. Candidate: The family member of an eligible employee who has been certified by Thomas More University for full-time degree study at a college or university that participates in the Tuition Exchange program. Scholarships are not granted for graduate study, non-degree study or second undergraduate degrees.
4. Maximum Scholarship: TE scholarships will not exceed a maximum of 8 semesters per candidate and they may be divided among family members.
5. Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer is the Director of Financial Aid.
6. By October 31st of each academic year family members of Thomas More University faculty and staff who wish to be considered for TE will notify the TE Liaison Officer of intent to participate in the program. The application is available in the Financial Aid Office. 
7. By December 1st of each academic year, Thomas More University will determine how many new students can be certified.
8. If the number of applicants is equal to the number of slots available, each applicant will be given the opportunity to seek a TE scholarship and Thomas More University will sponsor the prospective student by certifying him or her as a TE Candidate and sending notice of certification to as many as six (6) TE member schools to which the candidate has applied (or plans to apply).
9. If the number of prospective candidates exceeds the number of slots, candidates will be selected on the following priority ranking:
   1. First priority will be given to applicants based on employment seniority of the faculty/staff member. Seniority is based on years of continuous full-time service at Thomas More University.
   2. Among applicants whose parents have the same years of seniority, priority will be determined by the FAFSA.
   3. Last priority will be given to students with family members who have already received a TE scholarship for one year.

Thomas More University also participates in two additional tuition exchange programs that follows the same guidelines as the TE program.  They are:

• The Council of Independent Colleges --  cic.edu
• Catholic College Cooperative Tuition Exchange --  cccte.org

RELATED POLICIES AND APPLICABLE LEGAL OR ACCREDITATION STANDARDS

Scholarship Renewal Policy

REFERENCING THE POLICY

Faculty Manual

Vendor partner contracts if applicable

HISTORY

APPENDIX

There are no appendices to this policy. 

APPROVALS

Laura Custer, Director of Human Resources                           

Mark Goshorn, Vice President for Finance and CFO

Dr. Joseph L. Chillo, President