Tuition Assistance Program Policy
Mission Statement & Purpose
As part of its mission statement the University System of Georgia is committed
to "the recruitment, hiring, and retention of the best possible faculty,
staff and administration." The Board of Regents of the University System
of Georgia is committed to creating a more educated Georgia. Both of these
commitments extend internally, as well as, externally. As part of its desire
to meet its employees evolving needs, the University System of Georgia (USG)
has established an educational assistance program, the Tuition Assistance
Program (TAP). The purpose of TAP is to foster the professional growth and
development of its eligible employees.
Section 802.18, Career Development, and Section 802.20, Tuition Assistance Program, of The Board of Regents Policy Manual contain the system-wide policy guidelines for this program.
Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Registration
Each "teaching institution" will establish its TAP employee registration period.
This period will begin immediately after the end of the "teaching institution's" regular
student registration period. The specific dates for the employee registration
period at each "teaching institution" are listed at www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/tuition/.
TAP enrollment is granted on a space-available basis.
University System of Georgia (USG) Tuition Assistance Program
(TAP) Registration Form
There is a single University System of Georgia TAP registration form. The TAP
registration form is located at www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/tuition/.
Work Schedule Arrangements
To the extent possible, no employee should take a course(s) that would require
him/her to be absent from work during regularly scheduled work hours. If
attendance in an approved TAP course requires that an employee be absent
from his/her assigned workstation during normal work hours, various accommodations
may be possible, depending upon the needs of the unit/department and of the
employee. The supervisor must certify that the employee's participation in
TAP will not adversely affect departmental services, or, result in undue
hardship for other employees. Alternate work arrangements will only be granted
at the discretion of the immediate supervisor. Supervisors are encouraged
to make a reasonable effort to find an appropriate work schedule accommodation.
Tax Implications for Participants
The federal government currently allows up to $5,250 annually, in employer-provided
educational assistance benefits, to be "tax free" to TAP participants. This
applies to both undergraduate and graduate-level courses. This "tax free" exemption
currently applies through 2010. An employee must generally pay taxes on employer-provided
educational assistance benefits in excess of $5,250. This amount will be
included in your wages (Box 1 of your Form W-2). A tax professional should
be consulted for further information concerning taxable tuition.
Ineligible Programs
Employees may not enroll in certain programs or courses of study under the
TAP policy.
Those ineligible programs, or courses of study, include academic courses in the following professional schools: dental, law, medical, pharmacy, veterinary, or executive/premiere or comparable graduate school programs. Other ineligible programs, or courses of study, include: workshops, seminars, continuing education courses, management development programs, special examinations for admissions to degree programs, or private consultant refresher courses to take examinations such as C.P.A. certification, admissions examinations, and related types of programs or classes. Support for these types of programs, may be provided by departmental policies.
Appeals
An employee may not appeal any institutional decision regarding the TAP program
to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Each USG institution
will utilize its internal review process to review TAP application denials.
University System of Georgia TAP Coordinators
The name, title, address, e-mail address, telephone number, and FAX number
for each institutional TAP Coordinator may be found at www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/tuition/.
TAP Program Regulations
Eligibility
The tuition assistance program is available to full time benefits-eligible
employees of the USG who have successfully completed at least six (6) months
of employment in a benefits-eligible position, as of the date of the
TAP application deadline for the desired academic semester.
Process
- An employee will be required to go through the regular student admissions process, prior to applying for TAP; and
- An employee must complete a TAP application for each semester in attendance.
Maximum Credits
- An employee may seek approval to enroll in up to eight (8) academic semester credit hours for each of the three designated semester periods: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Semester.
TAP Application Deadlines
- The following University System of Georgia TAP application deadlines will apply to all University System of Georgia institutions: (If any of these dates fall on a holiday or on a weekend, the application deadline will be the last business day prior to the dates identified.)
Fall Semester July 15th
Spring Semester November 15th
Summer Semester April 15th
Distance Learning and Web-Based Courses
- TAP participants may enroll in distance learning and web-based courses offered by the University System of Georgia. If the tuition for these courses is greater than the System-approved normal tuition amount, USG institutions may elect to waive only that portion of the tuition that does not exceed the System-approved normal tuition amount. An employee will be responsible for paying the remainder of the tuition cost.
Grade Requirements
- An employee must receive a grade of "C", or better, in each approved TAP course. The employee must furnish a copy of his/her grade(s) to the TAP Coordinator of the "home institution".
- An employee who receives a grade of "D", or below, in an approved TAP course will be ineligible to participate in the program for one semester. In an instance such as this, the TAP participant will not be personally responsible for repayment/reimbursement this course.
- An employee, who receives an "Incomplete" in an approved TAP course, will have until the end of the following semester to complete the coursework and submit his/her final course grade to the TAP Coordinator of the "home institution". An employee must do this to continue participating in the TAP program the next academic semester.
Other Restrictions and/or Conditions
- TAP is a supplemental educational assistance employee program. An employee who is eligible for Pell Grants must apply his/her Pell Grant monies toward tuition and fees before receiving a TAP waiver.
- If an employee withdraws from an approved TAP course prior to its completion, the employee will be ineligible to participate in TAP for one semester.
- Eligibility for TAP participation does not guarantee admission into
all University System of Georgia degree programs:
- An employee must follow the policies and procedures of the "teaching institution" in which he/she enrolls to be formally accepted as a TAP participant for limited-slot enrollment programs. Upon receiving approval to participate in a limited-slot enrollment program from the "teaching institution", the course(s) should be listed on the TAP application.
- Participation in the TAP program does not guarantee continued employment with the University System of Georgia.
TAP Program Procedures
| Responsibility | Required Actions |
|---|---|
| Employee | 1. Completes and signs the TAP application (available
on line at www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/tuition/). 2. Submits the TAP application to his/her immediate supervisor for review. |
| Immediate Supervisor | 3. Promptly reviews the TAP application and advises the employee if his/her request is approved or denied. |
| Immediate Supervisor & Employee | 4. If an approved TAP course(s) is scheduled to meet during an employee's regularly scheduled work hours, the immediate supervisor will advise the employee if his/her work hours must be rescheduled; or, if the employee's class hours must be reported as annual leave (if available). |
| Immediate Supervisor | 5. Signs the approved TAP application and forwards the
original document to the TAP Coordinator of the employee's home institution
by semester deadlines: Fall Semester July
15th Spring Semester November 15th Summer Semester April 15th |
| Immediate Supervisor & Employee | 6. Each retains a copy of the approved TAP application for departmental and personnel files. |
| TAP Coordinator of the Home Institution | 7. Verifies employee eligibility and grants "home institution" approval. Notifies the TAP Coordinator of the "teaching institution" within ten (10) business days of the application deadline. |
| TAP Coordinator of the Teaching Institution | 8. If the TAP participant enrolls in a limited-slot academic class at a "teaching institution", the TAP Coordinator of the "teaching institution" will advise the TAP Coordinator of the "home institution" if the employee will be accepted as a class member. |
| Employee | 9. Registers for TAP course(s) during the designated employee registration period of the "teaching institution". (Please see www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/tuition/.) |
| Employee & Immediate Supervisor | 10. If a desired course(s) is filled before the employee registration period, the employee may receive approval from his/her immediate supervisor to enroll in an alternate course(s). The employee will be required to notify his/her "home institution" TAP Coordinator in writing or by e-mail of this decision, and, the employee will be required to copy his/her immediate supervisor of the change. |
| Employee & TAP Coordinator (Home Institution) | 11. The employee must submit a copy of his/her final grade to the TAP Coordinator of the "home institution" to continue participation in the TAP program. |
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia reserves the right to change this program, with or without notice.
TAP Program Definitions
Full Time Employee
A full time employee is an employee who has a 1.0 FTE (full time equivalent)
work commitment.
Home Institution
The location where the employee conducts the major portion of his/her work
and/or research is considered the "home institution". The "home institution" must
be located within the State of Georgia.
Exceptions:
- The home institution for an out-of-state employee is the employing institution located within the State of Georgia.
- The home institution for a University System Office employee is the institution at which he/she is admitted as a student.
Limited-Slot Enrollment Program
A limited-slot enrollment program is a degree program for which there are a
limited number of spaces allowed in the program, and, for which there may
be additional criteria required (such as work experience in a related field).
Student Fees
TAP participants are identified as faculty or staff, and, their status as a
student is secondary in all considerations, including student fee waivers.
The following fees are waived by all USG institutions for TAP attendees: tuition, student late registration fee, student technology fee, student health insurance fee, student activity fee, and student athletic/recreation fee. TAP attendees, whose student health fee, student activity fee, and athletic fee are waived, are ineligible for the services sponsored by these fees unless the fees are paid separately.
Other student fees and charges, as defined by the "teaching institution", are not waived for TAP attendees. Such student fees must be paid as required by the course or institution (e.g., transcript, graduation, exam and testing fees, and lab fees).
Teaching Institution
The "teaching institution" is the University System of Georgia institution
at which a TAP participant has met the admissions requirements and is approved
for enrollment in an academic credit course(s).
Tuition Assistance
Tuition assistance is the waiver of tuition and the waiver of certain fees
(Please see Student Fees above). Tuition
assistance requires an approved TAP application and space availability within
the course(s) and/or degree program of the institution