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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTUITION REIMBURSEMENT XXVII. Tuition Reimbursement The Tuition Reimbursement Policy is intended to encourage employee professional development and improve work-related knowledge, skills, and abilities through the pursuit of educational programs leading to a college degree. The City's Tuition Reimbursement Policy is a benefit that is limited to available funds. While the City encourages employees to further their education, educational attainment does not guarantee promotion or transfer. A. Definitions Accredited Institution—Colleges or universities that are nationally accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Educational Assistance—Financial aid received from other sources, including but not limited to: non-City government agencies, organizations, businesses, or associations that award scholarships, internships, grants; and/or veterans' benefits (e.g., G. I. Bill). Performance Standards—Employees must have at least an overall performance standard of"meets" on their most recent performance evaluation. Reimbursable Expenses—Tuition related costs only. Textbooks, learning aids and materials, university fees, lab fees, technology fees, parking or activity fees are not reimbursable. B. Eligibility Requirements Regular full-time City employees, who have completed two (2) years of active service and currently meeting performance standards, are eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement. Employees may pursue a degree or take individual courses at approved and accredited educational institutions under this program, provided the course of study is related to the employee's current position or a reasonable promotional objective within the City. Employees are eligible for a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours or quarter hour equivalent reimbursement per calendar year. C. Responsibilities Human Resources- Human Resources administers the tuition reimbursement program and is responsible for ensuring that courses submitted for reimbursement are in compliance with the policy. Department Heads- Department Heads are responsible for approving tuition reimbursement applications, ensuring that submitted courses are relevant to the employee's position or a reasonable promotional objective, and determining that the courses will not interfere with the operations of the department. Employees- Employees have the responsibility of initiating the tuition reimbursement process and complying with all terms as stated in this policy and the tuition agreement. Failure to do so may result in non-payment by the City or forfeiture of the tuition reimbursement benefits. D. Application Procedures Employees must discuss and get approval from their Department Director to apply for tuition reimbursement. 1. Applications for tuition reimbursement shall be submitted to Human Resources no later than three (3) weeks prior to the official start date of the course(s).Applications submitted after the official start date of the course(s) may be denied. 2. Upon receipt of the completed Tuition Reimbursement application, the employee will receive via email a pre-approval reimbursement decision for the selected course(s). 3. Employees shall disclose on the application any and all information relating to educational assistance received from any other source. Failure to disclose other educational assistance may result in one or more of the following: a. Employee being responsible for repayment of tuition reimbursement to the City, either partially or in full; and/or b. The employee being ineligible for tuition reimbursement in the future. 4. Subject to the availability of funds, courses for reimbursement shall be pre-approved on a first come, first served basis. Funds for reimbursement will be deducted from the department's budget and are subject to limits imposed by the annual budget. 5. Tuition reimbursement is not guaranteed and the City reserves the right to reduce the amount of tuition reimbursement provided or to discontinue this program at any time. 6. Employees must use personal time to attend class(es) unless prior approval has been granted by the Department Head or anyone to whom the Department Head has delegated responsibility. E. Reimbursement Tuition costs will be paid initially by the employee. To receive reimbursement for an approved course, the employee must provide tuition receipts and evidence of the grade(s) received to Human Resources within thirty(30) days of the completion of the course(s), or immediately upon receipt if received from the accredited institution more than thirty (30) calendar days following completion of a course: A. Official transcripts may be requested by Human Resources for confirmation. B. Any fees associated with obtaining a transcript must be paid by the employee. Employees must attain the grade of"C" or better for reimbursement for undergraduate work and the grade of"B" or better for graduate level courses. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will be reimbursed only if the employee receives a passing grade. Employees who successfully complete the above stated requirements will be reimbursed for tuition. Employees who resign from employment or are terminated by the City for any reason within one year of receiving tuition reimbursement will be required to make a repayment to the City. Repayment will include all tuition reimbursement funds paid to the employee in the twelve-month period prior to their termination date. Said repayment shall be prorated based upon the number of month's the employee was employed by the City during the twelve-month period. Repayments will be deducted from the employee's available paid PTO or other accrued paid time and/or the final paycheck. If there are insufficient hours to cover the cost of the repayment, employees will be required to set up a payment plan with the Department of Finance. Payment in full must be made no later than six (6) months following the employee's last day of employment. In addition, employees who leave the City's employment prior to receiving payment for requested tuition will forfeit payment of the requested funds.