Policy Highlight: Tuition Waivers

Concise insights into the policies that impact our workplace and empower our employees.

Each month, the Office of Human Resources will highlight a policy, enhancing awareness and ensuring leaders are well-informed. This will provide education and clarification to supervisors on policies relevant to to managing employees at the University. Additionally, this series of articles will enhance awareness and understanding of key institutional policies for our supervisors.

June’s Highlight: Employee Tuition Waivers and Tuition Assistance

UND offers a tuition and fee waiver or up to approved for-credit courses during the calendar year to benefited employees, to encourage professional development.

Benefited faculty staff may receive up a 100%* tuition and fee waiver for courses taken at UND, and up to 50% employer paid tuition assistance for courses taken at another NDUS institution. Employees may be released from work for one face-to-face class each academic term with the approval of their supervisor or department head – provided the class does not interfere with essential job duties or work of the institution.

Policy implementation to support tuition waivers are handled by multiple departments, particularly to confirm employee eligibility:

• The Office of Student Finance verifies the employee does not have an overdue account (>$10 and >30 days past due) and confirms course eligibility.
• The Office of Human Resources verifies the employee is an actively employed benefited employee as of the first day of the semester.
• The Office of the Registrar at the campus of enrollment admits the employee for enrollment.

Course eligibility must also be determined. The professional programs of Law (JD) and Medicine (MD) will not be covered by the waiver. Additionally, any certificate, study abroad, exchange, collaborative, or self-paced enroll anytime course where tuition flows to a non-UND/NDUS entity are not covered by the waiver. There are no other course criteria – courses do not need to relate to an employee’s job duties or requirements to be approved for the waiver. Employees are allowed to take up to three courses per year.

*CND, NDSA, program and course fees are paid by the employee

Policy Statement

Benefited University of North Dakota (UND) employees and their family members who meet specified requirements are eligible for tuition waivers and/or tuition assistance.

Implementing in the Workplace

Should an employee seek to utilize the tuition waiver process, they must first complete an employee tuition waiver form and request their supervisor’s signature. Supervisors seeking to support their employee’s educational aspirations should review the tuition waiver site, as well as UND’s tuition waiver/assistance policy and the ND State Board of Higher Education policy 820.

The supervisor will review if the employee is taking multiple classes in the semester and if they need to be released from work for a face-to-face class. If so, the supervisor will need to identify if it will conflict with the completion of essential job duties or the essential work of UND.

Questions?

For inquiries regarding employee eligibility, reach out to Susie Anderson or your divisional area Human Resources Manager.