Employee Tuition Benefits Policy

Policy Number: #600

Responsible Executive(s):

• Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Responsible Office(s):

• Office of Human Resources

Date Adopted: 01-01-2021

Date Revised: 05-16-2025

A. Purpose

The University provides tuition remission benefits to support the personal and professional growth for employees and their families.

B. Scope

1. This policy applies to all benefit-eligible employees working at Regis, their spouses, civil union partners and dependent children enrolled in Regis University undergraduate programs and for employees attending select Regis graduate programs.
2. The benefit amount is prorated for employees and dependents of employees whose full-time equivalency is at least .5 FTE and less than .75 FTE. Employees whose equivalency is greater than .75 FTE shall receive the full benefit.

C. Policy

1. Employee Tuition Benefit (ETB) Eligibility

   1. Employees

      1. Employees are eligible for one Bachelor’s and one Master’s level program after six months of employment.
      2. The employee may, with the supervisor’s approval, enroll in a maximum of nine credit hours of undergraduate work each semester or six credit hours of graduate work each semester as long as the employee is making successful academic progress and until the program is completed.
      3. A temporary employee working full-time who subsequently moves into a regular, approved budgeted position may count the time spent in the temporary position for ETB eligibility.
      4. Affiliate Faculty are not eligible for ETB and are instead eligible under a separate policy managed through the Office of the Provost.

   2. Dependent Children, Spouse & Civil Union Partner Eligibility

      1. After the employee has completed one year of employment, dependents are eligible to enroll in one undergraduate program per dependent.
      2. Dependent children must be aged 24 or younger and qualify as a dependent as defined by the IRS.
      3. Dependent children, spouses or civil union partners may receive ETB up to a maximum of 18 credit hours per semester as long as the dependent makes successful academic progress and until the program is completed.

   3. Additional Information

      1. Employees, spouses, civil union partners and dependent children must meet all general applicable admissions, academic progress, and registration requirements. Course enrollment must be at the required minimum number of enrolled students in order for an employee to receive ETB for the course. First priority will be given to non-employee students to ensure there are enough paying students in the course to cover instructor and course costs.
      2. Qualified ETB recipients may receive need-based financial assistance in conjunction with the tuition grant. ETB will be reduced for students receiving tuition assistance from another employer.
      3. Total tuition assistance in combination with ETB cannot exceed actual tuition charges.
      4. Fees are not included in ETB and are the responsibility of the employee. ETB Fees are $25.00 per credit hour. Other program and/or course fees may also be charged. Any unpaid fees remaining at the end of term, for employees or their dependents, will be deducted from the employee’s next paycheck. Failure to settle outstanding fees may result in suspension of the tuition benefit.

   4. How to Apply

      1. The student applying for a degree must apply for and be granted admission to Regis University like all other students.
      2. The student must then register for classes via the Ranger Portal.
      3. The employee will submit an ETB form for processing. The submission form is found in the Ranger Portal. Select Employee Forms on the left side of the screen and then Employee Tuition Benefit Form. This form must be completed every semester or term. Only one form is needed per semester to include all classes for that semester.
      4. If seeking a graduate degree, submit the Graduate Employee Tuition Benefit Form to the Department of Human Resources for review and processing.

2. FACHEX/ Tuition Exchange Benefits

   1. The University participates in the Jesuit Faculty and Children Exchange program (FACHEX) and the national Tuition Exchange program, which are undergraduate tuition remission programs for dependent children of eligible full-time employees (1.0 FTE) who have also met the eligibility criteria for ETB. These programs permit a limited number of dependent children eligible for tuition remission at Regis University to receive the same benefit from other colleges and universities.
   2. New Students must complete the EZ Application in addition to completing the admission process for the institution of choice. The admissions process should be done before completing the online application. Employees should conduct a school search for specific deadlines and other important information.
   3. Awards of undergraduate degree program tuition grants are made by the participating college or university to which the student applies and are subject to award parameters established by that institution.
   4. FACHEX: Due to the high demand of the FACHEX program, typically 2 certifications are made per program per year (4 total). Certifications are based on total length of service of the 1.0 FTE employee at Regis University.
   5. Tuition Exchange: Financial Aid may certify any eligible dependent for Tuition Exchange. If a Tuition Exchange offer is granted to the dependent at the school of their choice and they accept, the employee is responsible for the annual Tuition Exchange Certification fee charged to Regis University for their dependent. This is in addition to any fees charged at the institution the dependent has chosen to attend.
   6. Certification to participate in FACHEX or TE does not guarantee a tuition waiver at the dependent’s school(s) of interest. FACHEX and TE awards are competitive, and each school has their own selection criteria. Please see the financial aid guidelines regarding each of these programs.

3. Continuing Education for Professional Development

   1. Employees are eligible to take designated work-related courses, including those within a certificate program, after six months of employment. Employees are limited to one course per term with approval from their supervisor, Associate Vice President or Dean. Course fees are paid by the department. If this is done as an audit, registration will be allowed the first day of class, if approved by the instructor of record.

4. Tuition Support for Doctoral Studies

   1. To support and facilitate the educational and professional development goals of its employees, Regis University may provide limited financial support to employees who pursue doctorates.
   2. The benefit is available to full-time employees who are a 1.0 FTE.
   3. The amount of support provided to the employee is limited to the lesser of the budget availability of funds per the individual budget manager or the cost of tuition at the educational institution up to a maximum of $1500.00 per calendar year. The cost of support will be deducted from the department’s annual consumable budget allocation.
   4. The employee will submit to the Payroll Department a completed stipend form for the amount of tuition reimbursement, along with verifying proof of payment and proof of a satisfactory passing grade. These stipends are taxable to the employee, but the employee may consult with his/her tax advisor to determine if they are deductible. The employee’s supervisor, or the appropriate budget manager, if not the supervisor, must sign the stipend form. Employee advances will not be given for tuition support.
   5. Faculty and affiliate faculty positions may be eligible for additional tuition benefits under separate policies managed through the Office of the Provost.
      1. When an employee separates employment from the University, voluntarily or involuntarily, and is currently enrolled in a course, the tuition benefit is still in effect if the separation date falls after the add/drop period. The benefit will end at the end of the term regardless of whether or not the course program is complete.
      2. Employees who voluntarily separate from Regis University within one year of their degree completion date will be responsible for reimbursing the University for a percentage of the tuition costs of the most recent term (the percentage will be based on the amount of time between the last day of the course and the separation date, i.e. term ends May 1st, separation date of November 1st – 50% of the final term tuition is due for reimbursement). When possible, this amount will be deducted from the employee’s final check. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of the Vice President in consultation with Human Resources.

5. Taxable Graduate Tuition Remission

   1. Graduate tuition remission is a fringe benefit that is tax-free up to $5,250. At the start of each calendar year, the employee has up to $5,250 tax-free tuition assistance available. The employee’s total tuition remission balance is assessed at the start of each semester to determine if they have exceeded $5,250.
   2. Graduate courses that relate to the employee’s current job may qualify as a Working Condition Fringe Benefit and may be exempted from taxes.
   3. The total value of the taxable tuition will be added to the employee’s gross wages and taxed accordingly. The employee is not responsible for paying the actual tuition, only the additional taxes are deducted from their pay. Because this can have a significant financial impact, the taxable amount will be spread out over the paychecks for that semester.
   4. Example:
      1. Employee, Chris Smith, requests 6 graduate level credits for Fall 2024.
      2. Tuition waived Fall 2024= $6000
      3. Since employees are taxed for the amount of graduate-level course waived that exceeds $5250 in a calendar year, Chris is taxed on $750 for Fall 2024.
      4. Chris will have the $750 taxable amount withheld on their paychecks, evenly disbursed over the Fall 2024 semester.

D. Definitions

1. A “ Dependent Child” refers to an employee’s child who is a dependent for federal tax purposes and who is qualified to receive a “qualified tuition reduction” under the IRS Code. The University may request evidence of such qualification and employees will be required to attest that their dependent children meet the definition for federal tax purposes.

E. Related Policies, Procedures, Forms, and Other Resources

1. The following table illustrates that tuition waiver benefits may be taxable income to the employee, as provided by federal and state law. All eligible employees and dependents should consult their tax advisors for the most up-to-date information about the taxability of tuition waivers.