Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the requirements for participation in the Old Dominion University tuition assistance program for eligible Old Dominion University employees, their spouses, and legal dependents.

Authority

Virginia Code Section 23.1-1301, as amended, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to make rules and policies concerning institution. Section 7.01(a)(6) of the Board of Visitors Bylaws grants authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

Virginia Department of Human Resource Management Policy 5.10 - Educational Assistance

Definitions

Academic Year - In sequence, the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters (sessions).

Administrative and Professional (AP) Faculty - Employees who perform work directly related to the management of the educational and general activities of the institution, department or subdivision or whose professional positions serve the educational, research, athletic, medical, student affairs, and development functions or activities of the institution.

Classified Employee - A salaried employee whose terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Virginia Personnel Act, Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2900 et seq., as amended, and who is employed in a classified position.

Degree-Seeking - Courses that are directly related to a degree-seeking program offered at Old Dominion University.

Eligible Course Work - Higher education courses for which a letter grade is assigned and college or university credit hours are earned.

Eligible Employee - Full-time classified employees, full-time teaching and research faculty and full-time administrative and professional (AP) faculty who have completed one year of full-time service with Old Dominion University at the time of the tuition assistance application deadline. Part-time classified and wage (non-student) employees who have worked 2080 hours of continuous service with Old Dominion University at the time of the tuition assistance application deadline.

Eligible Family Members - The legally married spouse (as defined in the Code of Virginia) and dependents (as defined by the IRS) of eligible classified, faculty and AP faculty employees. Family members of wage and part-time faculty classified employees are not eligible.

Participant - The employee, spouse or dependent receiving tuition assistance. Dependents are defined as by IRS guidelines.

Teaching and Research Faculty - Employees whose work assignments primarily involve instruction, research, and scholarly activities, and who hold academic rank/titles (with departmental designation).

Tuition Assistance - Payment of funds for tuition only, per-credit-hour, not to exceed the Old Dominion University in-state tuition rate. Fees and other related charges will not be covered and are the responsibility of the employee. All tuition assistance provided is contingent upon availability of funding.

Wage Employee - A non-salaried employee who receives pay for hours worked and is not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. (Wage employees are sometimes referred to as hourly employees.)

Scope

This policy applies to all eligible employees of Old Dominion University and their eligible family members as defined above. Legal dependents are defined as by IRS guidelines.

Policy Statement

Old Dominion University is committed to making affordable higher education available to eligible employees and their family members by providing them with opportunities to increase their education, job skills and career development through a tuition assistance program. Funding for employee participation in the tuition assistance program is derived from Commonwealth sources and from local sources for eligible family members. As a general rule, tuition assistance is provided for tuition payments that would be made to Old Dominion University. All tuition assistance provided is contingent upon availability of funding.

Tuition assistance must be for a degree-seeking program at Old Dominion University. Tuition assistance shall not be provided for in-service training coursework, continuing education, computer software courses, instruction for standardized test preparation (SAT, GMAT, GRE etc.) or courses for professional licensure, certification. (CPA, SHRM, etc.) These courses can be taken and paid through departmental budgeted funds.

All employees approved and granted tuition assistance funding will agree to continue employment at Old Dominion University. The employee must remain employed for one full calendar year following the last day of classes for the semester in which their last course was completed (as documented on the academic calendar). If the conditions of this agreement are not met, the tuition assistance must be repaid. An individual will be responsible for re-payment of tuition assistance funds unless involuntarily separated without cause.

In addition to the requirements of this policy, tuition assistance program participants shall be responsible for complying with the procedures as for students as established by academic and administrative guidelines of the University.

• Classified employees: 6 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions
• Instructional & AP Faculty: 6 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions
• Part-time classified & Wage employees: 3 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions
• Dependents/Spouse of eligible family members: 6 credit hours - Fall and Spring semester only
• Military/ROTC: 6 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions

At the supervisor's discretion and approval, all eligible employees as defined in this policy will be allowed release time during regular scheduled working hours to attend tuition-assisted funded classes. No more than three hours per week of release time will be granted for use of annual, compensatory, overtime or VSDP personal leave. At the supervisor's discretion, employees may work adjusted or flexible work hours (i.e., reporting to work early or leaving work late) to cover only that time needed to be absent from work to attend class.

Eligible Family Members

Eligible family members as defined in this policy may receive tuition assistance. Dependents are as defined by IRS guidelines.

• Classified employees: 6 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions
• Instructional & AP Faculty: 6 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions
• Part-time classified & Wage employees: 3 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions
• Dependents/Spouse of eligible family members: 6 credit hours - Fall and Spring semester only
• Military/ROTC: 6 credit hours - Fall, Spring semesters and Summer sessions

In order to receive tuition assistance, eligible family members must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress, as defined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility policy. Family members of wage and part-time classified employees are not eligible.

Eligible family members as identified by IRS guidelines may on rare occasion also be Old Dominion University employees. Such employees must meet the eligibility requirements of dependent status as defined in this policy. The employee will not be permitted benefit as both an eligible dependent and an eligible employee as it pertains to this policy. Only one eligibility status will be applicable.

Dependents of two eligible Old Dominion University employees may apply for and receive tuition assistance funding. The dependent will be allowed to use tuition assistance funding as a benefit under both eligible employees.

In accordance with current Internal Revenue Service regulations, graduate tuition assistance provided for eligible family members is considered a non-cash taxable fringe benefit to the employee and the employee will be taxed accordingly.

Tuition assistance for eligible family members is available only for courses taken at Old Dominion University.

Procedures

Participants must be registered and enrolled for the course(s) for which tuition assistance is requested at the time of the tuition application deadline. Completed online applications for tuition assistance are due to the Department of Human Resources no later than the online application deadline stated. Online applications must specify the course(s), name, number, credit hours and if the course is graduate or undergraduate for which tuition assistance is requested. Changes to course(s) (withdrawal, drop and/or add) requested and specified on the application must be made prior to the academic (withdrawal, drop and/or add) deadlines as established by the University Registrar and will not be permitted after the deadline has passed.

In the event of unsuccessful course completion, course withdrawal, adding or dropping the course after the University Registrar's established deadlines, employees will be responsible for repayment of tuition assistance awarded to them and their eligible family members. Also, in the event of or failure to clear an Incomplete (I or II) by the start of the next semester, unless enrolled as a Doctoral candidate completing a written dissertation, the employee will be responsible for repayment of awarded funds. An individual will be responsible for repayment of awarded tuition assistance funds unless involuntarily separated without cause.

Grading

The participant must receive a grade of C minus (C-) or better for an undergraduate course, or a B minus (B-) or better for a graduate course or an equivalent passing score for non-letter grade course assessment, by the date as prescribed by the Old Dominion University Registrar in order for the course to be deemed as having achieved successful completion under this program. Successful completion of the course is defined per the undergraduate/graduate degree program requirements.

For more details, refer to Old Dominion University Department of Human Resources Tuition Assistance Procedures and Applications.

Retention

Records are retained for three years and then destroyed in compliance with the Commonwealth's Records Retention and Disposition Schedule (General Schedule 103, Series 100481)

Responsible Officer

Assistant Director of Human Resources Benefits Services

Related Information

Virginia Department of Human Resource Management Leave Policies and Procedures

Old Dominion University Leave Policies and Procedures