Tuition Assistance Program
The Tuition Assistance program allows eligible faculty and staff to apply for financial assistance to help defray the cost of tuition only fees for one college credit course (up to four semester hours). This online application process is available via the Employee Self Service Center site. Listed in My Information under the Learning & Development tab, eligible applicants complete and send the application through the Workflow System for approval and processing.
In addition to central allocations, UI Staff Council has also provided Coca-Cola funds for additional scholarships.
Semester Application Deadlines:
November 22 (spring), April 20 (summer) & July 20 (fall)
Completing the application is not a guarantee of assistance.
The applicant is responsible for assuring that the application has been completed through the workflow process and received in UI Learning & Development by the application deadline. Applications completed and approved by the supervisor by the application deadline will be considered for tuition assistance.
Applicants do not need to be registered at the time they submit their application, but are expected to register for the course listed on their application prior to being considered for the award.
Applicants will be notified via email approximately 3-4 weeks after the application deadline of any award status.
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Employee Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the tuition assistance program, employees:
- Must be appointed to a "regular appointment”, 50% time or greater, and
- must be employed one continuous year by the application deadline in a "regular" appointment.
- Must not be eligible for the Hospital Tuition Program. UIHC employees eligible for the Hospital Tuition Program must submit applications through that program. For eligibility/application information visit: http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/humanresources/reimbursement.html or call Hospital Human Resources at 356-2008.
Applications will be processed, and faculty/staff will be notified of any award status. Applying for the program does not guarantee assistance.
All applicants with satisfactory performance requesting funds for tuition assistance will be prioritized as follows:
- 1st Priority: Regent Institutions
- 2nd Priority: Institutions of Higher Education with a partnership agreement with Regent Institutions
- 3rd Priority: External Accredited Institutions
All eligible staff whose performance is satisfactory may receive University support for coursework that the employing member's department certifies is work-related.
This coursework can be completed either at The University of Iowa or other accredited universities or colleges.
University employees who meet the eligibility requirements and are working on undergraduate degrees will be considered to meet the work-related eligibility requirement.
Employees must be registered for the course indicated on their application before the start of the semester before their application can be considered. Please notify Learning and Development of any changes in the application.
Tuition Assistance will be awarded for tuition fees only.
Coursework: Support is limited to tuition for one credit course (up to four semester hours). The rate allowed will not exceed the equivalent semester hours listed in The University of Iowa’s Liberal Arts Resident Undergraduate or Graduate rate amounts as outlined in each year’s tuition rate schedule.
If you are awarded assistance for an external course, you will receive reimbursement after successfully completing the course. The awarded course must be started in the semester it is awarded and must be completed within eight months of the semester awarded.
(If you are receiving funds of up to four credit hours or more from another university source, such as your department, please do not apply for central HR tuition assistance).
UI Coursework: If awarded tuition assistance for UI coursework, the amount will be credited directly to the faculty/staff member's U-bill. Please be aware that the tuition assistance credit may not appear on the U-bill before the first tuition due date of a semester. Employees with U-bill payroll deduction may choose to rescind it before the due date. To do so please contact the University Billing Office at 335-0070.
External Coursework: If awarded tuition assistance for external coursework, the faculty/staff member will initially pay for external course registration. Tuition assistance will not be paid until after successful completion of the external course, and submission of all required reimbursement documentation. All reimbursement information must be submitted within eight months of the date of the award notification. Reimbursement will be denied if all proper documentation is not completed and received within eight months of the date of the award notification.
To be reimbursed for external coursework (after successfully completing the class), employees must submit a Tuition Assistance Program Reimbursement Form (pdf) and the corresponding documentation from either A or B listed below . All documentation must be complete and accurate for reimbursement to occur. All documentation must be submitted within eight months of the date of the award notification.
Reimbursement Documents A
Please provide all of the following documentation. This documentation is preferred and allows for more immediate processing of payment.
- The Tuition Assistance Program Reimbursement Form (pdf) completed in its entirety.
- An official transcript; and
- A receipt of payment identifying the specific amount paid for tuition for the awarded course.
Reimbursement Documents B
Please provide all the following documentation.
- The Tuition Assistance Program Reimbursement Form (pdf) completed in its entirety.
- A grade report for the completed course; and
- An official letter (printed on letterhead) from the college stating the specific awarded course, the semester enrolled and the amount paid for the course. (The Tuition Reimbursement Letter (pdf) provides an example of the information required).
Please provide documents from either Reimbursement Documents A or B - not a combination of the two. Failure to provide all required information will delay the payment process.
Please mail or campus mail all reimbursement documentation to: Tuition Assistance, UI Learning & Development, 121-51 USB. (Tuition reimbursement cannot be made payable to you until Learning & Development receives this information.)
After all appropriate documents have been received, a check will be sent in approximately two weeks. If direct deposit has been set up with the University Billing Office, reimbursement will occur in approximately two business days.
Direct deposit may be set up online in ISIS:
- Log into ISIS using your HawkID and password
- Select Student Records located at the top of the page
- Under Finances & Billing, select Bank Information - Financial Aid Refund
- Follow the instructions to set up direct deposit
Tuition assistance must be used during the semester for which it is awarded. If awarded, but the faculty/staff member withdraws from the course, the funds will be reverted to the Tuition Assistance Program and the faculty/staff member is responsible for any fees. Please notify UI Learning & Development if a class is being dropped. Failure to do so may result in the denial of assistance by this program in the future.
Please keep in mind that limited funds are available. We will ask that employees take seriously their commitment toward the completion of each course funded by this program.
Faculty and staff members must notify UI Learning & Development of any changes to the application.
Some departments are able to fund the applicant's tuition assistance. Please check with your department before requesting funds from the central allocation.
If your department is providing funding, they will be required to process your tuition assistance through Maui Workflow. Access to Maui Workflow is granted to departments by the UI Billing Office.
Faculty and staff must remain available for regularly scheduled work hours. Any accommodations or modifications related to work hours for classes require approval of the employing unit.
Faculty and staff must be continuously employed during the duration of the course in order to be eligible for tuition assistance through this program.
If your employer pays more than $5,250 for educational benefits for you during the year, you must generally pay tax on the amount over $5,250. Your employer should include in your wages (Form W-2, box 1) the amount that you must include in income.