Tuition assistance for professional development

The University offers a tuition assistance program that expands opportunities for professional development. The program allows departments to pay tuition costs for course work for faculty, P&S, and non-organized merit staff. Courses must be in degree programs that contribute to the staff or faculty member's professional development as a University employee.

To be eligible, employees must be appointed for 50 percent time or more and must have been employed one year at the University. Tuition assistance for up to four hours of course work per semester is allowed.

While taking course work, employees in the program must remain employed and available for regularly scheduled work hours unless modifications to their schedules are authorized by their departments. Those who leave University employment within three years of completing the class may have to reimburse the University for all or part of the assistance.

Faculty and staff members wishing to participate in the program should request permission from their departmental executive officers. Funding for the program will ordinarily come from the source that supports the faculty or staff member's salary. Correspondence class costs will be reimbursed after course work is completed.

A limited fund has been established to provide aid for those whose salaries are supported by the general education fund or by grants that do not permit such expenditures. Departmental executive officers may request support from this fund by sending a completed Faculty/Staff Tuition Assistance Program application to Mary Jo Small, Associate Vice President for Finance and University Services, 105 JH. Staff members and departments requesting assistance from this fund must return completed applications for the 1996 fall semester by July 19, 1996.

Application forms are available from the Office of Finance and University Services, 105 JH. For additional information, call Dianne Jones, (33)5-0095.