609. Education Benefits
Statement
The University grants education benefits to provide opportunities for personal and educational development for all benefit eligible employees taking Santa Clara University courses for credit. It also has several education benefit programs for spouses, registered domestic partners, and dependent children (as defined by the IRS) of eligible employees. Each of the University's education benefit programs are described below.
Procedure
TUITION REMISSION
Tuition Remission is available for all undergraduate and graduate courses offered in any term at the University, excluding ancillary or continuing education courses, and the executive MBA program. Eligible employees will be granted Tuition Remission for up to a maximum of two undergraduate courses per academic year quarter, or eight units for graduate courses per academic year quarter or semester, and one undergraduate course or four units for graduate courses per summer. For purposes of administering this policy, one undergraduate course will be defined by the offering department in the schedule of classes, e.g., one course may be a three credit lecture while another course may be a four credit lecture plus lab. The employee must pay tuition for any additional undergraduate courses or graduate units taken. All normal course prerequisites must be met. Dependent children attending the Young Scholars' program are also eligible for Tuition Remission.
Tuition Remission covers 100% of tuition for employees and their dependents, provided the employee is working 30 hours or more per week. Employees working 20-29 hours per week will receive tuition remission for themselves only, on a pro-rated basis. Tuition Remission does not include other costs such as books, laboratory, application, service, and other fees. All charges other than tuition must be paid to the University in the same manner as required of other students.
Eligibility
Current benefits eligible employees who have at least one year of continuous service with the University are eligible for Tuition Remission for themselves for classes at Santa Clara University. Current benefits eligible employees who have at least three years of continuous service with the University are eligible for Tuition Remission for their spouse/registered domestic partner and dependent children pursuing an academic degree (matriculating) for one degree, graduate or undergraduate, per dependent student. Verification of dependent status is required for all undergraduate courses.
Eligibility for undergraduate Tuition Remission continues for the spouse/registered domestic partner and/or dependent children of an eligible employee with 10 years of continuous service who becomes disabled or dies during active employment or is on an approved leave. Employees with 20 or more years of continuous service who resign, retire, or are laid-off are eligible to receive undergraduate Tuition Remission for themselves, their spouses and/or dependent children. All other eligibility requirements must be met. Eligibility for Tuition Remission continues for an employee;spouse/registered domestic partner and children when an employee is on an approved leave of absence.
The service requirement for Tuition Remission must be met within 15 calendar days of the close of late registration for the quarter/semester. Eligible children must meet the IRS definition of dependent and claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes at the time of each and every registration for any undergraduate course and must be 30 years of age or younger at the time of each and every registration for any graduate course. In the event that the employee resigns or is terminated and has less than 20 years of continuous service, eligibility for this program will cease as of the end of the quarter/semester in which the employee leaves the University.
Registration
Employees, spouses, and children are permitted to register for courses during the general or late registration periods. Payment of the applicable registration fees or tuition penalties resulting from withdrawing from a course after the formal add/drop period are the responsibility of the employee.
Time-off from work
Release time for class during regularly scheduled working hours may be granted to employees provided the employee and his/her supervisor arrange in advance for the employee to make up the lost time without creating overtime payment. The operational requirements of the department must be taken into consideration when granting such release time.
Applying
Tuition Remission application forms are available on the Department of Human Resources website. The applicant must meet eligibility requirements each quarter/semester. An applicant who is a full-time student or an employee taking classes need complete only one application per academic year. The application should be completed in the Winter or Spring quarter/semester of the prior academic year. Applicants who are employees and taking classes during work hours are required to have their supervisor sign the application, however the supervisor's signature does not guarantee release time. Employees must notify the Department of Human Resources immediately if they or their spouse/registered domestic partner or children become ineligible for the benefit.
TUITION REMISSION IMPORTANT DATES
| TERM | WINDOW TO SUBMIT APPLICATION |
|---|---|
| Academic Year | May 31 - June 15 |
| Summer | April 1 - April 20 |
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
The Tuition Reimbursement program provides eligible employees with Tuition Reimbursement for themselves or their dependents of up to $3,000.00 per year, with a lifetime benefit limit of $12,000.00 per employee, for tuition and educational fees.
Eligibility
Current benefits eligible employees who have at least three years of continuous service with the University are eligible for Tuition Reimbursement for themselves and their dependents.For purposes of the Tuition Reimbursement program, dependents are an employees' spouse/registered domestic partner and/or their dependent children, as defined by the IRS.
Employees may use Tuition Reimbursement for accredited college courses or vocational certificate programs, provided the courses or programs are job related.Any college, university or vocational program listed by the U.S. Department of Education as accredited post-secondary institutions would qualify.The Tuition Reimbursement program does not provide any time-off from work for employees.
Dependents must be a matriculating student pursuing an Associate or Bachelor's degree or a vocational certificate program.Any vocational program listed by the U.S. Department of Education as accredited post-secondary institutions qualifies.
Applying
Tuition Reimbursement application forms are available on the Department of Human Resource website.Employees must submit an application to request Tuition Reimbursement. If approved, employees pay tuition and fees costs out-of-pocket and then submit proof of payment for the expenses they are seeking to get reimbursed along with proof of successful completion of the course(s). Employees must notify the Department of Human Resources immediately if they, their spouse/registered domestic partner or children become ineligible for the benefit.
| TERM | WINDOW TO SUBMIT APPLICATION | WINDOW TO SUBMIT REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | August 1 - August 15 | December 15 - January 15 |
| Summer | April 1 - April 15 | August 15 - September 15 |
| Spring | April 1 - April 15 | June 15 - July 15 |
| Winter | February 1 - February 15 | April 15 - May 15 |
FACHEX
The Faculty, Administrator and Staff Children Exchange program (FACHEX) is a program in which children of eligible employees of participating Jesuit colleges and universities may apply for undergraduate admission to one of the institutions and, if accepted, are eligible for consideration of tuition remission subject to the terms and conditions set by the accepting institution.
FACHEX Awards are not guaranteed. They must be offered by the accepting institution. Each member institution is obligated to maintain a balance between students sent on the exchange (exports) and students received on the exchange (imports). FACHEX eligibility does not qualify a dependent child for admission, nor does an offer of admission to a participating Jesuit university guarantee a FACHEX Award.
Eligibility
Current benefits eligible employees who have at least three years of continuous service with the University are eligible to apply for FACHEX for their dependent children. Verification of dependent status is required. Participation in this program is in lieu of enrollment at Santa Clara University.
The service requirement for FACHEX must be met within 15 calendar days of the close of late registration for the quarter/semester.
Eligibility for FACHEX continues for the dependent children of an eligible employee with 10 years of continuous service who becomes disabled or dies during active employment or is on an approved leave.
In the event that the employee resigns or is terminated, eligibility for this program will cease as of the end of the quarter/semester in which the employee leaves the University.
Applying
To apply for FACHEX online at other Jesuit universities, please go to www.TuitionExchange.org. Go to Families, then Online Applications, then FACHEX Online Application. When selecting the schools in the “Applying To” box, scroll down to the bottom of the list for the FACHEX Schools. Do not select Santa Clara University. (If admitted to SCU, your child would be using your Tuition Remission benefit, not FACHEX).
Once the employee's eligibility is certified, the electronic application will be forwarded to the colleges listed on the application. The employee's child will then be placed on a wait list by the participating colleges until they decide who will receive the award at their college. Please note that after the employee's eligibility to participate is certified, all further contact concerning FACHEX will be directly between the employee and the colleges to which the employee's child is applying. Employees must notify the Department of Human Resources immediately if their children become ineligible for the benefit.
For questions or assistance in applying for FACHEX, please contact the FACHEX Coordinator in the Financial Aid Office at OneStop@scu.edu.
TUITION EXCHANGE
The Tuition Exchange program is a national scholarship exchange program for institutions of higher education. Children of eligible employees may apply for undergraduate admission to one of the participating institutions and, if accepted, are eligible for tuition remission subject to the terms and conditions set by the accepting institution.
Eligibility
Eligible employees who have at least three years of continuous service with the University are eligible for Tuition Exchange for their dependent children. Verification of dependent status is required. Participation in this program is in lieu of eligibility for enrollment at Santa Clara University.
The service requirement for all programs must be met within 15 calendar days of the close of late registration for the quarter/semester. Eligible children must meet the IRS definition of dependent and claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes at the time of each and every registration for any undergraduate course. In the event that the employee resigns or is terminated, eligibility for this program will cease as of the end of the quarter/semester in which the employee leaves the University.
Eligibility for Tuition Exchange continues for the spouse/registered domestic partner and/or dependent children of an eligible employee with 10 years of continuous service who becomes disabled or dies during active employment or is on an approved leave.
Applying
After reviewing the list of participating colleges and universities on the Tuition Exchange website (www.TuitionExchange.org), select the institution(s) to which the student has or will apply. All students must seek admission to the institution as a separate process.
1.Complete all sections of the online application.
2.Submit a copy to the Department of Human Resources Service Desk by December 1st of the year preceding the student's anticipated enrollment date.
3.The Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer will send to the parent a copy of the "Scholarship Certification and Application" Form once it has been sent to the participating institution(s) of choice
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The following apply to all of the education benefit programs under this policy:
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC ELIGIBILTY
Employees, spouses and children must maintain the same academic standards required of other students to remain eligible for Tuition Remission, Tuition Reimbursement, FACHEX, and Tuition Exchange.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The employee, spouse/registered domestic partner or children must qualify for admission under the standards required of other applicants for Santa Clara University, Tuition Remission, Tuition Reimbursement, FACHEX, and Tuition Exchange programs.
PARTICIPATION
Participation in any of the educational benefits programs is limited to one program per qualifying individual per academic year.Employees are not allowed to combine benefits for themselves or their dependents.For example, the employee and their qualified dependent may both be enrolled in Tuition Remission;however, the employee cannot have their qualified dependent in a Tuition Exchange Program, and apply for Tuition Reimbursement for that same qualified dependent.
TAXABILITY
Courses taken and benefits received under the Tuition Remission, Tuition Reimbursement, FACHEX, or Tuition Exchange programs may be subject to federal and/or state income tax. Verification of dependent status is required. In the event that benefits under this plan are deemed to be taxable income, the University may be required to withhold the applicable taxes from the employee's paycheck(s). The employee will not be reimbursed by the University for any taxes owed.
Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the employee to conform with the requirements outlined in this policy, in order to remain eligible for and receive these benefits. The Department of Human Resources is responsible for the interpretation and administration of this policy.
Resource
Contact the Department of Human Resources with any questions regarding this policy.Specific questions regarding FACHEX can be addressed by the Financial Aid Office.
Policy Approved: October 23, 1998
Last Updated: October 2021
Last Reviewed: June 30 2022
Maintainer: Human Resources