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Tuition Reimbursement & Assistance FAQs
This document explains how the Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance Programs work.

For complete information on Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance programs requirements, read the Tuition Reimbursement Policy and the Tuition Assistance Policy. The Tuition Reimbursement and the Tuition Assistance forms are used to apply for approval prior to taking courses. If you still have questions after reading this information, contact the Office of Employee Benefits by phone: 434-924-4392, or email: hrdept@virginia.edu. Fax: 434-924-4486.

What are the Tuition Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance programs?
The Tuition Reimbursement program allows Departments, at their option, to use departmental funds to reimburse employees for tuition costs for eligible courses. The employees must demonstrate that they have completed the courses according to the standards that have been developed for successful completion.
The Tuition Assistance is similar to the Tuition Reimbursement Program, except that the employee is reimbursed for tuition costs prior to course completion. The employee must demonstrate proof of satisfactory course completion to the Department after he/she finishes the course or be required to repay the tuition assistance amount to the University.

What's the key difference between Tuition Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement?
Tuition Reimbursement: You are reimbursed after you complete the course.
Tuition Assistance: You are reimbursed before you complete the course. If you don't meet the requirements, you must refund the money.

Can I use Tuition Reimbursement/Assistance and Tuition Waiver in the same semester?
Yes, but you cannot apply them to the same course.

Quick overview of Tuition Reimbursement requirements
  • You must apply and receive approval for tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance before you register.
  • The course/s must be job-related, or required in a job-related curriculum or degree program.
  • Non-credit courses may be taken at a high school, business school, technical institute, or other educational institution. Courses taken for college credit must be taken at an institution that has been accredited by a regional accrediting organization for higher education, and may be taken at a community college, college, university, on-line or other mode of learning.
  • You may not exceed 11 undergraduate credit hours or 8 graduate credit hours per semester, whether your are a full-time, part-time or wage employee.
  • You must have your department head's permission to apply for tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance.
  • If you wish to use tuition reimbursement, you must complete the course satisfactorily and retain your eligible status, or you will not be eligible to submit for tuition reimbursement for your course. If you applied for tuition assistance, you must complete the course satisfactorily and retain your eligible status, or you must repay the tuition assistance amount to the University.
  • The dollar value of tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance may be considered taxable income, if the total value of the education benefits received in a calendar year exceeds $5250.
Who is eligible?
  • Full-time salaried faculty and classified staff with 90 days of continuous salaried service.
  • Full-time wage employees (excluding students) with 90 days of continuous service and no more than one, 30 day break in service.
  • Part-time salaried faculty and classified staff with 6 months of continuous service.
  • Part-time is defined as at least 20 hours per week or 50% effort excluding students.
Note: If you are a Medical Center employee, ONLY THE TUITION WAIVER INFORMATION ON THIS SITE APPLIES TO YOU. If you are interested in Tuition Reimbursement, see Medical Center HR Policy #301 listed on KnowledgeLink, or contact Health System Human Resources, Employee Relations Services at 982-4420.

Who is not eligible?
Individuals who are connected with the University, but are not University employees or those described above, are not eligible for tuition reimbursement or assistance. These include, but are not limited to, foundation and association employees, contractor employees, federal employees, state agency employees, and family members. Questions on eligibility should be directed to the Office of Employee Benefits at hrdept@virginia.edu or (434) 924-4392.
What kind of courses can I take?
The courses have to be job-related, or part of a degree program or curriculum that is job-related.
If you are taking a degree program at a higher education institution (community college, college, university) that is job-related, an individual course that is required for that degree is still considered job-related, even if the course itself might not seem directly job-related.
If you are taking a course in a workplace adult education program, examples of job-related courses include, but are not limited to High School Equivalency (GED) Preparation courses, English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, Adult Basic Education (Reading), etc.
Your dean/department head is responsible for filling out the section in the tuition assistance or reimbursement form that asks in what way the course is job related. You are encouraged to provide your dean/department head with information so they are clear on how the course will help you in your job.

How does the Application and Reimbursement/Assistance process work?
  • Determine that you are eligible based on the requirements in the Tuition Reimbursement Policy and the Tuition Assistance Policy.
  • Decide to enroll in a course. If you take a course at a higher education institution (community college, college or university) it must be regionally accredited. If you are not sure, ask the institution. Workplace education programs do not need to be accredited.
  • Discuss the course with your supervisor, including work coverage if necessary. (See below.)
  • With your dean or department head, choose whether you will use the Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance form.
  • Complete Section I of the Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance form and submit to your dean/department head. Be sure he/she understands how the course is job-related so that Section II may be fully completed.
  • The Dean/department head reviews request, completes Section II if approved, and forwards to Director of the Office of Employee Benefits. (If not approved, form is returned to employee.)
  • The Director of the Office of Employee Benefits reviews and either approves or disapproves and returns form to employee or stated point of contact.
  • If approved, register and pay for the course.
  • For Tuition Assistance, the employee submits approved tuition assistance form and paid tuition bill to department. The Department submits these and an approved payment form to accounts payable to process the tuition assistance payment for the employee. After the employee satisfactorily completes the course, he/she provides the Department with evidence of satisfactory course completion (e.g., grade report, transcript).
    For Tuition Reimbursement, upon satisfactory course completion, the employee provides the department with the approved tuition reimbursement form, the paid tuition bill, and evidence of satisfactory course completion (e.g., grade report, transcript). The Department submits these and an approved payment form to accounts payable to process the tuition reimbursement payment for the employee.
What do I need to arrange with my supervisor?
  • Whether you may take the course.
    It is up to your department to decide whether you can attend the course. Your request may be denied based on a variety of reason including, but not limited to: budget constraints, job-relatedness, work coverage, and others.
  • Work coverage.
    Be sure to discuss ways to make sure there is adequate work coverage while you are in class. Although UHR encourages supervisors to adjust work schedules as far as practical to allow attendance, Departments may choose to excuse employees, or not to excuse employees depending on the circumstances and workload. (See "What are the Rules for Attending During/Outside of Working Hours?" below.)
What are the rules for attending outside/during working hours?
Full-time and part-time salaried faculty and full-time classified staff may take courses during or after working hours. Part-time classified staff and full-time wage employees may take courses after working hours.
There are additional specific rules that depend on when you attend your course, and on your employment status:

Attending Outside of Working Hours
  • Full-time salaried faculty, classified staff and wage employees
  • Part-time salaried faculty and classified staff
  • If your course takes place outside of working hours, your Department may provide tuition assistance or reimbursement for the entire cost of approved courses up to the maximum credits for part-time study. (The maximum credits for part-study per semester are 11 credits for undergraduate and 8 credits for graduate study.)
  • Part-time salaried classified staff and full-time wage employees
    These employees must take courses during non-working hours, or adjust their work schedules to take the course during non-working hours. Supervisors are encouraged to adjust work schedules as far as practical to permit attendance.
Your Department may provide tuition assistance or reimbursement for the entire cost of approved courses up to the maximum credits for part-time study. (The maximum credits for part-study per semester are 11 credits for undergraduate and 8 credits for graduate study.)

Attending During Working Hours
  • Full-time classified staff
    If your course takes place during working hours, your Department may provide tuition reimbursement or and excuse you from duties to attend no more than three (3) semester credit hours (or equivalent) taken during working hours per semester.
You may, with supervisor permission, adjust your work schedules to take the course, or the amount exceeding three (3) semester hours, during non-working hours or use leave. Supervisors are encouraged to adjust work schedules as far as practical to permit attendance.
If your course is more than three semester credit hours (or equivalent) and taken during working hours, your will be considered to be on Educational Leave with Partial Pay for the Time of Absence. Your full salary may be paid only for the time you are at work, half salary for the time of absence and you must execute a promissory note at 3% for your expenses and the half salary paid by the University. See the Educational Leave with Partial Pay Policy for more information.

What are the eligibility requirements?
You must complete the course satisfactorily in order to remain eligible for tuition assistance or tuition reimbursement. Satisfactory course completion is defined as receiving a C- or better (if graded), or pass (if pass/fail) or credit (if credit/no credit) or did attend (if non-credit).
In the case of tuition reimbursement, if you do not satisfactorily complete the course, you are no longer eligible for tuition reimbursement. In the case of tuition assistance, if you do not satisfactorily complete the course, you must repay the tuition assistance advanced to you within 30 days of you failure to comply with the terms of the tuition assistance program.
In addition, if you:
  • drop or withdraw from the course;
  • leave the University before completing the course;
  • if full-time or part-time salaried, reduce your employment status to less than 20 week or 50% effort;
  • if wage, do not remain on full-time wage status for any reason
you are no longer eligible for tuition reimbursement, in the case of tuition reimbursement.

In the case of tuition assistance, you must repay the tuition assistance advanced to you within 30 days of your failure to comply with the terms of the tuition assistance program. It is the Department's responsibility to collect this debt.

Where can I get more information?
The webpage for University Education Benefits policies resides at the University Human Resources website as http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/benefits/educben/index.html and includes the Tuition Reimbursement Policy and the Tuition Assistance Policy as well the Tuition Reimbursement Form and the Tuition Assistance Form.

These forms also reside on the UVA forms directory at http://uvaforms.virginia.edu/cgi-local/formsDir.cgi.

If you have questions on the Tuition Reimbursement or Tuition Assistance Programs, or how to complete the forms, contact the Office of Employee Benefits by phone: 434-924-4392, or email: hrdept@virginia.edu. Fax: 434-924-4486