Tuition Assistance

All continuing full-time and part-time employees (as defined by the handbook) are allowed an educational assistance benefit for themselves, their spouses and their children. For the purposes of this program, children are defined as natural children, legal children under your guardianship, adopted or step-children.

Employees and spouses are eligible for both undergraduate and graduate level courses, children are eligible for undergraduate level courses only. Retirees of Augustana, their spouses and their children will be eligible for these benefits as well. A legally separated spouse of an employee is not eligible for this program.

The spouse and children of an employee who becomes totally disabled or who dies in active service will also be eligible for the maximum Tuition Assistance benefit.

Tuition Assistance will be allowed in the following manner:

	Full-Time Employees* and Their Children/Spouse	Part-Time Employees and Their Children/Spouse
First year of employment	up to 25% of full tuition	6 credits/academic year**
Second year of employment	up to 50% of full tuition	8 credits/academic year**
Third year of employment	up to 75% of full tuition	10 credits/academic year**
Fourth and each succeeding year of employment	90% of full tuition	12 credits/fiscal year**

*A percent of full tuition refers to the benefit, not the cost. If tuition is $10,000/semester and you are at 25%, your benefit is $2,500 for the semester.

**Tuition Assistance will not apply to more than 7 credit hours per semester. If the student is a full-time student, the cost of these credit hours is applied to the tuition costs.

Tuition Assistance terminates for the employee's children/spouse when:

• Employee is no longer employed by the College, except for retirement status. Employees who terminate or are terminated by the College while they or their children/spouse are attending classes under this program will cease to be eligible for tuition assistance on the last day of active employment. At that time, tuition remission is prorated based on the number of class days completed and the number of class days remaining in that term. Please contact the Business Office for further details.

• A maximum of 200 credit hours or child has completed BA degree from Augustana College , whichever comes first. Requests for assistance beyond the 200 credit limit should be directed to the Director of Human Resources. Exceptions will be reviewed and decided by the Registrar and the Director of Human Resources.

Full Tuition Assistance is defined as 90% of tuition for full-time employees or 12 credits/fiscal year for part-time employees. The remaining percentage of 10% full-time or cost for part-time must be paid by the student. Tuition assistance is based on the employee’s hire date in conjunction with the next term start date.

For example, an employee hired on January 20, 2006, would have the first tier of eligibility beginning at the Spring term (February). This term of 25% eligibility would remain in effect until the following February.

Another example: If an employee began February 20, 2006, their start date of eligibility would begin June 5, 2006. The first day of the next term (summer). Their 25% year would then run from June 5, 2006 – June 4, 2007; their 50% year would run from June 5, 2007 – June 4, 2008 and so on.

Part-time faculty who teach a minimum of 6 credit hours of class (the equivalent of 2/3 time) in a single semester are eligible for one family registration, as defined for part-time employees.

Part-time faculty who teach a minimum of 6 credit hours of class in both the fall and the spring semesters are not limited to one family registration. The part-time faculty/spouse are eligible to apply for either undergraduate or graduate level courses. Children are eligible for undergraduate level only. The benefit must be used during the semester the part-time faculty is teaching, the following semester or the immediate following summer.

Tuition Assistance applies to tuition only and does not include workshops, on-line contracted courses, test outs, credit by examination fees, non-transcripted audits, private music lessons, study abroad fees or other special fees.

All classes taken by employees during the work day require that the time be made up within the same work week. An employee must have approval from his/her supervisor to take a class during their working hours. If an employee does not agree with the decision of the supervisor, the normal problem-solving procedures should be used.

Tuition Assistance for other ELCA schools is available for eligible participants. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for details.

Questions concerning this benefit should be directed to the Human Resources Office.

(Effective September 18, 2006)

Tuition Assitance Form