Download Tuition Exemption Policy Tuition exemption eligibility is extended to

Tuition Exemption Policy
Tuition exemption eligibility is extended to all Husson University employees who have worked for
Husson University at least six months, and are regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week.
When applicable, the tuition waiver is extended to their spouses, and child(ren) for the equivalent of
four years of undergraduate tuition only, except for professional and graduate “capped” programs as
described in this policy. Effective 7/1/15 newly eligible full time employees must serve a one year
eligibility period before spouses and/or dependents are eligible for tuition waiver. Part-time employees
regularly scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week may obtain a partial tuition waiver after six
months of service. Certain programs, such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Pharmacy are
considered capped programs, and have specific provisions with respect to the tuition benefits which are
further described below. The University reserves the right to change this tuition waiver benefit at any
time.
Employee
Eligible full-time and part-time employees may enroll in classes, subject to the following conditions:
1. Eligibility for employee full tuition waiver for undergraduate and graduate level courses: the
employee has been employed in a regular position of 30 or more hours per week for at least
a six (6) month period (180 calendar days) at the time of enrollment in coursework.
Spouses and child(ren) of full time eligible employees are eligible for full tuition waiver for
undergraduate level courses only (except as noted for “capped” programs.)
Employees regularly scheduled to work 20 hours per week, but less than 30, are eligible
after six months of employment for full tuition waiver to enroll in one (1) Husson University
course per semester. This may be either an undergraduate or graduate level course. Eligible
part time employees are not eligible to enroll in classes offered during short terms (May and
January terms) due to the compressed schedule of classes.
The tuition waiver is not extended to spouses and child(ren) of part-time employees
working 20 – 29 hours per week. A one year eligibility period applies for spouses and
children of full time employees hired on or after 7/1/15.
2. For employees eligible for full tuition waiver, coursework may not exceed two (2), 3-credit
courses in the Spring, Fall or Summer sessions. Due to the compressed schedules during a
short term, such as in January or May, an eligible full time employees will be required to
take vacation time if the course schedule impacts their regular work schedule. If classes
offered during the short term meet at a time when the employee is regularly scheduled to
work, prior approval from the immediate supervisor must be obtained and vacation time
must be utilized. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to monitor the number of classes
approved, and to ensure employees utilize vacation time when classes are taken during
short terms.
3. Employees must obtain prior written approval from his/her immediate supervisor and the
Director of Human Resources on the Tuition Waiver Exemption Form. Supervisors must
carefully analyze the needs of the department before approving tuition waivers and be
certain that the number of classes taken does not impact essential services to the University
or does not exceed the number of classes allowed under this policy.
4. If a course is taken during working hours, the Tuition Waiver Exemption Application must be
accompanied by a written plan signed by the immediate supervisor, the employee and the
department head. The plan must outline the hours that are agreed upon by all parties to
make up lost work hours. The written plan must provide for time to be made up within the
same pay period. This arrangement must be approved by the administrative head of the
employee’s department. This is to ensure that adequate staff coverage is established to the
satisfaction of the department head before employees enroll in classes. This written plan
must be attached to the Tuition Waiver Exemption Application.
5. The University reserves the right to cancel a class should it be under-enrolled.
6. Independent Studies or Directed Studies are not covered by this tuition waiver policy.
7. Should an eligible employee discontinue employment or otherwise cease to be eligible for
the tuition waiver benefit, a spouse and/or child(ren) will be permitted to complete any
semester for which he/she is enrolled.
Spouse and Child(ren)
For the purpose of this benefit, a spouse includes someone who is considered legally married according
to the laws of the State of Maine to an employee of Husson University. A child includes a biological
offspring and/or someone legally adopted in accordance with the laws of the State of Maine. This policy
does not include step-children or spouses/child(ren) of regular employees working less than 30 hours
per week.
1.) The spouse of child(ren) of an employee who had been employed full-time (30 or more
hours per week) for a period of three years and who died, or became disabled while
employed by the University, and who confirms to the guidelines of Social Security for these
categories, qualifies for the equivalent amount of tuition waivers that would be provided to
a four-year day-school student, excluding capped programs, so long as the employee’s
spouse or child(ren) is eligible for admission to Husson University within one-year of the
date the employee died or became disabled.
2.) Enrollment in “capped” programs is excluded.
3.) The eligible spouse or child(ren) may elect any undergraduate program of study offered at
the time of enrollment.
4.) The eligible spouse or the child(ren) are excluded from enrollment in graduate level
coursework.
Sponsorship
Married or unmarried childless personnel, who have served the University for at least ten (10) years,
have the privilege of selecting a person to be the recipient of tuition exemption covering the full tuition
for either a two-year or a four-year program of study, for each ten-year period of service providing the
sponsorship occurs prior to July 1, 2013 and the student sponsored remains enrolled until the
completion of the program. Any student sponsored through this provision prior to July 1, 2013 will
receive the tuition exemption as described in this policy. Effective July 1, 2013, no further sponsorship
will be allowed under this tuition exemption policy.
Applying the tuition exemption to “capped” programs:
The tuition exemption benefit may be extended to include the equivalent of the cost of (4) years of
undergraduate full-time tuition for dependent children or a spouse of an eligible employee that has
been accepted into a “capped” graduate or professional program. (These programs include Pharmacy,
Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs.) The enrolled dependent is eligible for this
benefit only when all pre-professional/undergraduate classes have been taken at Husson University. In
these cases, the tuition waiver benefit extends for a maximum of four years at the undergraduate
tuition level. The undergraduate tuition cost is deducted from the graduate level tuition cost, and the
dependent is responsible for the cost differential.
Revised May 1, 2015