7.6 Educational Assistance Plan (formerly Tuition Remission and Tuition Exchange)

To promote and support the continued educational development of employees and their respective family members, the University makes available Educational Assistance and Tuition Exchange. This program is designed to offset the cost of tuition when eligible employees and/or family members are admitted for enrollment.

1. Educational Assistance Program
   
   The University makes this program available for study at Piedmont University according to the following stipulations:
   1. Eligibility and Responsibilities:
      
      Current full-time employees who have completed 6 months of employment are eligible to apply for Educational Assistance.
   2. Educational Assistance is not available for the following:
      1. BSN (pre-nursing coursework is covered). 
      2. Graduate level time for 3+2 and 4+1 programs.
      3. Specialist degree.
      4. Trip course tuition.
      5. Doctoral Coursework – see section B of this policy.
   3. Educational Assistance is not available for repeating class(es).
   4. The proceeds received from all scholarship(s) or gift aid will be used to offset the cost of the applied Educational Assistance benefit. 
   5. Employee/spouse/dependent students are responsible for all fees, books, and other non-tuition related expenses.
   6. Recipients of Educational Assistance must maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by Financial Aid standards and social conduct as referenced in the Piedmont University Catalog, Student Handbook, and other documents.  Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the benefit.  
      1. In the event an employee resigns or is terminated from a University position during a semester of receiving Educational Assistance, eligibility for the benefit will terminate immediately if the end of employment date is before the end of the drop/add period. If the end of employment date is after the end of the drop/add period, the benefit will remain in place until the end of the semester.

   Employees are eligible to: 

   1. Enroll in up to six (6) credit hours (seven (7) if a lab is required) per semester for a first Baccalaureate or a first master’s degree at Piedmont University.
   2. Enroll in non-degree coursework necessary for work assignments upon approval of supervisor.
   3. Enroll spouse and/or qualifying dependent(s) to receive Educational Assistance for a first undergraduate degree with an 18-hour credit limit per semester. 
      
      

2. Tax Considerations: 
   1. Educational Assistance for Undergraduate or Non-Credit Coursework:
      1. Courses taken for undergraduate credit or non-credit are not subject to tax withholding and imputed income. 
   2. Educational Assistance for Master’s Level Coursework: 
      1. Faculty and staff employees receiving Educational Assistance for Piedmont University Master’s level coursework enjoy exclusion of up to $5,250 in program costs per calendar year from taxable income (IRS Section 127). In addition, IRS Section 162 determines benefits exceeding $5,250 may be excludable from taxation if the education is job-related as follows: 
         1. The coursework maintains or improves skills required by an individual in his employment, trade, or business; or
         2. The coursework meets the express requirements of the individual’s employer, law or regulations, status, or rate of compensation. 
      2. Tuition benefits more than $5,250 per year are subject to federal and state income taxes as well as FICA and Medicare unless the education meets 1 or 2 above.
      3. Educational expenses are not excludable from taxation if they are incurred to meet minimum educational requirements for the individual’s current position or to qualify the individual for a position or a new field. In this case the benefit is fully taxable. 
3. Application for Educational Assistance:
   
   Prior to the start of each semester, employees should complete applications (fillable form available in PilgrimNet portal on the Human Resources portal) for themselves and/or an eligible spouse or dependent (to receive this benefit, an eligible child must be listed as a dependent on the employee’s tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service.) All Educational Assistance requests for a dependent child must include a copy of the top portion of a tax return listing the student as a dependent. 
   
   All completed applications should be signed by appropriate people and forwarded to Human Resources. 
4. Tuition Reimbursement for Doctoral Level Coursework:
   1. Faculty are eligible for tuition reimbursement of up to $1,500 annually upon successful completion of the course(s) for a period not to exceed six (6) years for doctoral studies. Eligibility is available only for a first doctoral degree.
   2. Tuition reimbursement for doctoral studies is 100% taxable.
   3. To apply for Tuition Reimbursement, submit a Faculty Development Form (available from the VPAA’s Office) along with the Educational Assistance Application.
   4. Assessment of requests and recommendations for payment approval are made in writing by the Office of Academic Affairs to the Controller’s Office.

5. Tuition Exchange Program :
   1. Piedmont University has an agreement with the Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) to provide tuition grant assistant opportunities at other participating institutions for faculty, staff, and their dependents (spouses shall not be considered as dependents and are therefore excluded under this policy).
   2. In addition, Piedmont University has an agreement with the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Tuition Exchange Program to provide tuition grant assistance opportunities at other participating institutions for faculty, staff and their dependents (spouses shall be considered as dependents under this policy). This program involves a network of member colleges and universities willing to accept students (tuition-free) from families of full-time employees of other participating institutions. Employees and their dependents are responsible for completing the admission process; however, there is no guarantee a dependent will be able to utilize the program.
   3. The Tuition Exchange Student Eligibility Guidelines for Piedmont University are maintained Financial Aid. Contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@piedmont.edu or (706) 776-0114 for full details.