College Policy Number/Title:

• 63.07  Benefits

Full- and part-time position control/budgeted employees of Howard Community College are eligible for tuition reimbursement for courses offered by an accredited or professionally recognized educational institution other than HCC according to established priorities and within available resources.  Dependents and spouses of full- and part-time, position control/budgeted employees will be eligible for reimbursement for any courses successfully completed at Howard Community College according to established priorities and within available resources.  A dependent is one who is the biological child of the parent or who has been legally adopted, and is financially dependent on the parent and resides in the residence of the parent, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.

Adjunct faculty may also be eligible for limited tuition reimbursement.  Criteria and application forms are available in the division offices.

1. Tuition Reimbursement
   

   The first priority is to provide tuition reimbursement up to $2,000 per fiscal year for full-time and $1,000 for part-time, position control/budgeted employees who request to take courses at another college or university.  The courses must be:  job-related, career-related, or required as part of a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree program.  The college reserves the right to reject applications for courses that will not benefit the college.

   Fee Reimbursement

   The first priority also includes fee reimbursement for:  (1) courses taken by employees at Howard Community College that are job-, career-, or degree- related or taken as part of the Wellness Program and (2) course fees only for courses taken at another college or university which are job-, career- or degree- related.  For courses taken at Howard Community College, which are, job-, career-, or degree- related, employees may request to have fees deferred, provided the employee agrees to pay the fees if the course is not completed successfully.  Employees must agree to have an automatic payroll deduction if it is necessary to refund the fees.  Paperwork to request the exemption is available in the office of human resources.

   
   

2. The second priority is to provide 50 percent tuition reimbursement up to $1,000 per fiscal year for full-time and $500 for part-time, position control/budgeted employees who request to take courses at another college or university that are not job-, career-, or degree- related.
   

3. The third priority is to provide 100 percent tuition reimbursement up to $2,000 for full-time and $1,000 for part-time, position control/budgeted employees per fiscal year for courses taken at Howard Community College by spouses or domestic partners and/or dependents of the  employees and dependents of their domestic partners.
   
4. In instances where a full- or part-time, position control/budgeted employee receives full or partial tuition support from another source, tuition reimbursement will defray only those costs not covered by such arrangements and in accordance with the criteria listed in this procedure.
   
5. In a period of retrenchment, the president may override these priorities in favor of retraining individuals subject to reduction in force.

1. Employees will not be allowed to take courses during their regular working hours unless they are on an approved sabbatical, administrative, or other leave.
2. Tuition reimbursement approval must be obtained prior to registering for a course and/or program.  Forms are available in the office of human resources.
3. Reimbursement up to a maximum of $2,000 for full-time and $1,000 for part-time, position control/budgeted employees per fiscal year for courses taken within that fiscal year for employee and family combined will be issued after the successful completion of the course(s) and will be only for the incurred cost of tuition and approved fees.
4. Tuition reimbursement is for courses offered by an accredited or professionally recognized institution.  Job-related workshops, seminars, special supervised training sessions, etc. will not be funded under the tuition reimbursement program.  Participation in such activities must be approved by an employee's supervisor and budgeted for in the "Conferences and Workshops" category in administrative cost centers.
5. Employees must be employed at the college through successful completion of the course; employees who leave the college prior to completion will not be eligible for reimbursement.
6. Successful completion is required.  This is defined as a passing grade in a credit course, and a certificate or letter of completion in a non-credit course.  Auditing a course is not considered successful completion unless the student has completed all course requirements as certified by a letter from the instructor.

PROCESS  

1. All full- and part-time, position control/budgeted employees and/or their spouses or dependents must complete a tuition reimburse­ment form and obtain the approval of their immediate supervisors prior to registration.
2. Fifty percent of the reimbursement pool will be awarded on January 31 and the balance of this pool will be awarded on June 30 according to the preceding criteria.

Domestic Partners are defined as:

1. The partners must have attained a minimum age, usually 18.
2. Neither person is related by blood closer than is permitted by state law for marriage.
3. The partners must have a committed relationship.
4. The partners must be financially interdependent.
5. The partners must live in the same household.