Understanding Baylor University's Tuition Remission Policy
Baylor University offers a tuition remission policy designed to support the educational goals of its employees, their spouses, and dependent children. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the policy, its eligibility requirements, benefits, and application process. It will also address the tax implications and limitations associated with tuition remission.
Eligibility for Tuition Remission
Several factors determine eligibility for tuition remission at Baylor University.
Employees: Regular, full-time faculty and staff are generally eligible for tuition remission benefits. Temporary employees are typically not eligible. Employees hired prior to January 1, 2025, must complete 90 days of employment to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. Those hired on or after January 1, 2025, must complete one year of continuous full-time employment. The employee must maintain active employment status throughout the course and at the time of reimbursement.
Spouses and Children: Spouses and children of eligible employees may also qualify for tuition remission. However, the specific eligibility requirements may differ. For instance, eligible spouses and children of employees hired on or after July 1, 2003, applying for undergraduate tuition remission may need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for federal, state, or institutional aid.
It's crucial to consult the Educational Assistance Spouse and Children Tuition Remission Policy for detailed information.
Read also: Baylor's Notable Alumni
Retirees: Tuition remission is not provided to individual retirees. However, tuition remission is available for eligible Baylor Retirees' spouse and children.
Limitations Post-Retirement: Tuition remission benefits per eligible spouse and child are limited to one of the following options: One undergraduate degree or special course of study, plus post-baccalaureate (up to 36 hours of credit hours) or graduate credit hours not to exceed 2 normal years of academic work as appropriate to the degree/certification program. For Children Only: One undergraduate degree or special course of study, plus 6 quarters of Law School. NOTE: The Retiree Tuition Remission benefit is not available to the Honorary Retiree classification.
Scope of Tuition Remission
The tuition remission policy covers various educational opportunities, but certain limitations apply.
Covered Programs: Generally, tuition remission applies to undergraduate courses. Certain graduate courses may also be eligible, depending on the specific policy guidelines.
Excluded Programs: Online programs, audit courses, and doctoral courses are typically not eligible for tuition remission. Spouses are not eligible for tuition remission towards Law School.
Read also: Avoiding Med School Application Mistakes
Application Process
Applying for tuition remission involves several steps:
- Read the Relevant Policy: Employees should read the Educational Assistance Plan and Employee Tuition Remission Policy. Spouses and children should read the Educational Assistance Spouse and Children Tuition Remission Policy.
- Apply and Be Accepted to Baylor University: Complete the application process for admission to Baylor University and be accepted to the University. Be accepted to the University and in good academic standing. If there is a message indicating the "student does not have an active record," confirm active student status: Undergraduate: Registrar 254-710-1814, Graduate: Graduate School 254-710-3584.
- Complete the Online Application: Log on to the Tuition Remission Application with your BearID and password and follow the instructions provided there to apply. A new application must be submitted for each academic year.
- Complete FAFSA (If Required): Eligible spouses/children of employees hired on or after July 1, 2003, that apply for undergraduate tuition remission may be required to complete the FAFSA form. To be considered for the maximum amount of financial aid, you must submit both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. Both applications open on October 1 and should be submitted by the priority date to be considered for the most available funds.
Tax Implications
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has specific guidelines regarding the taxability of tuition remission benefits.
Tax-Free Benefits: Tuition remission benefits for eligible employees, qualifying spouses, or qualifying dependent children at an undergraduate level are not taxable.
Taxable Benefits: According to Internal Revenue Service guidelines, employer-provided tuition remission and educational assistance is taxable in the following cases and the Payroll Office will withhold employment taxes: Graduate and Seminary educational assistance in excess of $5,250 per calendar year for employees. Graduate and Seminary tuition remission for spouse. Graduate, Seminary and Law tuition remission for children. Undergraduate tuition remission for children beginning the calendar year in which they can no longer be claimed as a dependent. Refer to the Taxable Tuition Remission Guidelines for more information.
Additional Benefits and Programs at Baylor
Beyond tuition remission, Baylor University offers a comprehensive benefits package to its employees:
Read also: Affording Baylor University
- Workers’ Compensation: Covers employee injuries sustained in the performance of school duties. The insurance covers 100% of the injury related medical expenses in addition to weekly compensation for uncompensated time lost from work.
- Life Insurance: Term life insurance coverage is two times your annual base salary or wage rounded to the next highest thousand. All full-time employees are automatically covered and the school pays 100% of the premium. Optional limited dependent life insurance coverage is also available.
- Disability Program: Provides continuing financial support to an employee who becomes totally disabled from most causes other than a work-related injury covered by workers’ compensation. All full-time employees automatically become participants in our disability program, with the school covering 100% of the program’s associated costs. The first six months of total disability is covered by Baylor’s salary continuation policy. Under this policy, the disabled employee continues to receive normal base compensation for up to six months. Total disability in excess of six months is a long-term disability claim covered by an insurance policy.
- Health and Wellness: Baylor offers full-time employees an HSA compatible medical plan through United HealthCare. The Baylor Health Center is conveniently located on campus and is available to employees and their families with an appointment. Baylor also offers an optional dental insurance plan. The school contributes a portion of the premium. Baylor offers an option non-contributory vision plan. Baylor offers optional insurance plans through AFLAC. Baylor has established a Health Savings Account plan through Health Equity. Employees participating in the BlueCross BlueShield health plan are encouraged to contribute to an HSA. Contributions may be made through payroll deduction on a pre-tax bases.
- Retirement Plan: The school’s pension plan is a 403(b) defined contribution plan through TIAA-CREF. The school contributes 5% of gross compensation on all participants. In addition, the school will match an optional contribution made by the participant of 3% (effective 7/1/97), bringing the total combined contribution to 11%. Although the school limits its matching to 3%, the participant does have the option of contributing more than the 3% as long as IRS limits are not exceeded. If interested in a higher contribution, ask the business office for information. A one year waiting period will apply for participation in the school’s pension plan unless the employee has been at a similar institution. Baylor has an optional 403(b) tax-deferred annuity program available through Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. It is a supplemental retirement program handled on a monthly payroll deduction basis. The amount withheld from payroll is a pre-tax withholding, meaning the gross compensation for the pay period is reduced by the annuity withholding prior to calculation of federal income tax.
- Other Benefits: Baylor is a member of a local blood bank, Blood Assurance. All employees and their dependents are assured of access to blood in a time of need. The blood is free, but the cost to administer the blood is not. Membership in the Chattanooga Schools Area Federal Credit Union is an option available to all employees. Baylor has a biweekly hourly payroll and a monthly salary payroll. Due to school breaks (Christmas, Spring, etc.) the school at times modifies payroll payment dates; however, generally, payroll payments dates for salary will be on the 25th of each month and on every other Friday for hourly employees.
- Tuition Waiver Exchange Program (TWEP): The program allows the children of faculty members, staff and administrators of Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) affiliated colleges to attend a CCCU-affiliated college tuition free. The Tuition Waiver Exchange Program (TWEP) is open to undergraduate dependents of full-time faculty, staff and/or administrators who have been at the sending institution for one full year prior to TWEP participation. Students admitted under the program are automatically renewed for up to four years as long as the student remains in good standing. Students apply directly to the institution(s) of their choice and must meet normal admissions requirements.
Job-Related Tuition Reimbursement
In addition to tuition remission, Baylor offers a tuition reimbursement program for job-related courses.
Qualifying for Tuition Reimbursement: Eligible Employees include regular, full-time faculty and staff. Temporary employees are not eligible. Eligible Employees hired prior to January 1, 2025 must complete 90 days of employment to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. Eligible Employee hired on or after January 1, 2025 must complete 1 year of continuous full-time employment to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. The Eligible Employee must be in an active employment status throughout the entire course and at the time of reimbursement.
Tuition Reimbursement Benefit: Eligible regular faculty/staff can receive 100 percent tuition reimbursement for courses taken and successfully completed with a passing grade of A or B. A course for which tuition reimbursement is claimed must be a formal course provided for either academic credit, continuing education credit, or a certificate of completion. For job-related courses taken at an accredited institution towards an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree, the maximum reimbursement for tuition expenses is $5,250 per Benefit Year (January - December).
Program Parameters: Enrollment in job-related courses must be pre-approved by the department budget head. An employee may be enrolled in either the Job-Related Tuition Reimbursement Program OR the Tuition Remission Program (BU-PP 451) - not both. Employees are expected to attend courses outside of regular working hours unless special permission is obtained from the employee’s supervisor. The employee must be employed by the University for the entirety of the course.
Steps to Apply for Tuition Assistance: Read the Educational Assistance Plan and Job Related Tuition Reimbursement Program Policy. Complete the job-related tuition application and submit to the department budget head for approval. Prior to taking the class, submit the approved application to Human Resources for eligibility review. If eligibility is confirmed and once the course is completed, the employee should submit the following to Human Resources: Approved Job-Related Tuition Application, Evidence of satisfactory completion of the course, Receipt for tuition costs (fees are not covered). Reimbursement requests must be submitted to Human Resources no later than 30 days after the course completion.
Other Important Policies at Baylor
Baylor University has several other policies in place to ensure smooth operations and a safe environment:
- Substantive Change Policy: Provides clear and appropriate guidelines for changes that provide a significant modification on the nature and scope of the institution.
- Fleet Card Program: Enables University departments and authorized users to efficiently pay for fuel purchases for University owned and leased vehicles.
- University Faculty Ombuds: Appointed by the Provost, with the concurrence of the Faculty Senate, and serves to facilitate the resolution of faculty concerns in an impartial manner. The Ombuds is able to serve as an informal, private resource for faculty questions, issues, and disputes. The Ombuds is not an advocate for the administration or faculty but for fair process and impartial mediation.
- University Grounds and Access Policy: Establishes the fundamental principles for controlling access to all University-owned or controlled grounds and facilities.
- System Administration Policy: Replaces the previous Server Security Policy.
- Student Conduct Code: Applies to all persons taking courses at or through Baylor University, either full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies.
- Honor Code: The Honor Code has been revised to change the quorum requirement for hearings. A quorum now consists of four Honor Council members, including at least one voting faculty member and one student member. Additionally, under the revised policy, any student requesting a postponement of a scheduled hearing fewer than three business days in advance must provide a valid reason, supported by documentary or other tangible evidence, at the time of the request.
- Faculty Workload and Merit Evaluation Policy: Establishes workload expectations for full-time, regular faculty members.
- Academic Program Licensure Disclosures: Student location can impact enrollment eligibility for educational programs, depending on state licensure requirements by the agencies with jurisdiction. Academic programs leading to professions with state licensure or certification requirements will disclose to applicants and students the program’s determination whether it meets the licensure or certification requirements of the states in which the applicant or student is located and/or intends to practice the profession.
- Health Leave Policy: Provides paid leave to eligible employees for reasons related to mental health or illness of an employee, their spouse, children or parent.
- Use of Air Charter Services and Donor Aircraft Policy: Acknowledges time is an important consideration for the President, Vice Presidents, and other senior staff when traveling, and the necessity of attending certain events or meeting University obligations may require adaptability not found in the current commercial air market. Air charter service is also frequently used for athletic team travel, especially when required by athletic regulatory agencies for health and safety measures.
- Equal Opportunity Employer: Baylor School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
tags: #baylor #university #tuition #remission #policy
