Navigating Federal Employee Tuition Assistance Programs

For federal employees seeking to advance their education and careers, a variety of tuition assistance programs are available. These programs aim to support professional development and enhance the skills of the federal workforce. Understanding the landscape of these opportunities is crucial for maximizing career growth within the government.

Available Academic Programs

Federal employees can choose from a wide array of academic programs that are relevant to their work. These programs often include fields such as:

Information Technology
Human Resources
Program Auditing
Contract Management
Cybersecurity

These programs are designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of federal employees, making them more effective in their roles.

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Benefits

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) offers specific benefits to federal employees and their families. These benefits include tuition discounts, making education more accessible and affordable.

Tuition Discounts at UMGC

If you are a Federal employee or the spouse or eligible dependent of a Federal employee, you may qualify for a discount of up to 25 percent on out-of-state tuition for most programs or a 5 percent tuition discount on specialty graduate programs at UMGC.

Read also: Understanding Student Loans

Getting Started with UMGC

Enrolling in UMGC involves a straightforward process:

Apply for admission to UMGC: Complete the online application for admission. It typically takes about 10 minutes.
Verify your employment: Complete a tuition benefits verification form for each term that you plan to enroll in courses. Be sure to fill out the proper form.
Register for classes: Once you're admitted to UMGC, you will receive a student ID (EmplID) so you can register for courses online.

Recently displaced federal employees are encouraged to explore the services and resources available at UMGC.

Sunset of the Federal Academic Alliance (Alliance)

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has decided to sunset the Federal Academic Alliance (Alliance). This decision was made after a comprehensive review of the program's outcomes, overlap with other authorities (such as agency training and tuition assistance under 5 CFR part 410), and the associated administrative burden. OPM determined that continuing the Alliance on a government-wide basis was no longer warranted.

Transitioning from the Alliance

The Alliance will be phased out in an orderly manner to minimize disruption to employees currently enrolled with participating institutions and to align government-wide learning benefits with existing statutory and regulatory authorities.

Implications for Current Enrollees

Employees currently enrolled under Alliance arrangements may continue through the end of their current academic term. Continuation beyond that term will be subject to standard agency authorities and policies (e.g., availability of training/tuition assistance consistent with 5 CFR part 410 and agency procedures). State, local, or institution‑provided scholarships and financial aid.

Seeking Alternative Support

Employees seeking education or training support should consult their agency's Training/Tuition Assistance Office regarding available options under agency policy and federal regulations.

Tuition Reimbursement

If a student is a full-time employee of the federal government, they may be eligible for reimbursement of their tuition and course material costs associated with their studies. The Office of Personnel Management supports job-related studies with up to 100% tuition reimbursement and may also cover the cost of all required course materials.

Eligibility Criteria

The extent of coverage depends on:

Approval by both the student's immediate supervisor and their local Civilian Training Director confirming the course to be directly related to their job requirements and professional development.
Funds available for the course.

Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) Scholarships

The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) offers scholarship programs for federal civilian and postal workers and their families. Some associations and unions partner with FEEA to provide specific scholarship programs for their members, members’ children, grandchildren, or spouses, or retiree members’ children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren.

Eligibility for FEEA Scholarships

Because FEEA’s scholarship program is only open to federal civilian and postal workers and their families, each applicant must either be a federal employee or have a parent/guardian or spouse who is a fed.

Required Documents for FEEA Application

Applicants typically need to provide:

Copies of your most recent transcript/s and fall grades based on your current educational circumstances (high school student, continuing college student, graduate student). Do not send copies of your transcripts or have your school send copies directly to FEEA.
A copy of your/your sponsor’s form SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action). If you are sponsored by a retired NARFE or AFGE member or by a non-federal BIG member, you are not required to provide an SF-50/PS-50.

Understanding Redaction

Redaction is the process of selectively editing or removing sensitive or confidential information from a document to protect the privacy and security of individuals.

How to Redact Information

You can redact information using various methods, depending on your preference and the tools available to you.

Adobe Acrobat: If you have access to Adobe Acrobat or a similar PDF editing software, you can use the redaction tools provided.
Scanner Apps: Some scanner apps and software also offer redaction features.
Carefully use a black marker to cover the sensitive information you wish to redact.

Remember to review the redacted document to ensure that the information you intended to hide is no longer visible. It’s important to take precautions to protect sensitive data, especially when sharing documents electronically or with others. Please also ensure that information meant to be visible is still available and legible.

SmarterSelect Scholarship Account

We expect all applicants to do their own work, including setting up the initial account in SmarterSelect.

Educational Assistance Program (IRS)

An educational assistance program is an employer’s written plan PDF to provide employees with undergraduate or graduate-level educational assistance. The option is available only for payments made after March 27, 2020. Under current law, this option will be available until Dec. Payments made directly to the lender and those made to the employee qualify under these programs.

Tax-Free Benefits

By law, tax-free benefits under an educational assistance program are limited to $5,250 per employee per year. For other requirements, see Publication 15-B, Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits.

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