Navigating Vanderbilt University's Tuition Reimbursement Policy
Vanderbilt University demonstrates its commitment to the growth and development of its employees and their families through a comprehensive tuition reimbursement policy. Administered in partnership with EdAssist, the university’s tuition benefit programs offer substantial assistance to eligible staff, faculty, and their spouses seeking to further their education. This article provides a detailed overview of the policy, addressing eligibility, benefits, application procedures, and other key aspects.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for Vanderbilt's tuition benefits, employees must meet specific criteria. Firstly, the Employee Education Assistance Program applies to all regular and term full-time staff and faculty. A key requirement is that the employee must have completed at least three months of continuous full-time employment in a regular or term position at Vanderbilt and be in an active status.
For dependent tuition assistance, more stringent requirements apply. Educational tuition assistance benefits are available for eligible employee’s dependent children when the employee is at least twenty-one (21) years old and has been employed full-time for the past five (5) continuous years in a regular or term position at Vanderbilt University (or any other accredited college or university, with no break-in-service greater than three (3) continuous months duration). This benefit begins with the academic semester (or quarter) following five (5) years of continuous service. The children of an employee whose service is terminated due to permanent disability or death may also be eligible to receive the tuition benefit.
It's important to note that tuition assistance is an exception to the general requirements of Bridging. When an employee has a break in service for longer than three months, they must build three continuous months of employment again before becoming eligible for the benefit.
Tuition Benefits for Employees
Eligible staff receive a 70 percent discount on course work at Vanderbilt or 70 percent reimbursement at another accredited college or university for one course per semester, or three courses per academic year. For faculty, the discount for course work at Vanderbilt is 47 percent. The benefit applies to any classes offered for academic credit as part of an associate, baccalaureate, or post-graduate degree by an accredited institution.
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For course work at Vanderbilt, upon satisfactory completion of the course, Vanderbilt will reimburse eligible employees 70% of the charge for tuition. For classes taken at other colleges/universities, you will be reimbursed after the class is completed. The benefit will pay for grades “C” and above with a form showing proof of payment. The reimbursement is included in your next paycheck after verification and approval by EdAssist.
Effective immediately, eligible employees will receive direct payment up front on their next available paycheck of the portion Vanderbilt pays for tuition for classes in which employees are enrolled.
Eligible staff members may also audit one Vanderbilt course per semester and tuition will be waived, provided the staff member has the instructor's and the supervisor's written permission to attend. No credit is given for audited classes.
Tuition Benefits for Spouses
Vanderbilt extends tuition benefits to the spouses of eligible employees as well. Your spouse will receive a 47 percent discount on tuition for one course per semester taken at Vanderbilt, or three courses per academic year. For spouses, the benefit applies only to coursework at Vanderbilt. The tuition discount for your spouse is taxable to you and is included on your W2.
Eligible staff members' spouses may also audit one Vanderbilt course per semester and tuition will be waived, with written permission from the instructor.
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Dependent Tuition Assistance
Vanderbilt University provides tuition assistance for the dependent children of eligible employees. The children of an employee whose service is terminated due to permanent disability or death may be eligible to receive the tuition benefit.
Your dependent must meet the IRS definition of a qualifying child. The IRS defines a "qualifying child" as a dependent who has not attained the age of 24 as of the close of the calendar year for which the benefit is requested. Residence - has the same principal residence as the taxpayer for more than half the tax year. Exceptions apply, in certain cases, for children of divorced or separated parents.
Key Policy Details and Limitations
Several important details and limitations apply to Vanderbilt's tuition reimbursement policy. You and your spouse can receive the benefit for one three-hour credit course per term (semester/quarter), with a limit of three courses per academic year. The "academic year" is the period beginning with fall through the following summer term. If a lab is required as part of your course, then you can request 4 credit hours and receive the benefit for 4 credit hours. However, if the lab is not clearly stated on the submitted documents (Invoice or term schedule), you must provide proof of the lab component being required for the course via a course syllabus.
Any reimbursements over $5,250 in a calendar year may be subject to tax. Note: The IRS limits the amount employees can be reimbursed for education/tuition before taxes are applied to $5,250. Any reimbursement above this amount will be reported as taxable income.
The benefit contributes only toward the cost of tuition. No, overload charges are not covered. An overload is defined as the credit hour amount above a school's full-time enrollment. For example, if a school charges a flat tuition rate for 12-18 credit hours, and your student is enrolled for 19 credit hours, the amount of overload would be one hour. The benefit amount is based on the individual school's base tuition charge and each school may vary in what they consider to be full-time enrollment. No, the benefit contributes only to tuition.
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All grants, scholarships, discounts, and gift aid, including dependent tuition assistance funds received from another entity, must be fully disclosed. The sum of all scholarships (including Vanderbilt payment) should not exceed the dependent tuition charge. Any scholarships reported towards tuition may reduce the amount of tuition benefit that Vanderbilt pays on behalf of the dependent. Most college financial aid offices will factor Vanderbilt’s tuition benefit in your child’s financial aid package. The way in which this is done is dependent upon the financial aid package formulas and methods specific to each school.
If both you and your spouse are Vanderbilt faculty or employees, you can use the benefit for up to 48 semesters or 72 quarters.
Application Process and Important Forms
Faculty and staff may apply online through EdAssist starting 90 days prior to each class start date. The deadline to submit an application is 30 days after each class start date. Please check your EdAssist account for application status. Once an application has been approved, employees will receive a direct payment on their next available paycheck. Employees have 30 days from the course completion date to submit proof of a passing grade through EdAssist.
Once your application is approved and acceptable documentation uploaded, you will receive an advanced payment on your next available payroll cycle. Once your course is completed you have 30 days from the course completion date to submit your proof of grades via EdAssist. A grade report should indicate successful course completion in compliance with the grade requirements of the program policy. Grade reports must be legible and must include school name, logo or URL, student name, course name/number and grade received.
The Letter of Credit (LOC) form certifies that the Vanderbilt University Tuition Benefit plan will honor payment of tuition in accordance with the program policy. The LOC is valid for one semester. The LOC must be completed each semester. Provide the signed LOC to the Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships for processing. The Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships does not process Letter of Credit (LOC) forms for Graduate students. Graduate students are responsible for uploading an itemized invoice for their coursework from Vanderbilt University to their EdAssist portal. Itemized statements can be found on the YES billing portal.
If you receive scholarships, grants, discounts, etc. that are applied to your tuition cost, please note that your benefit will be calculated from your tuition minus those credits. Please have the Institution clarify on the invoice which credits are solely applied to tuition cost to ensure you receive the correct benefit payment from EdAssist.
Additional Considerations
If your dependent’s school is on a quarter schedule, and you just received a message saying that the policy limit of 8 applications has been reached and your application is currently in a ‘submitted - pending review’ status, contact EdAssist for clarification.
We must receive your cancellation before we can process a request for a different school. Include your student's name, the school's name, and term affected.
In the scenario where both you and your spouse are eligible for dependent tuition benefits, you may both use the dependent tuition benefit. However, you cannot submit duplicate applications.
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