Employee Educational Assistance
What is the Employee Tuition Assistance Program?
The Employee Tuition Assistance Program at William & Mary offers eligible employees either tuition waivers or financial assistance for approved classes. This program covers up to 6 credit hours per semester, with a maximum of six courses allowed per calendar year. Eligible employees can receive up to $5,250 in tax-free benefits annually.
Program Definitions
Tuition Waiver - Undergraduate level tuition waived by the university for an approved academic credit course taken in W&M.
Tuition Assistance - Graduate level tuition paid for by the university for an approved academic credit course taken at W&M.
Tuition Reimbursement - Any tuition reimbursed by the university for an approved, work-related, academic credit course at an approved institution other than W&M. This is approved on very rare occasions.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the program is open to faculty and staff enrolled in the RP or ORP retirement program. Additionally, hourly employees entitled to paid time off may also be considered, pending confirmation. Conversely, adjunct faculty, temporary hourly employees, and student employees are deemed ineligible. For further clarification of eligibility criteria, individuals are encouraged to reach out to Human Resources.
Eligibility During Leave
Your eligibility for any benefit under the Educational Assistance Plan ends when:
- You are no longer classified as a full-time university employee.
- You are an employee who is receiving short-term disability benefit and are not actively at work.
- You are an employee on leave without pay for personal reasons.
- You are an employee with an active disciplinary action on file.
How and When Do I Apply?
Eligible employees are required to apply to their preferred W&M Program and await acceptance. Upon readiness to register, employees must complete the Employee Education Assistance Form (pdf). The form will be circulated to all relevant parties. It is incumbent upon the employee to ensure that all approvals are obtained promptly and accurately. The form must accurately reflects the courses intended to tube taken and must be approved before registration. Employees can access DocuSign to monitor the program of their forms. In the even of difficulty accessing DocuSign, employees should contact Information Technology for support. The Student Accounts team is responsible for crediting the student account. Receipt of an invoice from the student accounts team indicates that the completed form has not been received, and it is the student's responsibility to ensure its submission. Delays in submission could result in the employee being responsible for the full tuition balance.
If an employee does not provide a completed and signed Employee Educational Assistance Form (pdf) to the Student Accounts Office by the Last Day to Add/Drop Classes, then the employee will be responsible for paying the full tuition of those courses.
Is it possible to withdraw from courses after they have commerced?
Employees have until the Last Day to Add/Drop Classes to make changes to their course selection or drop courses. Failure to do so within this timeframe will result in the employee being held responsible for the tuition fees, should they attempt to withdraw after this deadline.
Can I attend another university and receive financial support from W&M?
The university may consider reimbursing for a course or two taken at another institution under specific conditions. However, W&M does not have a centralized fund to support employees' educational pursuits at other universities, and thus will not reimburse for a full degree program. To be eligible for reimbursement:
- Reimbursements for courses taken outside W&M will be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to review and approve by the CFO.
- Only one or two courses may be covered on behalf of the employee annually.
- Courses must be directly relevant to the employee's current position, not for potential future roles.
- If the courses are available at W&M or if equivalent alternatives are available, reimbursement will not be provided, even if the course is not being offered in the semester the employee is attempting to register.
- Department funds must be used to support employee educational reimbursements.
- The employee is accountable for the upfront payment of the courses and can request reimbursement upon completion; payment will not be disbursed before course completion.
- A grade of C or better must be achieved in the courses to quality for reimbursement.
Are there any courses or programs at W&M that are excluded from this benefit?
W&M is a conventional institution with restricted availability of online courses. Online courses and other programs that entail 3rd party vendor fees or self-sustaining are not eligible for this employee benefit. The exclusions include:
- Online Master Business Administration
- Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Counseling Education M.Ed. Programs
- Geographic Information Science Certificate Program (GIS)
- Executive Master Business Administration
- Executive EdD Program (limited to one course in the fall and spring semesters and two courses in the summer term). Concentrations in K-12 and Gifted Administration of the Executive EdD program are not eligible.
- All online courses managed by a 3rd party offered by Mason School of Business and School of Education are ineligible for employee educational assistance. Please check with the schools to verify whether your program qualifies for the benefit.
- Employee family members are not eligible under this policy.
Is there a grade requirement to receive Employee Educational Assistance?
Yes, the approved course must be successfully completed with a "C" or better in a course where a letter grade is provided or official documentation from the school that the course offers "Pass" or "Satisfactory" for coursework where a letter grade is not used. If employee receives an "Incomplete", "Fail", or letter grade less than "C"; employee will repay the university for any assistance or waiver received.
Will I have to pay taxes on the money I am reimbursed?
While the Employee Educational Assistance is typically non-taxable for most eligible employees, any reimbursement exceeding the annual program maximum of $5,250 will be subject to taxation as per IRS regulations. The taxability is determined based on the issuance date of the benefit. For amounts surpassing $5,250, taxes will be deducted from the employee's pay, and the corresponding FICA tax will be charged to the department index at the time of processing educational assistance. The Payroll Services team will divide the tax obligation into four payments. Employees will receive a notification letter regarding the tax withholding and should make necessary preparations accordingly.
The amount credited to the employee's annual educational assistance benefit will be based on the calendar tax year in which the educational assistance (waiver) was applied. Educational Assistance is generally applied a the beginning of each semester/session or no later than the Last Day to Add/Drop Classes.
Each taxable payment will be flat taxed at the supplemental tax rates effective for the calendar year that the payment is made.
Am I eligible to receive additional intuitional support for my educational pursuits?
At W&M, employees who are enrolled in the Employee Education Assistance programs are not entitled to receive any supplementary institutional aid from the university. The maximum tax-free amount of an employee may receive from the university is $5,250, as stipulated by IRS regulations. Departments are not permitted to cover any expenses on behalf of their employees beyond what is permissible under this policy.
