Educational Assistance for Faculty and Staff
(Tuition Reimbursement Policy)
Background
The following policy is an extension of the UW System policy G25 - Educational Assistance for
Faculty and Staff. It provides specific guidance related to and application of the UW System policy
for the UW Parkside campus. It should be understood that the UW System policy noted above is the
primary policy followed by UW Parkside for educational assistance. The policies specific to UW
Parkside described below supplement the UW System policy. References corresponding to the UW
System policy sections are listed after each heading. Any exceptions to the Educational Assistance
policy must be approved by a hiring (appointing) authority.
Funding
Funding will be available centrally for educational assistance determined annually as part of the
regular budgeting process. Additional amounts can be approved by Chancellor as needed.
Departments may also choose to fund educational assistance as they deem appropriate.
Authorization
Any UW Parkside employee applying for educational assistance (tuition reimbursement) must submit a
professional development plan to his/her supervisor and attain approval prior to beginning a course of
study for which the employee is seeking assistance. Employees are encouraged to plan for more than
one year, especially when seeking approval for a course of study that will take more than one year to
complete. The employee will be eligible for educational assistance upon final approval by the hiring
(appointing) authority. Once a plan is approved, the employee does not need to seek approval for
individual courses listed in the plan as long as the plan is being followed. In the event that the
original professional development plan that was submitted changes, an employee seeking assistance
must submit a revised plan for approval to their supervisor.
To the extent possible, the professional development plan should provide a complete list of anticipated
coursework along with a projected timeline to complete the coursework. Estimated cost must also be
provided. Cost estimates should be based on tuition costs in effect at the time the plan is developed.
The hiring (appointing) authority will need to work with the Human Resources (HR) department to
determine available funding before approving the development plan. Priority will be given to
applicants seeking a degree. Approval will apply to the entire time period covered by the professional
development plan submitted. Development plans will be kept on file in HR.
At a minimum, a professional development plan should include the following:
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A description of the proposed course of study, including a list of courses and the institution the
employee is planning to attend.
A schedule or timeline planned for the proposed course of study.
A description of how the proposed course of study relates to the employee’s current job
assignment or position responsibilities.
A description of how the proposed course-provided knowledge/techniques improve the
employee’s performance and contribution to the institution.
A schedule of costs associated with the proposed course of study (based on tuition cost in
effect at the time the plan is developed).
Professional Development Plan Form
Course Schedule with Costs Form
Course Schedule with Costs Form - Sample
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Reimbursement
Reimbursement will be at the rate of 75% of tuition and fees upon successful completion of
coursework (a grade of “C” or better in undergraduate courses and a “B” or better in graduate
courses) covered by an approved development plan. The 75% reimbursement will be applied to the
net cost to the applicant after considering financial aid. Financial aid received in the form of loans will
not reduce the amount of the reimbursement.
In addition to having an approved professional development plan on file, UW Parkside employees
seeking reimbursement should use the following form:
Request for Reimbursement of Tuition
Request for Reimbursement of Tuition Form - Sample
Reimbursement for coursework taken at a private institution is limited to the rate of an equivalent
course at the home institution under the UW System policy. If an equivalent or similar type of course
(such as an online course) is not offered at UW Parkside, an equivalent or similar course offered at
another comprehensive will be used to determine the amount of tuition to be reimbursed.
Generally, no more than one course, up to five credits, or training equivalent, will be reimbursed in
any academic term in compliance with the UW System policy. In situations where eight week courses
are offered during a term, tuition and fees would be reimbursed for two courses up to a total of six
credits.
To qualify for reimbursement, requests for reimbursement must be submitted within 30 days of
completing the course.
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