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Tuition Waiver Guidelines for Faculty and Staff

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The purpose of the Tuition Waiver Program is to provide an opportunity for an eligible employee to have the tuition waived for a course taken at any of the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina system. Participation is voluntary, and courses may be taken for career development or for personal interest.

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Eligibility for this program is available to all permanent employees of any institution of the University of North Carolina, including the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and the University of North Carolina Health Care System, and to employees under military or civilian orders in campus ROTC programs. In order to participate, an employee must meet the following criteria:

  • Maintain permanent employment status at 75% time (30 hours per work-week) or more for the entire semester during which the course is taken.

  • Apply for and be admitted through the appropriate admissions office within its specified deadlines.

  • Register for courses in accordance with instructions for the program under which the employee is admitted. Space must be available in the course.

  • Attend class outside his or her established work schedule. Departments are encouraged to offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate employee participation.

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An application for a tuition waiver must be completed for each academic term in which the employee requests to apply for the tuition waiver program.

Note: Applying for a tuition waiver does not enroll the employee in the requested course(s). The employee must follow the regular enrollment procedures separate from the tuition waiver request process.

  1. Apply for and be admitted through the appropriate admissions office within its specified deadlines.

  2. Complete the Tuition Waiver Application for Faculty/Staff form. The form is available via the preceding link in the forms and documents repository.

  3. Obtain advance signature approval of the department head. The department should return the approved (or disapproved) request promptly so that the employee can meet application deadlines.

  4. Submit required forms to [email protected] a minimum of three business days prior to the tuition waiver deadline. (Please note: Tuition waiver deadlines may vary from institution to institution. Employees are responsible for knowing the deadline applicable to the institution at which they are enrolled.)

  5. Tuition waivers will only be accepted via an email to [email protected] or if they are hand-delivered to the Department of Human Resources.

  6. The Department of Human Resources will verify the employee’s eligibility and provide an approved electronic version of the application to the Student Accounting Department and the employee along with instructions for the next steps or otherwise reply to the employee. We ask that employees allow two business days for this process.

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If an employee’s work schedule changes to less than 30 hours per week during the period of attendance or if the employee separates from permanent employment during the period of attendance, the employee will be billed for all or part of the tuition for the entire semester even if s/he officially withdraws from the course, as provided in the policies and procedures established by the enrolling institution.

  • The program will waive tuition for no more than three courses per academic year and will waive all student fees for the term as specified in the policy.
  • The process of applying and being admitted to a program of study is separate and apart from the tuition waiver process.

  • Each admissions office has its own deadlines to which the employee must adhere.

  • Attendance at lectures, meetings, or other activities associated with courses funded through the Tuition Waiver Program is not counted as work time.

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If you have questions regarding the Tuition Waiver Program, contact [email protected].