Policy Statement:
The University provides tuition remission, exclusive of fees, to faculty, staff, their spouses and dependent children. The tuition remission benefit applies to the portion of Marywood University tuition that is not subsidized from other financial aid sources.
Eligibility:
Employees are eligible to receive tuition remission for themselves and their spouses and dependent children according to the following definitions, provided the employee has met the following conditions:
- Student meets academic standards for admission as defined by the Office of Admissions;
- Student remains in good academic standing as defined in the Marywood University Graduate Catalog in effect at the time of the student’s admission;
- Student remains in good financial standing, i,e., is not in default (see below for more information);
- Undergraduate student must complete the FAFSA application by May 1 each year in order to determine eligibility for PELL grants, and for a student who is a resident of Pennsylvania, to determine eligibility for PHEAA;
- Complete the Personnel Tuition Benefit Application by the required May 1 deadline each year. For new hires, this must be completed within 30 days of hire for the appropriate semester(s). Changes made during the academic year must be made at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester.
- Complete application for the other financial aid, excluding loans for undergraduate programs.
As long as the conditions described above are met, employees may use the benefit for the first semester following completion of 90 days of service.
- For full-time employees, the percentage of tuition remission received is based on their anniversary years of service: For the employee, 100% after 90 days of full-time service
- For spouses and dependent children (up to/including age 25), 50% after 90 days of full-time service and 100% after one full year of service
Part-Time Employees
Eligible Part-Time Employees are those employees who work at least 630 hours per year and are categorized as staff or pro-rata faculty (typically halftime appointments on a nine-month annual schedule).
Adjunct faculty, seasonal employees and independent contractors are ineligible for the benefit. For eligible part-time employees, the percentage of tuition remission received is based on their anniversary years of service:
- For the employee, 100% after 90 days of part-time service. This is capped at 2 classes per semester
- Spouses and dependent children of part-time employees are ineligible for the benefit.
Usage and Exceptions:
Classes may not be taken during normal scheduled work hours. (See Additional Contracted Work Policy for Staff, Attendance Policy for Nonexempt Employees, and Compensation Policy for Administrators and Staff for further information.)
Requests for exception must be made in writing in advance of the start date of the course, and, employees are required to complete the Request to Take Classes During Normal Work Day form for each semester they would like an exception. The form must include:
- Rationale for why the particular course/section is necessary;
- Explanation of how employee will account for time away from work. Employees are able to use their available vacation or personal time or make up the time during that same week (i.e. adjusting lunch hour, extending start or end time); taking the time unpaid is prohibited.
- Written approval by the employee’s immediate supervisor and vice president.
Covered Programs of Study: Cooperative programs (e.g., Clinical Laboratory Science accredited hospital placements, study at The New York Chiropractic College, study at The Commonwealth Medical College, etc.) and study abroad programs are excluded from the tuition remission benefit.
Employees may use the tuition remission benefit for courses taken as part of an undergraduate program, master’s degree program, and the organized classes in doctoral programs. Doctoral level dissertation credits and doctoral internships are excluded. Programs are defined by Financial Aid.
Students employed through Federal Work Study Programs or in tutoring programs are not eligible for the tuition remission benefit.
Employees may take up two enrichment courses per semester. No enrichment courses may be taken during the employee’s scheduled work day; no exceptions will be granted.
Spouses may use the tuition remission benefit for courses taken as part of an undergraduate or master’s degree program only; enrichment courses are not allowed.
Dependent children (up to and including age 25) may use the tuition remission benefit for courses taken as part of their first undergraduate program. Tuition remission does not extend to graduate level courses taken by dependent children outside of the block tuition, even if those courses are required to complete the first undergraduate degree. Dependent children may receive tuition benefits for the number of semesters deemed necessary by the program guidelines to complete the first undergraduate degree.
Taxability:
The tuition remission benefit may be taxable. An employee who plans to use the benefit is responsible for contracting Human Resources for details and to make the necessary arrangements.
Good Financial Standing:
Employees using the tuition remission benefit may register for the upcoming semester provided their current student account balance is below the established threshold. All accounts must have a zero balance by the first day of the semester. Employees who carry a balance at the start of the term must enroll in a formal payment plan prior to the beginning of classes.
Payment plans can be established online through the Pay My Bill webpage by selecting the Pay My Bill Portal option. Employees who have questions or encounter difficulties should contact the Student Accounts Department for assistance.
Employees who fail to either pay their outstanding balance or establish a formal payment plan will be ineligible to use the tuition remission benefit in subsequent semesters until the balance is resolved or a payment plan is in place.
Termination of Eligibility:
Eligibility for the tuition remission benefit ceases upon termination of employment unless it is due to disability or death. If termination is due to disability, the former employee is entitled to the tuition remission benefit at the percentage level in effect on the employee’s termination date. If termination is due to disability or death, the spouse and any dependent children, up to and including age 25, will be eligible to use the tuition remission benefit at the percentage level in effect on the employee’s termination date.
Any exception to this policy must be approved in writing by the President of the University
Procedures:
Address questions about this and other employee benefits and attendance policies to the Human Resources Office.
Definitions:
Employee is a member of the administration, faculty, or staff of Marywood University.
Years of service are calculated from the date of hire.
Dependent child is a biological, adopted, foster, or step child or a legal ward.
Spouse is the legally married spouse of an employee as defined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Percentage is the employee’s entitlement on the first day of a semester or session for which the tuition remission is applied.
Policy History:
01/26/85- Adopted by the Board of Trustees 01/14/89- Revision approved by the Board of Trustees 03/30/90 - Revision approved by the President to extend the benefit to prorata faculty. 03/28/03 - Revision recommended to the President of the University by the Policy Committee of the University. 04/26/03 - Revision approved by the Board of Trustees. 03/12/04- Revision approved by the President of the University to extend the benefit to part-time employees who are scheduled to to work at least 630 hours per year. 04/08/05- Revision of paragraph relating eligible programs approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University. 01/16/06- Clarification of eligibility upon termination of employment due to disability or death. 04/22/10- Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University. 10/10/12- Revision of paragraphs related to age eligibility approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University. 04/17/15- Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University. 6/03/22- Revisions approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Employee Health Benefits Committee. 3/18/2026- The President approved the revisions as recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee at their March 16, 2026 meeting.
Mary Theresa Gardier Paterson, Esquire
Secretary of the University and General Counsel