Tuition Assistance

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  1. Eligible Education Programs
    Eligible employees may receive reimbursement of up to a maximum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500) per fiscal year (July 1 -June 30) for payment of tuition for preapproved classes that are available outside of CHSU. No expenses other than tuition are eligible for reimbursement.
    For undergraduate or certificate programs, courses that may be approved for reimbursement are only those that will assist the employee in the performance of their current position or will help them prepare for promotion to another position within the University. The course must be either a course that leads to a baccalaureate degree or a professional development certificate program
    Courses toward a master's level degree are eligible for tuition reimbursement provided the degreeis directly related to and required for the employee's current or future position with CHSU. Master's degree courses that are not directly related to the employee's current or future position will not be approved under this program.
    Courses toward a doctoral program are not reimbursable and specifically excluded from this policy.
    All courses must be taken at, or online through, a regionally-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be eligible for reimbursement. Employees are responsible for making sure that their school is regionally accredited before applying. Additional accreditation information can be obtained from the school, from the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) at its website: www.chea.org, or from the U.S. Department of Education at its website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
    All courses must be pre-approved by the employee's direct supervisor and the Office of Human Resources prior to an eligible employee's enrollment.
  2. Eligible Employees 
    Full-time employees in good standing who have completed one year of continuous service are eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Program.
    "Good Standing" means employees who are not on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and have not received a final written warning within the last 6 months. If an employee is on a PIP or has received a final written warning within the last six months, the employee is not eligible for the Tuition Assistance Program.
  3. Post-Approval Criteria for Reimbursement 
    Eligible employees who receive prior approval for participation in the Tuition Assistance Program must meet the following criteria in order for CHSU to issue reimbursement:
    1. Within sixty (60) calendar days of completion of the course(s), the employee must submit a copy of the payment receipt and grade or certificate of completion to the Office of Human Resources. Requests for reimbursement beyond the sixty (60) days may be denied
    2. In order to receive reimbursement, the employee must receive a “C” or better in the course for a bachelor’s degree program, or, in the case of masters degree program a “B” or better, or, in the case of a "Pass/Fail" Certificate program, a passing grade.
    3. The employee must meet eligibility criteria listed above at the time reimbursement is issued.
    4. The employee must be currently employed at the time reimbursement is issued. If an employee separates, either voluntarily or involuntarily, from employment with CHSU, the employee is no longer eligible for reimbursement.
  4. Tax Impact 
    An employee's receipt of reimbursement under the Tuition Assistance Program may be taxable as income to the employee. CHSU is not responsible for any additional tax liability incurred by an employee as a result of the employee's participation in the Tuition Assistance Program. For determination of individual tax liability, participants in the Tuition Assistance Program are encouraged to consult a qualified tax advisor, at the participant’s expense, for applicability of Internal Revenue or State of California tax codes.