Education Tuition Waivers

POLICY NUMBER: V K
SUBJECT: EDUCATION TUITION WAIVERS
APPLIES TO: ALL REGULAR, FULL-TIME AND REGULAR, PART-TIME FACULTY AND STAFF,
RETIREES, AND INDIVIDUALS SIXTY-FIVE (65) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2018
REVISED FROM: January 1, 2016

EDUCATION TUITION WAIVERS

It is the policy of Murray State University to encourage the professional growth of all regular full-time and regular part-time faculty and staff employees. To facilitate such growth, Murray State University will waive the selected amounts of tuition in each fiscal year for up to six (6) credit courses per twelve month fiscal year, not to exceed one (1) course offered during working hours in any given semester or session. The tuition waiver may be used for undergraduate or graduate, specialist, and doctoral courses. The university must maintain adequate support for high cost programs; therefore, tuition waivers may be restricted in some instances.

Additionally, an eligible employee may transfer any unused portion of the existing employee tuition waiver benefit as noted below to their lawful spouse, and/or dependent child(ren).

For purposes of this policy, a dependent includes natural, adopted or step-child or person for whom the employee has been granted legal guardianship. Additionally, a dependent is defined as a person under 24 years of age at the beginning of the academic term during which the benefit is effective.

Regular, part-time employees and retirees will no longer receive the educational waiver benefit after June 30, 2021.

Employees that are required to be enrolled as a student to hold their positions will no longer be eligible for the educational waiver benefit after June 30, 2018.

The practice of extending tuition waivers to individuals associated with the University who are not paid employees, and adjunct professors, will not continue beyond the effective date of this policy.

1. General Qualifications

   1. Regular, full-time and regular, part-time employees currently working or on an approved leave of absence with or without pay and retired employees are entitled to a waiver of tuition. Eligible staff employees who have at least six months of continuous service or eligible faculty members with one academic semester of continuous service may transfer any unused portion of the tuition waiver to eligible dependents, as noted below.

   2. International exchange faculty at Murray State University in conjunction with Murray State's inter-institutional programs and projects will be allowed to take one course per semester tuition free, upon the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

   3. When any person sixty-five (65) years of age or older, who is a resident of the Commonwealth, is admitted and enrolls as a student in any state-supported institution of higher learning in this Commonwealth, the board of trustees of the institution or other appropriate institution officials shall waive all tuition charges and fees for such student, except as provided in the next statement. In the event that classes are full or the granting of free admission requires additional units, the institution may deny admission under law.

   4. The tuition waiver form must be completed and approved by the last day to add a course at the time of registration.

   5. The first day of class is the date that determines in which fiscal year the course applies.

2. Qualifying Courses

   1. A course can only materialize if a sufficient number of tuition paying students enroll. The enrollment of tuition waiver employees will not be counted to determine if a course materializes. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if it is determined by the University that the value of a course offering as continuing education for employees is sufficiently important to justify the offering of the course, then in such event, the limitations as to paying students will be disregarded.

   2. The tuition waiver does not extend to correspondence study, life and learning courses, and overseas programs.

3. Eligibility

   1. Baccalaureate and Post-Baccalaureate non-graduate courses:

      For employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents, who are taking baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate courses, but not graduate level courses, the tuition for six courses per academic year may be waived.

   2. Masters, Post-Masters, and Specialist, but not enrolled in a Doctoral Program or taking courses towards completion of a Doctorate: 

      For employees who are pursuing Masters, Post-Masters, and Specialist courses, but not enrolled in a Doctoral Program or taking courses towards completion of a Doctorate, the tuition for six courses per academic year may be waived. For employee spouses who are taking Masters, Post-Masters and Specialist courses, but not enrolled in a Doctoral Program or taking courses towards completion of a Doctorate, the tuition for two courses per academic year may be waived. An employee's dependent is not eligible for waivers at this level.

   3. Doctoral Program and Doctoral Courses

      For employees who are enrolled in a Doctoral program or taking courses towards completion of a Doctorate, the tuition for two courses per academic year may be waived. An employee's spouse or other dependent is not eligible for waivers at this level.

4. Employee Responsibility

   1. One course per semester or session can be taken during working hours if (1) the supervisor approves the time off during working hours, and (2) the lost working time is made up at times satisfactory to the employee's supervisor.

   2. If an employee voluntarily terminates his/her employment before the last day to receive a tuition refund (according to the published refund table) during a semester in which he/she is using the tuition waiver benefit, he/she will be billed for the total tuition of the courses(s).

Coursework Being Pursued	Employee	Spouse	Dependent
Baccalaureate and Post-Baccalaureate non-graduate course (0 to 599 level courses).	6 courses	6 courses*	6 courses*
Masters, Post-Masters and Specialist, but not enrolled in a Doctoral Program or taking Doctoral-level courses.	6 courses	2 courses*	No
Doctoral Program and courses leading to the Doctorate.	2 courses	No	No

*Residual from unused employee portion.