The NKU Tuition Program description and eligibility requirements are available below. Once you have determined you are eligible for the Tuition Waiver Program, the following information will guide you through the application process. If you have any questions or would like to confirm your eligibility, please contact the Office of Human Resources.
I Apply for Admission to NKU
The Application for Admission Form is available in the Office of Admissions x5200 or you can apply online through Norse Express Students. An application fee is charged for all new admissions. The application fee will be waived for eligible employees, spouses and dependents by attaching a copy of the employee’s ID card with the Application for Admission Form. On the copy of the ID, indicate whether the applicant is the spouse or dependent of the employee and the spouse or dependent’s name.
II Register for the Class(es).
Employees are eligible to utilize tuition waiver for undergraduate, graduate or law classes. Spouses and dependents are eligible to utilize tuition waiver for undergraduate classes only.
III Complete the Request for Tuition Waiver Form
The Tuition Waiver Form is available in the Office of Human Resources - Lucas administration Center 708. Complete the form, obtain the necessary signatures and submit the completed form to Human Resources. Tuition Waivers submitted for an employee who is taking the class during their normal working hours must be accompanied by a memo detailing how lost work time will be made up and the signature approval of the appropriate vice president must be obtained.
IV Verifying the Processing of the Tuition Waiver
Check Norse Express to verify the successful completion of the Tuition Waiver process. If tuition has not been waived prior to the first day of class, contact the Office of Human Resources X6063/5200 to see if there is a problem. In most cases, the Tuition Waiver benefit will not be posted prior to two weeks before classes start or two weeks after Tuition Waiver has been received in Human Resources. We generally encourage a wait time of 2 weeks to allow for complexities.
This is a summary of the process to apply for the Tuition Waiver Program benefit. Additional questions may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources.
IV. Spouse and Dependent Eligibility
V. Financial
Assistance and Tuition Benefit Program
VIII.
Termination/Approved Leave of Absence without Benefits
XI. Penalty for Misuse
of Tuition Waiver Program
XIII. Addendum October
1, 2000
In support of the faculty and staff of NKU, the Board of Regents approved the expansion of the tuition waiver on May 10th, 2000 to include legal spouses and dependents of eligible full-time faculty and staff, and part-time staff. In addition, the Board approved tuition waivers for full-time, temporary faculty and part-time faculty members. NKU’s Board of Regents and administration continue to promote the professional and personal development of its faculty and staff, as well as assisting employees’ families in obtaining education and training.
Employees are eligible to utilize tuition waiver for undergraduate, graduate or law classes.
Note: Spouses and/or dependents are eligible to utilize waiver for undergraduate classes only.
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Full-Time: |
Faculty-Tenured; Faculty-Tenure Track, Probationary; Faculty-Non-Tenure-Track, Renewable; Staff-Regular; and Staff-13 month Contract |
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Maximum of six credit hours per semester/entire summer session for the employee, and the employee's legal spouse and dependents. |
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Part-Time: |
Staff-Regular, Staff-13 month Contract working 20 hours or more per week |
| Maximum of three credit hours per semester/entire summer session for the employee, and the employee’s legal spouse and dependents. | |
| Full-Time: | Faculty-Non-tenure-track, Temporary |
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Maximum of six credit hours per semester/entire summer session for the employee after one
academic year of continuous service. *As of August 12, 2002 - after three (3) years of continuous full-time service; beginning in the fourth year, the employee's spouse and dependents will be eligible for six (6) credit hours per semester/entire summer session. |
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| Part-Time: | Faculty |
| Maximum of three credit hours per semester/entire summer session for the employee who has taught two semesters/entire summer session over the course of one academic year of continuous service. |
NKU provides tuition waivers for all currently employed eligible full time faculty and staff for up to six credit hours per semester/entire summer session along with associated mandatory class fees. For all eligible part-time staff, up to three credit hours per semester/entire summer session are provided along with associated mandatory class fees.
Tuition waivers for faculty and staff can be used for undergraduate, graduate or law classes.
Tuition waivers may be utilized for academic credit classes only. Auditing academic classes is permissible. Tuition waivers may not be used for community education or non-credit classes or private instructions.
Tuition waivers for regular, full-time faculty and staff may be applied to the statewide program to attend other state universities/colleges.
Tuition waivers for faculty and staff may be used to attend classes through the GCCCU under certain circumstances.
The staff employee must have successfully completed his/her initial probationary period before the first day of class for which the employee/spouse/dependent(s) are registered for the employee/spouse /dependent(s) to be eligible to utilize the tuition waiver for that semester/entire summer session.
Employees are not to take classes during normal working hours unless under extenuating circumstances. Exception to this policy must be requested in writing by the employee in order to attend the class with a statement of the extenuating circumstances and how the time will be made up within that week. The employee’s supervisor must approve and forward the request and the tuition waiver form to the vice president of that area for final approval and then to Human Resources for approval.
Spouse and Dependent Eligibility
Definitions:
Spouse - A spouse is any legal spouse.
Dependent - A dependent is defined as an unmarried natural child, adopted child, stepchild or legal ward and is less than 25 years of age as of the first day of the semester for which the class is offered and who is claimed as a dependent by the employee for income tax purposes based on IRS guidelines. In the case of legal separation or divorce, a natural or adopted child or legal ward may participate in this program regardless of which parent declares the child as a dependent for income tax purposes.
Spouses and/or dependent(s) of eligible, full-time faculty and staff may receive tuition waivers for up to six credit hours per semester/entire summer session along with associated mandatory class fees for undergraduate classes only. In no case will the benefit exceed six credit hours per semester/entire summer session.
Spouses and/or dependent(s) of eligible, part-time staff may receive three credit hours per semester/entire summer session along with associated mandatory class fees for undergraduate classes only.
The tuition waiver for spouse/dependent may only be used for undergraduate credit classes; no costs for community education or non-credit classes will be covered. Private lessons or directed study arrangements are also excluded.
If an eligible spouse/dependent is also an eligible part-time NKU employee, the eligible spouse/dependent(s) may receive the greater of the tuition waiver. In no case will the benefit exceed six credit hours per semester/entire summer session.
Spouses and/or dependent(s) must meet admissions requirements to NKU and the college/program to which they are applying.
Financial Assistance and Tuition Benefit Program
If a spouse and/or dependent(s) are recipients of full scholarships from an internal NKU or NKU Foundation source, these individuals are not eligible to participate in the tuition waiver program. If a spouse and/or dependent(s) are receiving partial tuition scholarships from other sources, these individuals are eligible to participate in this program; however, the combined amount of all tuition scholarships and tuition waiver may not exceed the total amount of tuition and mandatory class fees. A residual check will not be issued for the amount exceeding the total sum of tuition and mandatory class fees from the tuition waiver, nor will there be a refund issued for withdrawing or dropping hours. Also, tuition waivers may affect eligibility for other forms of financial assistance.
Under the tuition waiver program, no undergraduate class may be repeated for credit by an employee, spouse and/or dependent(s) where a grade of C or above has been received. Classes may be audited utilizing the tuition benefit program.
Eligible employees under the tuition waiver program on an approved leave of absence with benefits (including approved sabbaticals) are entitled to a tuition waiver for self, spouse and/or dependent(s).
Termination/Approved Leave of Absence without Benefits
If an employee terminates or begins an approved leave of absence without benefits during a semester/entire summer session in which the employee/spouse/dependent(s) is a registered student and attended the first day of class, the student will be allowed to complete the current semester/session utilizing the tuition waiver program.
Tuition waivers for employee/spouse/dependent(s) will not be allowed if an employee terminates, begins an approved leave of absence without benefits, or has submitted written notice of intent to terminate prior to the first day of class in a semester/entire summer session.
Mandatory class fees associated with the tuition waiver (applicable credit hours only) and the application fee for admission to NKU will be covered for the employee/spouse/dependent(s). In order for the application fee to be covered, a copy of the employee’s NKU identification card must be attached to the admission application. In addition, the relationship to the employee must be marked on the copy of the identification card as to whether the applicant is a spouse or dependent of the employee.
All other non-mandatory class fees, including but not limited to, late fees, drop/add fees, housing, course, parking, auto registration, and miscellaneous fees must be paid by the employee/spouse/dependent(s).
The tuition waiver program at Northern Kentucky University is considered an Internal Revenue Code, Section 127, Educational Assistance Program.
The value of educational assistance is excludable from the employee's gross income up to $5,250.00 of assistance within a calendar year. Tuition assistance exceeding $5,250.00 per calendar is reportable in the gross income of the employee.
NKU is responsible for withholding the proper taxes and for reporting taxable income for all employees regardless of the institution where the course is taken (ex. U.K. for employees).
Any tax liability incurred through participation in this program is the responsibility of the employee.
In the event an employee withdraws or drops a graduate level class, taxation is applicable to the non-refundable portion of tuition waiver.
Any tax liability will normally be handled in the semester/entire summer session for which the tax liability occurs.
Penalty for Misuse of Tuition Waiver Program
The employee must certify all information is true as presented on the tuition waiver request form.
Falsification of information on the tuition waiver form may result in the employee’s reimbursement of all tuition and mandatory class fees covered for the current semester and all preceding semesters.
An eligible employee, the employee’s spouse and/or dependent(s) must complete the following steps before seeking the tuition waiver:
1. Apply for and receive admission to NKU; (For benefit coverage of the application fee, please include a copy of the employee’s ID card with the application and mark on the copy whether applicant is the spouse or dependent of the employee.)
2. Fulfill any admission requirements to NKU through the Admissions Office and/or the college or program of interest; and
3. Register for classes through the Registration Center.
After these steps, an eligible person may seek the tuition waiver for courses taken under this policy. The employee is responsible for preparing a Request for Tuition Waiver form available from the Office of Human Resources for employee, legal spouse, and dependent(s). A tuition waiver form must be completed by the employee for each person for each semester/entire summer session. The form must be complete or the form will be return to the employee resulting in a delay in processing.
The completed tuition waiver request form is signed by the employee, and reviewed and signed by the department head (and vice president if necessary). The employee is responsible to obtain department head approval prior to the form being forwarded to Human Resources. The completed form must be received in Human Resources one week prior to the beginning date of classes. No tuition waiver request will be considered for coverage after the drop/add period of the requested semester/entire summer session. If tuition waiver forms are received after the drop/add date, forfeiture of the tuition waiver may occur.
Human Resources will review the tuition waiver request to verify eligibility, and approve by signing the form. Human Resources will then forward the signed/approved form to the Bursar’s Office. The Bursar’s Office will credit the account of the eligible employee, legal spouse and/or dependent(s). Human Resources will distribute copies of the approved tuition waiver forms to the appropriate offices.
The tuition waiver form must reflect the actual classes taken for the employee, legal spouse and/or dependent(s). If classes are dropped and/or added, a revised form must be submitted to Human Resources. In addition, if the employee, spouse, and/or dependent(s) decides to withdraw from a course, it is the individual’s responsibility to officially withdraw from the course. In the event an employee withdraws or drops a graduate class, taxation is applicable to the non-refundable portion of the waiver.
Dates for priority processing of tuition waivers are as follows:
Fall Semester - Last week of July
Spring Semester - Third week of December
Entire Summer Session - First week of May
Priority processing will allow processing of tuition waivers before bills are issued by the Bursar.
Deceased Employees:
Dependents of all eligible full- time regular faculty (tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure track renewable) and all full-time eligible staff (regular and 13-month contract) who are employed at NKU at the time of their death may receive tuition waivers for up to six credit hours per semester/entire summer session along with associated mandatory class fees for undergraduate classes for a period of five years from the date of the employee’s death.
Dependents of all eligible part-time regular staff who are employed at NKU at the time of their death may receive tuition waivers for up to three credit hours per semester/entire summer session along with associated mandatory class fees for undergraduate classes for a period of five years from the date of the employee’s death.
This benefit includes eligible employees who are on an approved disability leave.
This benefit is not available to NKU retirees.
The interpretation of the Tuition Waiver Program policy as outlined above or any program issues not addressed will be determined at the discretion of the Director of Human Resources. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the office of Human Resources.