Tuition Waiver Program

Regulations for tuition waiver program:

• Covers only the cost of tuition and associated fee for the course the waiver is to be used for; does not cover other program fees or course related expenses
• Most courses, graduate certificate programs, distance education, & extension programs within the UNC System that earn academic credit are eligible for the tuition waiver program; course auditing may also be applicable
• Continuing education workshops and seminars that provide continuing education units (CEU) are not eligible for the tuition waiver program
• For a course enrollment to be approved, the applicant must be academically eligible to enroll in the pertinent course and space must be available
• Employee must complete the admissions process and be registered for courses with the UNC System School prior to submitting the tuition waivers

Eligibility Requirements for the tuition waiver program:

• Permanent, probationary, and time-limited employees who work 30 hours or more per week for 9 months or more out of the year
• Must be enrolled in one of the mandatory state retirement programs- either TSERS or ORP.
• The program is only eligible to time-limited employees during their current employment period. For example, if a time-limited employee’s period ends in June of 2024, a request to use the program for a course in September of 2024 would past the employee’s eligibility period and therefore, the request would be denied
• Meet normal work obligations and continue the same employment status for the entire term during which the course will be taken. Otherwise, the employee shall be responsible for payment of all applicable tuition and fees
• Take courses outside of normally scheduled work hours OR the employee must use own Vacation Leave, Comp Hours, or Adjusted work hours with Prior Approval from Direct Supervisor
• All eligible UNC System employees may utilize the Tuition Waiver program at any of the UNC System schools, but it is not available for their dependents

Regulations and Eligibility Requirements for both the tuition waiver and the summer benefit programs for Law Enforcement Officers:

• Law enforcement officers (excluding student employees who are working as part-time law enforcement officers) may enroll in an unlimited number of courses per academic year. In addition to the other requirements of the tuition waiver program, enrollment in courses by a campus law enforcement officer shall be subject to approval by the officer’s campus police chief or director of campus safety and security. Enrollment in courses by the campus police chief or director of campus safety and security is subject to approval by the chief’s or director’s immediate supervisor.
• Law enforcement officers with a probationary, time‐limited, or permanent appointment employed 20 or more hours per week on a continuing basis, regardless of eligibility for participation in either mandatory retirement program (TSERS) or (ORP) are eligible. Temporary staff, including student temporary staff, are not considered law enforcement officers for this regulation and are not eligible.

Faculty and staff who wish to take courses at UNCW must apply through our Admissions Office before registering for any courses. You must submit your application before the end of the add/drop period.  To learn more about the Faculty & Staff Registration, please use this link Faculty & Staff Registration.  If you have more specific questions, please contact us.

• Admissions admissions@uncw.edu
• Registrar registrar@uncw.edu
• HR Benefits benefits@uncw.edu

Process to apply for the tuition waiver program:

• Apply and be admitted to the desired program & UNC System school
• Employees must meet all posted deadlines & admissions requirements
• Employees must complete the NC Residency Determination Services form(unless you have completed this within the last 12 months)
• Register for course(s)
• UNCW employees complete the Tuition Waiver application form via Docusign. As completed, the form will route to the appropriate parties including HR Benefits and Student Accounts
• The Tuition Waiver application form MUST be signed by the following:
  • Employee’s Direct Supervisor
  • Employee’s Direct Department Head, Dean, or Director
  • Human Resources verifies eligibility before signing
• All waivers MUST be submitted within two days PRIOR to the end of drop/add for the term you are attending. No exceptions to the deadline will be granted. You may find the drop/add dates posted on the Academic Calendar
• After verifying the form, the waiver will be applied to the account

Tuition Waiver Application Link

• UNCW employees who wish to use the tuition waiver at another UNC System School should still complete the Docusign form. However, it is the employee’s responsibility to reach out to the other school to determine what they require and forward any required documentation to the other UNC System school
• If you are an employee of another UNC System school and wish to take a course at UNCW, please seek assistance from your school’s HR department for specific procedures and forms pertaining to the tuition waiver program. Then please forward those completed forms to our Student Accounts office via email to tuitionwaiversandreimbursements@uncw.edu

Under prevailing tax laws and IRS codes, the value of certain employer paid educational expenses such as tuition waivers, summer tuition benefits, and/or tuition reimbursements may be considered reportable taxable compensation and part of an employee’s gross income. That current value is anything over $5250 in a calendar year. If the course(s) is necessary or required to maintain skills needed in the employee’s current job/position, then the educational expense(s) will not be considered taxable even if it exceeds $5250. However, if any course(s) taken in the calendar year will qualify the employee for a new trade or profession (even if the employee does not plan on entering that trade or profession) or the course(s) is needed by the employee to meet the minimum requirements of a job, then the value of educational expense(s) that exceeds $5250 will be part of the employee’s wages and therefore taxable. Employees applying for financial aid must disclose tuition or fee waivers, benefits, or expected reimbursements to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid as a part of their financial resources. Contact your Financial Aid counselor for specific details.

A full-time permanent employee may request Educational Leave with or without pay. An approved course should be taken on the employee’s own time. However, if an approved course is available only during the employee’s normally scheduled work hours, a written request may be made for Educational Leave prior to the beginning of the course allowing sufficient time for the request to be reviewed. Educational Leave may be granted at the discretion and by written approval from the eligible employee’s direct supervisor, department head/director, and Human Resources. If Educational Leave with pay is approved, it shall not be charged to the employee’s accrued leave and shall be recorded as “Educational Leave” and approved by management in the payroll system of record. Educational leave during work hours shall not exceed one course up to five hours academic credit per academic term. Educational Leave without pay may be granted according to the normal leave policy outlined in the Leave Without Pay Policy in Section 5 of the State Human Resources Manual.

Educational Leave Request Form Link