Tuition Assistance FAQs

No. An application for Tuition Assistance is required each semester. Deadlines for submitting an application are as follows:

• Spring: First Friday in November by 5:00 p.m.
• Summer: First Friday in April by 5:00 p.m.
• Fall: First Friday in July by 5:00 p.m. (If this day falls on a National Holiday, then the deadline will be the following Monday)

This program is available to University Support Staff, Unclassified Professional Staff, and faculty appointed to a 48% or greater regular appointment who will have completed 6 months of service as of September 1 for the Fall semester, February 1 for the Spring semester, or June 1 for the Summer term.

KU provides eligible employees with assistance to cover up to 12 credit hours per calendar year. How that is split up per semester is at the discretion of the employee. 

Thesis and dissertation hours on a limited basis. The maximum number of hours covered through this program include six (6) credit hours for a Master’s thesis or nine (9) credit hours for a doctoral dissertation.

This program does not extend to family members.  Employee Dependent Tuition Assistance information is available on the Financial Aid and Scholarships webpage.

Taking classes at KU is strongly encouraged; however, the committee recognizes that some programs are not offered on this campus. If a related program is not available at KU an exception may be granted. The committee will also consider making exceptions when employees live and work outside the Lawrence area. However, in all cases, the tuition amounts paid by the Tuition Assistance Program will not exceed resident undergraduate and graduate tuition rates at KU.

No, some staff that may benefit from classes in a vocational or technical field (e.g. air conditioning, electronics, printing, etc.)  If another university offers the class and awards college credit, it will be considered. Any exceptions must be reviewed by Human Resources.

Supervisors, consistent with the needs of the department, may permit employees to take courses during normal working hours, if the time can be made up or flexible work hours can be granted (non-exempt staff) and/or the responsibilities of the job are met (exempt staff). Departments are encouraged to make every effort to accommodate a staff member’s request to attend a course and should consider such factors as scheduling flexibility, work load, availability of other staff for coverage, and the number of other requests from employees.

No. Employees must apply for admission and enroll in courses before the enrollment period ends. Approval for tuition assistance does not guarantee admission. For more information about applying, undergraduate admissions information can be found here, and graduate admission information can be found here.

The Tuition Assistance program supports dropping a class during or after the full refund period without penalty. Employees are required to notify HR in the case of a dropped course sponsored by Tuition Assistance. If a course is dropped after the full refund period for that term, the Tuition Assistance credit hours for that course will still be deducted from those allotted to an employee in that calendar year. Employees who have a pattern of dropping courses past the full refund period may have future tuition assistance denied.

Employees are required to notify HR of any employment changes while participating in the Tuition Assistance Program.

Individuals in the program whose positions end early due to lack of funds or restructuring, or who voluntarily resign, will not be required to repay their tuition, as long as they are employed for the majority of the semester.

Expulsion or a finding of academic misconduct will void the Employee Tuition Assistance Program award and will require the employee to repay the University the applicable amount of the award received for that semester.

Seminars and conferences are a professional development activity and should be paid for by your department, contingent upon the availability of funding. Eligible employees may also apply for funding assistance through the Staff Senate Professional Development Fund.

To remain in compliance as an Educational Assistance Program as defined in Internal Revenue Code 127. Tuition and fees sponsored by the Employee Tuition Assistance Program, that exceed $5,250, will be reported as taxable income on the employee’s W2.

Employees who have a pattern of receiving incompletes or failing grades in tuition assistance approved courses may have future tuition assistance denied.