SUE Tuition Waiver Program
The State University Employee (SUE) Tuition Waiver Program provides University
and Research Foundation employees with official forgiveness of part of the
tuition for courses taken within the SUNY system.
Note: there is an additional program for UUP members only that provides one
free course per semester through the
Registrar's Office.
ELIGIBILITY
All University and Research Foundation employees (non-student titles) are eligible. Employees must be expected to be on the payroll for the duration of the course(s) covered by the waiver as well as a reasonable expectation that their employment will continue beyond the course duration so that the University, in addition to the employee, will benefit from the knowledge acquired.
COVERED EXPENSES
Only credit-bearing courses taken at the University at Albany or other state-operated SUNY campuses are covered. Non-credit courses, courses taken at community colleges, and course audits are not covered. Courses must be related to the employee’s current position or increase the employee’s opportunity for advancement within the University. Only two semesters of doctoral load credits per employee will be covered.
Tuition only may be waived. Employees are responsible for all fees, including the University fee. Employees must satisfactorily complete courses (obtain a grade of D or better) to retain the tuition waiver. Employees who drop or do not provide proof of satisfactory completion of courses are ineligible for a tuition waiver and are responsible for any charges billed by the instructing campus. If the tuition waiver funding cannot be recovered from the instructing campus, the employee will be prohibited from utilizing the SUE Tuition Waiver Program for the following two semesters. Incompletes will be given an extension period. Failure to provide proof of satisfactory completion of the courses by the extension date will prohibit the employee from utilizing the program for the following two semesters after the extension period.
AMOUNT OF WAIVER
The amount waived is contingent upon available funding. The usual reimbursement rate is up to 50 percent of up to six credits per semester for part-time employees, and up to 50 percent of up to eight credits for full-time employees. All waivers are granted based on the current NYS undergraduate resident rate.
COORDINATION WITH OTHER TUITION SUPPORT PROGRAMS
University employees may also be eligible for tuition assistance through negotiated programs. Your SUE waiver will be adjusted accordingly if you receive other tuition assistance for the same course(s).
Employees represented by CSEA may take advantage of a union-sponsored program – the NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training program – which entitles employees to one free course per year at participating institutions, or reimbursement of tuition expenses for one course at non-participating institutions (maximum payment is based on SUNY undergraduate tuition rate). We encourage
employees to use this program in lieu of the SUE program where possible, in order to maximize the tuition support they receive. Employees taking more than one course should apply through the NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training program, and then through the SUE program for the remaining courses. Further information on the NYS & CSEA Partnership is available at: http://nyscseapartnership.org/.
Employees represented by UUP are eligible to take one SUNY course per semester tuition-free on a space-available basis. Further information on this program is available from the Registrar’s Office at 437-3759, or at http://www.albany.edu/registrar/uup_tuition_adjustment.html . Employees are encouraged to use the UUP program for their first course, and the SUE program for other courses.
The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations sponsors a tuition reimbursement program for Management/Confidential Employees and employees represented by PEF.
More information for Management Confidential employees is available at:
http://www.goer.ny.gov/Training_Development/Management_Confidential/MC_Tuition.cfm
More information for employees represented by PEF is available at: http://www.goer.ny.gov/Training_Development/PEF/index.cfm.
Employees represented by NYSCOPBA should visit: http://www.goer.state.ny.us/Training_Development/SSU/index.cfm or http://www.nyscopba.org/nysnyscopbalmtuition for the latest information and procedures for their tuition reimbursement program.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Application forms are available from the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) website or the Employee Benefits Office. The employee must complete and sign and date the application. The employee’s supervisor must sign and date the application in Part II, #12, prior to submission to OHRM. There are specific deadlines for each semester listed below. As a general rule, the deadline for fall is early August, spring is early December, and summer is mid-April. Due to funding limitations, applications received after established deadlines will be placed on a waiting list pending determination of available funding. Employees will be promptly notified by email as soon as action has been taken on their application.
Tuition Reimbursement Program
In addition to the tuition waiver program described above, the University also provides a tuition reimbursement program for courses taken at non-SUNY schools. Only full-time employees are eligible; the maximum reimbursement rate is $25 per credit. The only funding source for this program is the S&E account in the department in which the employee works. Further information is available from the Office of Human Resources Management.
TAXABILITY OF TUITION SUPPORT
Federal law provides that tuition assistance for graduate level courses is subject to federal and state income tax, and social security and Medicare taxes, unless the courses for which tuition support is provided are related to the employee’s current job.
Under Federal law, the first $5,250 of educational assistance from a qualified program provided to an employee is excluded from taxable wages.
DEADLINES
| Semester |
Received in HR, UAB 300 |
| Summer 2012 |
April 20, 2012 |
| Fall 2012 |
August 3, 2012 |
| Winter Session 2012 - 2013 |
December 7, 2012 |
| Spring 2013 |
December 7, 2012 |
Waiver applications received after the deadline will be placed on a waiting
list and approved only if funding is available.
Questions regarding tuition support programs may be directed to 437-4729.
