Human Resources
Tuition Programs
Tuition Exchange Program
Washington College is associated with Tuition Exchange. Tuition Exchange was chartered in 1954 and is national scholarship exchange program for institutions of higher education.
The program allows dependents of eligible full-time employees, an opportunity to earn a scholarship at more than 530 colleges and universities nationwide. It also allows dependents of employees at other membership institutions an opportunity to earn a scholarship at Washington College. Both incoming and outgoing scholarships are based on the membership institution's regular admissions processes. Eligibility alone does not guarantee student acceptance into an institution or a scholarship award.
Not all participating institutions provide full tuition scholarships. Tuition Exchange participating institutions must maintain the required balance between the number of students it sends out and the number of students it brings in.
The Tuition Exchange Program is administered by the Registrar's Office at Washington College. Jennifer Bershon and Lisa Fields serve as the Tuition Exchange Liaison Officers.
To apply for a Tuition Exchange scholarship it is advised that you notify the Registrar's Office twelve months before your dependent plans to enroll. This allows time to submit the required Tuition Exchange Application to all the institutions that your dependent has submitted an admissions application.
Download the Tuition Waiver/Exchange Program Form (PDF).
If you would like a list of participating institutions or have questions, please contact the Registrar's Office or visit the Tuition Exchange Web site.
Tuition Waiver Program
There is no applicable waiting period for regular full-time employees to participate in the tuition waiver program. Upon employment, all regular full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the next semester for courses in the undergraduate and graduate courses at Washington College.
Eligibility for regular part-time employees to participate in the tuition waiver program begins after one year of employment. The benefit is prorated in proportion to the percentage of hours worked in the previous anniversary year.
Eligibility to participate in the tuition waiver program for all regular full-time and regular part-time employee's spouses, dependent children and domestic partners begins after one year of employment.
Dependent children are defined as natural-born or legally adopted children, step-children or children for whom the employee is a legal guardian, whom the employee is a legal guardian, who are less than 26 years of age, dependent upon the employee for more than one-half of their support, and their primary residence is with the employee and has been for the past 12 months.
Eligibility for tuition benefits in no way guarantees admission to the College nor obligates the Admissions Office to automatically accept an employee or their dependents for admissions. Tuition assistance is limited to waiver of tuition and does not including independent study. The employee is responsible for all other costs of attending Washington College.
The tuition waiver is available for only two members of a full-time employee's immediate family during any one semester unless approval for additional members is obtained by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Management.
Part-time employees receive a pro rated tuition waiver for one member of their immediate family during any one semester.
An employee may take no more than two courses per semester.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for tuition waiver?
If I work on a part-time basis, am I eligible for tuition waiver benefits?
Can tuition waiver be used for Independent Study courses?
Do courses have to have a minimum enrollment before being offered?
If I attend class during normal work hours, do I have to make up any work time missed?
If I have additional questions, who should I contact?
Educational Assistance
Washington College's Educational Assistance Program is designed to help pay educational costs for staff that want to improve job skills and knowledge related to their present job as well as prepare for future advancement. Participation in the program is entirely voluntary and subject to availability of college budgetary funds. Each employee may choose which course they would like to enroll in. The course must be related to your present or future job goals with Washington College.
This policy applies to regular full-time exempt and non-exempt staff. (Policies governing Faculty development appear in the Faculty Handbook.)
After one year of full time employment, Washington College may assist in paying educational costs for approved outside educational courses for regular full-time exempt and non-exempt staff. Washington College will subsidize 75% of the employee's actual cost (that is, the total tuition, registration fees, required text books and laboratory fees, less any payments received by the employee from assistantships, scholarships, veterans' educational benefits, etc.). Washington College's expense is limited to $1,000 per employee in any fiscal year. The maximum amount will be periodically reviewed as tuition and related costs increase.
Qualifications
To qualify for a subsidy under the educational assistance program, the following conditions must be met:
- Requests for benefits must be made prior to enrollment in the course.
- The course must be conducted by a recognized nonprofit college or university, or by an educational institution accredited by nationally recognized agencies or associations (under certain circumstances, this may include correspondence courses, trade, or technical courses).
- The course must have a direct bearing on the employee's work for the College or be closely related to the employee's future job goals. Courses that have a direct bearing on an employee's current work will receive priority over future job goals.
- The employee must complete the course with a (C or better or the equivalent), grade transcript must be submitted, or repay the College for the course and all related costs.
- To receive a subsidy, the employee must have completed one year of full-time employment with the College. If the employee leaves the College before completing the course, the employee must repay the College for the course and all related costs. In addition, if the employee leaves the College within one year of completion of the course, the College will be reimbursed for the course and related costs in full.
Procedures
- Complete the Education Assistance Program Form (PDF).
- Requests for educational assistance must be approved by the supervisor, Department Head, and the Director of Human Resources prior to enrolling in the course.
- After approvals are obtained, the employee submits invoice or billing, outlining the course costs to the Director of Human Resources, who will request that a check be issued payable to the institution.
- After purchase of required text books for the course, the employee submits receipt for same, to the Director of Human Resources for reimbursement.
This program does not apply if the employee's attendance at an outside educational course is at the College's request. In such cases, costs are either billed to or prepaid by the College, which pays the full amount.
Presently educational assistance subsidies are not taxable income as long as the course is CLEARLY related to the current position. An example would be the course is needed to maintain or improve skills in the current position. Educational assistance is an area of the tax laws that have been modified and employees should be aware that the present treatment may change in the future.
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