Educational Assistance Program

Employees must enroll in educational curriculum that meets one of the following criteria:

• College credit or degree requirement courses completed through an institution recognized as accredited in the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education.
• Certificate programs or continuing education units (CEUs).

All coursework must be:

• Directly related to the employee’s current position, or
• Clearly add value to the organization and/or membership.

1. Upon completion of a course work taken for college credits or to meet degree requirements employees will be reimbursed as follows:

• Grade B or better – 100%*
• A Pass for a Pass/Fail course as part of a degree requirement – 100%*

2. Examinations (e.g. admission, placement, entrance) – 50%* upon successful completion

3. Professional certification courses and examinations:

• TCU requested (Training Budget GL) – 100% prepaid.
• If employee fails the certification exam, TCU will pay for one retake.  If employee fails the retake, employee pays for future retakes.
• Personal (Tuition Reimbursement Budget GL) – 100%* upon successful completion.

4. Incomplete Courses – Employees, who withdraw from a course for any reason before completion will not be eligible for reimbursement by TCU.  For prepaid courses, employee will reimburse TCU for course fees.

5. Textbooks and other fees or charges incurred, such as campus parking permits, are not eligible for reimbursement through the Program.

*All reimbursements are up to the maximum total dollar amount of the Program.

Employees must receive prior written approval for reimbursement for each individual course of study in the curriculum from the employee’s manager and Human Resources, and there is no guarantee that each course will be approved and/or reimbursed. TCU will not give a “one time approval” of an employee’s course schedule for an overall degree program.

1. Employee discusses educational plans with their department manager/direct report.
2. The Educational Assistance Reimbursement Application form is completed, approved/signed by manager and forwarded to Human Resources for approval/processing.
3. The application is reviewed by Human Resources to verify the employee’s eligibility, course of study and educational institution meet the Program’s requirements.
4. Human Resources notifies employee of the approval decision.

Upon successful completion of an approved course, employees must submit the following items to Human Resources within 6 months after course completion in order to be reimbursed:

• Original grade report and/or official evidence of completion.
• Original receipt of payment for the course tuition costs/enrollment fees.
• If reimbursed through the US Department of Veterans Affairs, a scholarship/grant or other educational assistance program, official evidence substantiating the amount paid by the other program(s) and the balance to be paid by TCU under the Program.

Employees utilizing educational assistance will be subject to the following guidelines regarding termination of their employment:

• Employees, who terminate their employment with TCU for any reason, either voluntary or involuntarily, prior to completing an approved course(s), will no longer be eligible for reimbursement for the course(s) under the Program.