Tuition Benefits

Tuition Remission

One of the unique advantages of working at the University is the ability to further one's career or personal development by pursuing studies at the workplace. As an individual's career progresses, they may find a particular course of study that increases job knowledge, builds personal capability, or provides enrichment. The University also encourages eligible family members to share in the benefit of post-secondary learning within the campus community.

Admission must be secured through the regular process, adhering to the University's academic standards and procedures. Certain areas of study are not available for remission, and there are other limitations and exclusions as explained below.

Eligibility 

Benefits Eligible Employee

Employees who are benefits-eligible and have completed one year of continuous service at Seattle University can receive 100% tuition remission for themselves. The one-year waiting period applies to employees whose most recent hire date is after June 30, 2024; employees whose most recent hire date is before July 1, 2024 have a three-month waiting period.  

The University will pay 100% of the tuition cost, up to a maximum of 21 credits per academic year for full-time employees. The academic year begins with the summer quarter and ends in the spring quarter.

Eligible Family Members

Employees who are benefits-eligible and have completed one year of continuous service at Seattle University can receive tuition remission for their legal spouse and dependent children. Tuition remission is only available to family members who have not yet attained an undergraduate degree. Dependent children include natural-born, adopted, or stepchildren. Stepchildren must be assigned joint custody to the employee. Children must also qualify as tax dependents according to Internal Revenue Service requirements. The University reserves the right to require proof of dependency.

After one year of service, the remission benefit for family members of full-time employees is 50% of the tuition cost; after three years of service, the remission benefit is 100% of the tuition cost. A maximum of 18 credits per quarter are eligible for remission; credits beyond this limit are the responsibility of the student. When both parents are regular University employees, years of service will be combined in determining a child’s tuition benefit.

Part-Time Proration

Employees who work less than full-time are eligible for tuition remission on a prorated basis. A staff employee is considered full-time if their work schedule is 37.5 hours per week and a faculty employee is considered full-time if their contracted work units in an Academic Year are 35 or more.

For example, an employee who works 60% of a full-time schedule would be eligible for a maximum remission of 12.6 credits per academic year (60% x 21 credits = 12.6 credits). The tuition remission benefit for eligible dependents is similarly prorated. For example, the dependent of an employee who works 60% of a full-time schedule and has two years of continuous service would be eligible for a tuition remission of 30% (60% work schedule x 50% full-time tuition benefit = 30% prorated tuition benefit).

Prior Service Credit

Employees who have completed five or more years of continuous full-time employment at a single, accredited institution of higher education immediately prior to joining the University will have satisfied any applicable waiting period and be immediately eligible for tuition remission benefits for themselves and eligible family members. "Immediately prior" is defined as being no more than six months between the last employment date and the hire date at Seattle University. 

Limitations and Exclusions

The tuition remission benefit covers tuition charges only and does not include costs related to course materials or textbooks, nor does it include fees related to lab, matriculation, or any program fees. The application fee and registration deposit are not covered for dependents but are waived for employees who use remission for themselves.

All University areas of study are available to regular employees for remission except for the following:

• School of Law
• Albers Executive Leadership Program, Leadership EMBA, online MBA program, online MSBA program
• College of Education's Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EdD) program and also Professional and Continuing Education programs

Tuition remission benefits are limited to the first bachelor's degree for dependents.

Application Process and Important Dates

Employees and family members must be admitted to the University in accordance with the University's admissions standards and follow student registration and academic requirements. Family members must also follow the University’s annual financial aid filing requirements. This includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that is available at the Student Aid website.

Tuition remission for family members will be offset by the amount of any federal or state awards or institutional scholarships. Tuition remission for employees who have a grant, scholarship, or award may use that award after their annual allotment of credits have been exhausted.

A Tuition Remission Application form must be completed for each quarter for employees who use the remission benefit for themselves. The employee's supervisor will be notified that a remission application has been submitted. The University recognizes the employment relationship as the primary relationship. This means that enrollment in courses that overlap with an employee's regular work schedule requires supervisor approval. The decision to allow time for employees to attend class during work hours is at the discretion of the department head and is based on factors that include staffing needs.

Family members must also complete the Tuition Remission Application form once per Academic Year; this form must be completed no later than the 15th of the month before the quarter begins.

Taxes

The University’s Tuition Remission benefit is generally tax-free, with the exception of graduate studies. For graduate programs, the value of the Tuition Remission benefit that exceeds $5,250 is included as taxable earnings on employee's paychecks and will be subject to tax withholding. Consult a tax adviser for more information on the tax treatment of education expenses, including IRS requirements.

Employees can elect to have tax withholding spread over the entire year by completing this appropriate payroll form found in the Redhawk Hub.

When Benefit Ends

The tuition benefit for family members ends upon the family member completing the credits required to graduate with a single bachelor's degree.

If an employee separates from service during an academic quarter and before final exams, the tuition remission benefit for the employee or family member will be prorated based on the number of completed weeks of employment in the quarter. The student will be billed for any remaining amounts that are due.

If an employee separates from service due to a position elimination in accordance with the University’s Workforce Reduction policy, the employee and/or family member may complete the current quarter and may also enroll in the next following quarter. Please note that any post-employment tuition remission benefit may be considered taxable income.

Retirement, Death or Disability

Eligible employees aged 60 or older with 10 or more consecutive years of service and who retire, become disabled or pass away will be eligible for Tuition Remission for dependent children. The benefit will be prorated for eligible part-time employees based on the average work schedule for the 5 most recent academic years.

Benefit Administration

Human Resources processes requests for Tuition Remission and can with eligibility questions or general inquiries about tuition benefit options. The Admissions Office processes, evaluates, and determines the final application status based on the admission parameters determined by the University. Student Financial Services processes financial aid information and adjusts the Tuition Remission benefit when needed to offset federal or state awards.

Visit tuitionexchange.org to research colleges and universities that are participating in Tuition Exchange or FACHEX programs. This is also the site where families apply for exchange scholarships.

It is important to note that the Tuition Exchange and FACHEX awards are limited in number and highly competitive in terms of selectivity. There are no guarantees to dependent's of eligible faculty and staff colleagues that they will be selected for the Tuition Exchange or FACHEX award at the institution of their choice.

* If you completed 5 or more years of continuous full-time employment at a single, accredited institution of higher education immediately prior to joining the University, you have satisfied tuition benefits eligibility upon becoming a regular University employee. Your previous employer must be accredited in accordance with University policy. "Immediately prior" is defined as your last place of employment. If during the course of employment at the prior university you had a break in service of not longer than six months, and all other criteria are met, prior service requirements will be satisfied.