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Employee Tuition Assistance Grant
(ETAG)
Approved: Financial Affairs Council,
(Revised
October 2001)
Effective Date: September 1, 1999
Purpose: To identify the appropriate policies and procedures associated with employee
and dependent tuition costs at Houghton College.
Policy:
I. Overview
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The college provides employee and dependent tuition assistance grants (ETAG)
as a fringe benefit for certain employees. The amount of assistance
provided depends, in part on (1) whether the student is an employee or the
dependent of an employee, (2) the employee’s tenure with the college and
status as full or part time, (3) the full or part time academic status of
the student requesting assistance. An individual is considered a
"dependent" of an employee if the individual is claimed as a
dependent on the employee's tax return.
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II. General Rules
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To qualify for an ETAG from the college
for an employee or their dependent, the employee must have served at
least two years in the full time employ of Houghton College prior to the
commencement of the term. Years of service at another accredited
institution of higher education count towards this two year waiting
period.
Alternatively, a
new employee with 10 years or more of experience in a field of service
determined by the Academic Dean or the Director of Human Resources to be
directly related to the purpose for which an employee is hired will be
immediately eligible for ETAG benefits.
This waiting period will be waived for
employees taking courses determined by the Director of Human Resources
to be job related. The student must fully comply with the application
and acceptance process at the college. Admission to the college is not
guaranteed. The employee must complete all required financial aid forms
within the typical deadline dates associated with such filings. Tuition
assistance covers up to 8 semesters or 125 hours (128 hours for B.Music)
whichever is greater.
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III. Full Time Dependents
Employee dependents (as defined by the IRS) will receive an ETAG
equal to tuition less $750 per semester, if they meet the following
tests:
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1. The employee has served at least two years in the full time
employ of the college prior to the commencement of the term.
2. The dependent has been duly accepted by the college for
admission and is considered to be a full time, matriculated
student. Students who do not require a full load in their last
semester may qualify for tuition assistance and be considered
part-time students for one semester only.
3. The employee has appropriately filed all requisite financial
aid applications and forms within the deadlines established.
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IV. Financial Aid Allocation
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With the exception of the New York State Tuition Assistance
Program (NYS TAP), all need and performance based financial
assistance provided from third parties to the dependent will
be available for the dependent to use for tuition, room,
board, books and other educational costs beyond those covered
by the ETAG. Amounts received for the NYS TAP will serve to
partially offset the college’s contribution toward the ETAG.
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V. Part Time Students
Full and part time employees will be eligible
for a 100% tuition discount. Employees taking a course during normal working
hours must receive the approval of their supervisor prior to registering for the
course. Hourly staff employees who spend time in class during normal working
hours must make up the time during the same work week. Supervisors, at their
sole discretion, have the authority to waive the requirement to make up hours if
they believe the class is job related and will improve employee’s ability to
perform their duties. Administrative (salaried) employees are expected to work
the number of hours necessary to successfully perform their job.
Dependents of employees may take courses on a
less than full-time basis and receive a 90% discount. Dependents who are high
school students will receive a 100% discount.
The following courses are exempted from
employee tuition assistance for part-time students (either employees or
dependents):
Music - All Applied Courses
Art -
All Courses except Art History and Appreciation
Physical Education - All applied
courses and those
requiring an activity lab.
Other - Tutorial, independent
study, student teaching,
field internships, audits of computer course
VI. Tuition Assistance for P.A.C.E.
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A full time employee or full time employee's spouse who desires to enroll in a P.A.C.E.
cohort beginning in the spring will be eligible for an
ETAG if they are the first employee to be admitted to
and request tuition assistance for that cohort. Any
additional employees in the same cohort must receive
permission from the Director of Human Resources. The
ETAG applies only to tuition and will result in a $500
tuition charge for each of the three terms. All other
costs will be borne by the student.
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