Educational Benefits
Employee Tuition Program
At USF, employees are encouraged to pursue continuous learning, including taking USF courses. As an educational institution, enrollment in our own programs adds value to the university. USF offers the Employee Tuition Program (ETP) to help our employees reach their educational goals. The ETP allows full time USF employees (excluding Temporary employees) to waive the tuition costs of up to 6 credit hours per semester. Summer terms A, B, and C are considered parts of one semester. Click on the Employee Tuition Program procedure below for detailed information, including:
- Employee eligibility
- Course eligibility
- Registration
- Payment and fees
- Tax exemption for employer-provided assistance
- How to account for time in class
Only USF courses are eligible unless the faculty or staff member's principal place of employment is not in a city with a USF campus.
COURSE ELIGIBILTY LISTS
Check your courses' eliginily for the ETP by searching for its Course Reference Number(CRN) below:
Course Lists are updated weekly while registration is open. If a course is not listed, check back the following week.
Please note that study abroad courses are not eligible for the ETP although they may be marked as eligible in the above course list(s).
For questions about the program, please contact benefits@usf.edu by email.
Employee Tuition Forms Deadlines:
- Fall 2024 will be accepted until August 29, 2024 at 5pm.
- Spring 2025 will be accepted until January 17, 2025 at 5pm.
Please do not submit requests prior to completing course registration; request forms must be submitted via email to benefits@usf.edu.
FAQs
Do I need to apply to the University as a student?
Yes. All employees must apply and be accepted to the University as a student to receive
the ETP waiver.
Are all fees covered by the ETP?
No. There are certain fees that are not covered by the ETP. The employee is responsible
for these non-covered fees. Payment for these fees is due by the deadline set by the
University’s Cashier’s Office for that term.
How do I know if my course will be eligible?
Central of Human Resources receives a list of eligible courses as determined by each
department every semester. Central Human Resources can confirm course eligibility
each semester when provided with the CRN number for an individual course. If you have
questions regarding eligibility, please contact the benefits@usf.edu
Will I be notified if my course is not eligible?
Yes. Notification will be sent to employees for courses that are not approved for
the ETP.
I received notice that the course that I had submitted an Employee Tuition Waiver
form for is not eligible for the Employee Tuition Program. How can I find out more
information on why this course is not eligible?
Each course is classified by its’ type, which determines eligibility. This eligibility
may potentially vary by semester. If you have noticed that your class is ineligible
for the ETP, you may reach out to the department to receive more information on how
that course is classified.
The only class time available for the course(s) I have registered for is during my
work hours, can my department deny my request to participate in the ETP?
Departments/Supervisors may deny an employee’s request to participate in a class during
work hours when the employee’s absence is detrimental to the operation of the work
unit, or for other operational reasons.
Employees are encouraged to pursue continuous learning, including taking USF courses,
and supervisors are expected to reasonably support such learning opportunities. If
an employee and supervisor should have questions on how to coordinate an employee’s
work schedule or time off for time spent in class during work hours contact benefits@usf.edu.
After I have registered for my courses and the ETP form is completed and signed, how
do I submit the form?
The ETP form should be emailed to benefits@usf.edu no later than 5 PM on the 4th day of the Semester.
If a USF employee submits their ETP form late to the Human Resources Office, will
the form be accepted?
No. If the form is received after the deadline for the Semester, the form will not
be honored for that Semester and the employee will be responsible for any tuition
and fees assessed.
Do I have to apply each term for the ETP waiver?
Yes. A new form must be submitted each Semester for consideration for the ETP waiver.
How do I know that I have been approved to participate in the ETP this semester?
Employees receive a confirmation email once their request has been processed and approved.
If you do not receive a confirmation email, you should reach out to Benefits@usf.edu for a status update.
Will the ETP pay for credit hours taken to complete a PhD?
If the classes fall within the parameters of our policy, the ETP covers the tuition,
up to credit 6 hours. Again, each course’s 5 digit CRN # determines course eligibility.
How soon can I start utilizing the ETP?
The program is available to an eligible employee the first available semester after
their date of hire. Staff employees must be out of their probationary period prior
to the start of the semester.
The Eligibility requirements state that a full-time employee must be off their probation,
what if my probationary period was extended? Can I still participate?
No, Staff employees must be off their initial probation period prior to the start
of the semester. This includes if the probation was extended. If the probation period
was not extended, a Staff employee is considered satisfactory unless the employee
has received a substandard evaluation or is currently under a Performance Improvement
Plan. This is not applicable for Faculty and Administration employees.
Will the ETP cover credit courses for non-degree seeking students?
Yes, the course must be a credited course but the employee does not need to be degree
seeking.
Does a USF employee have to fulfill the residency requirement?
The employee is not responsible for out-of-state tuition for courses approved through
the ETP. However, the value of Out-of-State tuition and fees is included in calculating
taxable benefits for graduate level tuition/fees over $5250 per year according to
IRC Section 127 limits. Currently, USF has the ability to waive out-of-state tuition
for qualifying institutions.
Is there a distinction between masters/doctorate thesis and dissertation as far as
the ETP is concerned?
No.
What if I am taking more than 6 credit hours for the term?
The employee is responsible for all tuition and fees not covered by the ETP. The additional
tuition and fees must be paid by the deadline set by the University’s Cashier’s Office
for that term.
What happens if I leave employment from an eligible position with the university during
the term I received the ETP waiver?
The employee is expected to stay employed in an eligible position through the Semester
they have received the waiver. If the employee leaves employment during this time,
the waiver will be removed and the employee/student will be responsible for the tuition
and fees for that Semester.
May I take a course that is Audited?
No. All courses taken and approved for the ETP must be credit earning with a final
grade.
What happens if I withdraw from a course that was covered by the ETP?
If the employee withdraws from the course, the waiver will not be removed. If it is
found that the employee has withdrawn more than twice from the same course while utilizing
the ETP, the employee will no longer be eligible to participate in the ETP program.
What if I change my schedule after I have submitted the ETP waiver and request form?
Please submit a “REVISED” ETP form as soon as possible by emailing it to benefits@usf.edu.
May I take courses at another state university and utilize the USF ETP?
No. Employees must enroll and take courses at one of the USF campuses to utilize the
ETP.
Are my dependents and/or spouse eligible to use the USF ETP?
No. If you are an eligible employee that is not participating in the ETP program,
your dependent, spouse or domestic partner may be eligible to participate in the Dependent
Tuition Remission Program.