5.45 Tuition Waiver

(Adopted 6-1-1992; Revised 6-4-2001; Reaffirmed 4-15-2014; Revised 6-13-2022)

A waiver of tuition and fees may be provided to employees and qualified retirees who enroll in East Central College courses.

Procedures (Revised 4-6-2006)

 5.45.1  Employee/Retiree Tuition Waiver Request (Revised 4-15-2014, 7-23-2014; 2-18-2015; 6-13-2022) 

The employee must complete the Tuition Waiver Request Form and receive the approval of the immediate supervisor, appropriate Vice President, and Human Resources Director prior to the first day of class.  Failure to complete the form in advance will result in denial of waiver benefits.  Enrollment in the course(s) should be outside the employee’s normal working hours and should not interfere with the employee’s work responsibilities.  Coursework may not be completed during normal working hours.

Retirees must complete the Tuition Waiver Request Form and receive the approval of the Human Resources Director prior to the first day of class.

The employee/retiree tuition waiver covers tuition and general fees but does not apply toward any special fees, book/supply costs, courses offered only on a non-credit basis, or program costs assessed through educational partners for tuition, seat charges, or other fees.

Employees receiving a tuition waiver for themselves, a spouse, or a dependent(s) who separate from the College prior to mid-term in the semester in which the tuition waiver is granted will be required to pay the tuition for that semester.  If employment terminates after mid-term, no tuition will be due to the College.

5.45.2  Tuition Waiver Eligibility (Revised 4-15-2014; 1-13-2021)

Tuition waiver eligibility for full-time and part-time employees begins the semester following the employee’s hire date.  The following employees are eligible for tuition waiver benefits for ECC credit classes:

  • Full-time employees – Eligible for up to six (6) credit hours per semester.
  • Part-time employees – Eligible for up to six (6) credit hours per semester.
  • Adjunct instructors – Eligible for up to six (6) credit hours during the semester immediately following completion of their assignment as an adjunct instructor, unless otherwise approved by Human Resources.
  • Retirees – Eligible for up to six (6) credit hours per semester. Retirees are defined as individuals who have completed five (5) years of service to East Central College and are eligible for retirement benefits through PSRS/PEERS.
  • Spouses of full-time employees – Eligible for up to 18 credit hours per semester.
  • Unemancipated children of full-time employees – Eligible for up to 18 credit hours per semester which includes dual enrollment and dual credit tuition for unemancipated children who are under the age of 24, unmarried, and live in the employee’s residence. Unemancipated children may be natural children, adopted children, stepchildren who live with the employee, or other children for whom the employee is the legal guardian.  If the student is using multiple tuition-based funding programs, the other funding will be applied to the student’s account before the employee waiver.  Should the student drop a course(s) during the semester, the student will be responsible for repaying any charges beyond tuition and general fees.  Exceptions to this procedure must be approved by the Director of Financial Aid.

Eligible individuals using a tuition waiver who withdraw or wish to repeat a course are subject to the applicable academic policies and may receive a waiver for only one repeat per course.  Repeatedly withdrawing from courses covered by tuition waiver may result in a suspension of the tuition waiver benefit.

5.45.3  Approval of Tuition Waiver (Revised 4-15-2014)

Requests for tuition waivers for employees must be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor, appropriate Vice President, and the Director of Human Resources. These requests must be submitted on the Tuition Waiver Request Form before the start of each semester.  The course itself, as well as the day and time of the course, are subject to these approvals.

Requests for tuition waivers for spouses and/or unemancipated children must be initiated by the employee and must be approved by the Director of Human Resources.  These requests must be submitted on the Tuition Waiver Request Form before the start of each semester.

Requests for tuition waivers for retirees must be approved by the Director of Human Resources before the start of each semester.