Employee Educational Benefit Program | People Excellence

Employee Educational Benefit Program | People Excellence
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Employee Educational Benefit Program
The Employee Educational Benefit (EEB) program empowers eligible employees to achieve professional growth and greater job satisfaction by enrolling in traditional degree programs, job-related courses or job-related certificate courses and programs at UTSA.
Employees may be awarded up to 12 semester credit hours of designated tuition and mandatory fee waivers each fiscal year, but are responsible for payment of statutory tuition and any college or course fees associated with enrolled course work.
Educational assistance is not included in your gross income up to a maximum benefit of $5,250 annually. Benefits under this program that exceed $5,250 within a calendar year will be reported on Form W-2 and are subject to the usual employment taxes.
For more information please visit the
EEB FAQ
and Fiscal Services
Employee Educational Benefit
webpage.
Eligibility
Employees must be currently employed in a benefits-eligible position and have been for the last six consecutive months. They must apply to their desired program and be accepted as a UTSA student, and meet successful class completion standards.
Programs and Classes
The degree program (or classes, if you are a non-degree seeking student)
may be related to your current job duties or a prospective job duty as it relates to a different area at the university.
Programs and classes require approval from your supervisor.
Enrollment During Work Hours
Employees may request time to attend classes during the regular work week. No more than three hours per week during normal working hours may be used during the fall and spring semesters.
This request must be approved by your supervisor before enrolling.
Successful Completion Standards
Successful completion standards, as reviewed by Financial Aid, are as follows.
Classes are completed, not dropped or listed as incomplete
Employee receives a letter grade of C or above (specific programs may require higher grade)
Employee remains in a benefits-eligible position through the semester
If completion standards are not met, funds requested under the EEB will be revoked and the employee will be responsible for any funds due.
Academic Year Standards
Under the EEB, employees are limited to a total of 12 hours per academic year beginning in the fall semester and ending in the summer semester. Unused EEB credits cannot be carried over to the next academic year.
Faculty as Students
Faculty shall obtain written approval from the department chair and dean prior to enrolling in or auditing a class. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members may not pursue an advanced degree at UTSA, and they are are required to obtain prior written approval of the department chair, dean, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President prior to enrolling in classes with the intent of obtaining an undergraduate degree.
A non-tenure track faculty member wishing to pursue an advanced degree at UTSA must be recommended by their department chair, and the recommendation must be approved in writing by the appropriate dean.
Resources
EEB Request Form
This form is processed using DocuSign. Please complete and download the final, signed form and attach it to any applicable eForms, portals, etc.
HOP 4.08
This form
is to be used for an employee to request use of the financial assistance made available by the EEB program. It must be filled out each semester an employee is requesting the benefit.
Section One: Employee Request
Employee Information
Employee information is needed for processing of benefit. Please make sure the Banner number and Employee ID are accurate. The Employee ID is the same as the PeopleSoft ID. For questions on Banner number, please
email SIS Security
or call extension 7598.
Initial Boxes
These five boxes are to be initialed by the employee to document their understanding of eligibility requirements, revoking of funds and tax liability. These boxes do not allow for electronic initials.
Classes during normal work hours detail
If an employee wishes to take classes during normal business hours, they must list the class title, days and time.
Degree Program
Employee is to list the level and name of the degree they are pursuing. If the employee is not pursuing a degree, they are to list the class titles they wish to receive the benefit for.
Employee Signature
Section Two: Supervisor Approval for Degree Program
This section requires a supervisor signature. The supervisor’s signature is approving that the employee's degree program, or classes relate to the employee’s current, or prospective duties. It is understood that the program or classes will allow an employee to do the following:
Prepare for technological or legal developments
OR
Increase work capabilities
OR
Increase the competence of the employee
Section Three: Supervisor Approval for Enrollment During Normal Working Hours
If the employee requested to take classes during normal working hours, they should be listed in Section One, C. These classes should take no more than three hours during the normal work week.
If a supervisor approves the request to take classes during normal work hours, they can check the box and sign on the approval option.
If a supervisor denies the request to take classes during normal work hours, check the box and sign on the deny option.
Note: A supervisor may approve the degree program in Section Two, but deny the request to take classes during normal work hours in Section 3.
Section 4: Office of People Excellence Verification
The supervisor or employee emails the completed form to
People Excellence
for completion.
This portion must be filled out before it is given to Financial Aid.
Completed Form
Once your form has completed the required approval processes, please upload your document to the
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships portal
using your Banner ID and “Scholarship – EEBP." Questions regarding your EEB can be communicated directly to
Financial Aid
via the EEB request portal when you upload the form.
EEB requests should be submitted for approval no earlier than 60 days prior to the first day of classes for the requested semester. The request should be completed and turned in to Financial Aid no later than the
census date
of the requested semester.
What conditions must be met for the degree program to be approved for EEB?
In order for the degree program to be approved for EEB, at least one of the three questions below must be answered with a "yes." If the answer to all three questions is “no,” then the degree program is not approved for EEB.
Does the degree program allow the employee to prepare for technological or legal changes in their current and/or prospective duties?
Does the degree program increase the employee’s work capabilities within their current or prospective duties?
Does the degree program increase the competence of the employee in their current or prospective duties?
How much of tuition and fees will the EEB cover?
Each fiscal year, employees may be awarded up to 12 semester credit hours of designated tuition and mandatory fee waivers, but are responsible for payment of statutory tuition and any college or course fees associated with coursework.
Statutory tuition
rates are set by the legislature. Tuition generated from statutory tuition must be deposited in the State Treasury and expenditures from these funds are subject to state expenditure guidelines.
Designated tuition
allows the institution to determine the rate per semester credit hour to be charged. Designated tuition is charged in addition to the statutory and board authorized tuition. Designated tuition must be used to support the academic mission of the institution but maintains more flexibility than statutory tuition. The Board of Regents must approve designated tuition rates.
For a current list of benefit amounts, visit the
Fiscal Services.
Why are benefits received over $5,250 reported as income?
Educational assistance is not included in your gross income up to a maximum benefit of $5,250 annually based on
IRS guidelines
Benefits under this program that exceed $5,250 within a calendar year will be reported on Form W-2 and are subject to the usual employment taxes.
What is the deadline to request the EEB?
Submit your completed form to Financial Aid no later than the
census date
for the semester you are requesting the benefit. EEB requests should be submitted for approval no earlier than 60 days prior to the first day of classes for the requested semester. For question on academic dates, email the
Registrar
or call (210) 458-8000.
Can I use the EEB for classes at a university or college other than UTSA?
No. The EEB is to be used for courses found in the official UTSA course schedule.
Do I qualify for the EEB if I am employed under a federal grant?
As long as you meet the benefits eligibility requirement, yes, you qualify for EEB.
How do I get the required signature from People Excellence?
Scan and email the supervisor approved form to
People Excellence
Do faculty have additional requirements to be accepted as students at UTSA?
Yes. In addition to the EEB eligibility, faculty are subject to the following:
Faculty shall obtain written approval from the appropriate department chair and dean prior to enrolling in or auditing a class.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty member may not pursue an advanced degree at UTSA.
Tenured and tenure track faculty members are required to obtain prior written approval of the department chair, dean, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President prior to enrolling in classes with the intent of obtaining an undergraduate degree.
A non-tenure track faculty member wishing to pursue an advanced degree at UTSA must be recommended by their department chair, and the recommendation must be approved in writing by the appropriate dean.
What are successful completion standards?
Successful completion standards are as follows:
Classes are completed, meaning they were not dropped or listed as incomplete.
Employee receives a letter grade of C or above, unless the specific program requires a higher letter grade.
Any classes that do not meet both standards above will have the EEB funds revoked and the employee will owe the amount paid by UTSA.
Who determines if I have met successful completion standards?
Financial Aid will review the employee's status at the end of the semester. If the employee did not meet the successful completion standards, Financial Aid will contact them.
An employee with an approved degree program requested three credit hours from the EEB program and took a total of six credit hours for the semester. The employee passed one class, but did not pass the second class. Will the EEB funds be revoked?
No. EEB funds will apply to all classes in an approved degree program that meet the successful completion standards first. Any classes not using EEB funds will not be subject to this requirement.
What if my supervisor does not approve my degree program as work related?
This type of supervisor decision may be grieved according to the procedures outlined in
HOP 3.04 - Grievances of Non-Faculty Employees
. Grievances must be filed within five days of the supervisor's decision.
What if my supervisor approves the degree program, but denies the request to take classes during normal work hours?
This type of supervisor decision may be grieved according to the procedures outlined in
HOP 3.04 Grievances of Non-Faculty Employees
. Grievances must be filed within five days of the supervisor's decision.
Does the supervisor need to approve each individual class for which I request to use the EEB?
The supervisor only approves individual classes if the employee is a not seeking a specific degree. If the employee is seeking a degree, and the degree is related to the current or prospective job duties, then the supervisor is approving the program as a whole. For example, an employee is seeking a job-related bachelor's degree in accounting. Part of the requirement for this degree may be to take a general science class. The degree is approved as work related, therefore the class may be covered by the EEB.
The same is true for classes taken during normal work hours.
Do I have to use the EEB if I am both a student and an employee at UTSA?
No, you are not required to use this benefit.
What are prospective job duties?
Prospective job duties are duties, or position, that an employee may be reasonably able to attain at a future date.
These duties may be related to the employee’s current job duties or a job duty that relates to a different area at the university. ​
For example: an employee working as an administrative assistant in the College of Sciences may have prospective duties that involve accounting, grant management or grant writing. This employee could seek a degree that would increase their competency in any of these prospective duties.
People Excellence
Phone:
210-458-4250
Fax:
210-458-4287
Email:
hr@utsa.edu
One UTSA Circle
NPB, Suite 451
San Antonio, Texas 78249
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