Administrative Policies

Employee Tuition Assistance at KCTCS Colleges

Policy Number: 2.10

Current Effective Date: 04/07/2023

Original Effective Date: 06/22/1998

Revision Dates: 12/11/2000, 09/18/2002, 07/15/2004, 01/04/2007, 04/07/2023

Revision Number: 5

Revision Summary: revised following 2018 statutory change

Responsible Official: Vice President Human Resources

References:

Kentucky Community and Technical College System encourages self-improvement and career growth of regular, full-time employees, both faculty and staff, through the taking of supplemental educational courses and pursuing programs of study. These efforts may be to pursue a degree or for purposes of continuing professional education. 

To facilitate career growth and to encourage personal and professional development of employees, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System shall provide a tuition waiver for regular full-time faculty and staff enrolled in KCTCS colleges. 

1. A regular, full-time employee is eligible for tuition waiver or defrayal for courses taken at any KCTCS college.
    
2. For eligible employees, the maximum number of credit hours for which the tuition may be waived and defrayed shall be no more than six per term, with a combined maximum waiver and/or defrayal of 18 credit hours per academic year. 
   1. Tuition waiver or defrayal is not available for audited, non-credit, continuing education, or community education courses.
       
   2. If an employee registers for more hours than the maximum for which the tuition may be waived and/or defrayed, the excess tuition shall be paid by the employee.
       
3. The combination of summer sessions is considered as one term. Therefore, the combined total amount of tuition which may be waived and/or defrayed for summer sessions shall not exceed the normal tuition for six hours of credit.
    
4. Fees other than tuition (e.g., breakage fees, books, etc.) shall not be waived or defrayed by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System
    
5. Employees utilizing this policy who are part-time students shall not be eligible for the Student Health Service or other programs requiring student status but rather shall retain employee status for purposes of all such determinations.
    
6. In the event an employee terminates employment with the Kentucky
   Community and Technical College System prior to the first day of classes,
   any previously approved tuition waiver or defrayal shall not be honored.
    
7. Employees utilizing this policy shall be permitted, with their supervisor’s or
   department head’s and the institution’s president/ceo approval, to take one (1)
   course for credit per term or combined summer session during the employee’s
   normal working hours. All time away from work as a result of this policy
   shall be made up within that regular workweek, resulting in no net loss of
   work time for which the employee shall be paid. As determined by the
   college president/ceo, faculty may take up to two (2) courses as a part of their
   summer workload. If this is approved as a part of the summer workload,
   appropriate release time shall be granted and the hours away from work do not
   have to be made up. Scheduling of classes and make up time shall be
   approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor or department head and the
   college president/ceo.

2.10.1 Dependent/Spouse Tuition Waiver

KCTCS Personnel System

Regular full-time faculty and staff in the KCTCS personnel system are eligible for a
tuition waiver for their spouse and dependent children. The following guidelines are
applicable:

1. For eligible spouse/dependents, the tuition waiver shall apply to classes taken
   at KCTCS colleges.
    
2. The tuition waiver shall be for a maximum of six credit hours per academic
   term (fall, spring, and summer).
   1. Tuition waiver shall not be available for audited, non-credit, continuing
      education or community education courses.
   2. If a dependent/spouse registers for more hours than the maximum (six
      hours per term) for which the tuition shall be waived, the excess tuition
      shall be paid by the student.
   3. Only a maximum of six credit hours per term may be waived for a
      spouse/dependent student, regardless if the student has multiple qualifying relationships with more than one KCTCS employee.
       
3. The dependent child must be age 23 or less, as defined by federal financial
   aid guidelines.
    
4. The combination of summer sessions is considered as one term. Therefore,
   the total amount of tuition which may be waived shall not exceed the normal
   registration fee for six hours of credit.
    
5. Fees other than tuition (e.g., breakage fees, books, etc.) shall not be waived
   by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
    
6. In the event that an employee terminates employment with the Kentucky
   Community and Technical College System prior to the first day of classes of a
   term for the dependent/spouse, any previously approved tuition waiver shall
   not be honored for the subsequent term.

UK Personnel System and 18A/151B Personnel System

This benefit is not available for employees under these personnel systems.