VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #U003

2.1. Course or Degree Program Must be Job-Related To receive educational aid, the employee will demonstrate the courses or degree program are directly related to his/her position at VCOM, and that completing the courses or program would directly benefit VCOM. To apply for educational aid, the employee will submit, with a signed copy of the Educational Aid Promissory Note, a document demonstrating how the courses or program directly relates to his/her job. The employee should make the connection between the courses and his/her job at VCOM. Utilizing the course descriptions in a college catalog may help the employee complete this document. 2.2. General Requirements and Approval Not all educational aid requests submitted by employees will be approved. Reasons for approving educational aid includes, but are not limited to: 1) available monies to fund this benefit exist; 2) application is submitted for the Educational Aid Promissory Note by the deadline; 3) the program is deemed by Administration to provide a significant impact or benefit to VCOM; or 4) complying with all parts of this policy. The budget to fund educational aid requests is established each fiscal year. This budget is limited, and if the number of applicants exceed the funds in a budgeted year, only applications deemed to have significant value to VCOM’s mission will be competitively reviewed and funded. VCOM management reserves the right to deny requests for educational aid. Employees must turn in education aid requests by established deadlines so the costs of requests for a fiscal year can be estimated. All educational aid must be approved by the President. 2.3. Specific Requirements Undergraduate tuition will be reimbursed at a rate not to exceed $300 per credit hours and graduate courses will be reimbursed at a rate not to exceed $500 per credit hour. Both reimbursement rates include not only tuition but mandatory fees. The employee may apply for three courses per academic year, not to exceed three credit hours per semester or a maximum of nine credit hours per academic year, which may be reimbursed up to three courses within a fiscal year. However, in the case of lower tuition or accelerated programs, additional courses may be approved by the President. Mandatory fees for academic purposes required to be paid to the college or university are reimbursable. Documentation noting that the fees are mandatory may be requested by VCOM. Textbooks and costs other than tuition and fees are not reimbursable. Employees must earn a grade of B- or higher to be eligible to submit a reimbursement request under this policy. The employee should pay the tuition and fees by the college or university’s payment deadline and seek reimbursement from VCOM immediately after completing the courses. Receipts and grade reports will be turned in for the courses for which the employee is seeking reimbursement. The Educational Aid Promissory Note requires the employee to remain employed at VCOM three years after completing the last course for which he/she was reimbursed. If the employee leaves VCOM before working this three-year period, the employee will repay VCOM tuition and fee reimbursements, or a pro-

VCOM Policy for Educational Aid for Employees

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