TITLE: Educational Benefits

Effective: January 16, 2023

PURPOSE:  

To further aid employees with their career goals, the institution permits each benefits-eligible employee to take advantage of various tuition benefits.

Eligibility and procedure:

Effective the next semester following the hire date, benefits eligible employees are able to take advantage of this benefit. Eligible employees may enroll in graduate and undergraduate courses with full waiver of tuition on a space-available basis. Employees utilizing the tuition remission benefit are not eligible for any other discounts offered by Moravian University (i.e. the Alumni discount). Employees must agree to remain at Moravian University for two years after completion of each graduate or doctoral course, with the exception of part time coaches. If an employee voluntarily or involuntarily leaves the University before fulfilling two years of continued employment following the completion of a graduate-level course(s), the employee must repay a percentage of the amount of the graduate tuition remitted by the institution. The preceding sentence does not apply to graduate course(s) completed or started prior to the effective date of this Policy.  The percentage is based on the following schedule in accordance with the employee's seniority on their last day, unless otherwise approved by the appropriate Vice President and Human Resources.

  • 0-9 years of service: 50% of the amount of the graduate tuition remitted by the institution.
  • 10-19 years: 25% of the amount of the graduate tuition remitted by the institution.
  • 20+ years of service: 0% of the amount of the graduate tuition remitted by the institution.

Employees wishing to utilize this benefit are required to complete an electronic TUITION WAIVER APPROVAL form for every term they wish to enroll in a class. An employee who has completed the online form for an initial registration but who wishes to either add courses or to replace the initial course(s) with different course(s) must complete a new form. Employees utilizing the remission benefit are expected to take classes outside of their normal work hours. Rare exceptions may be granted with the approval of the divisional Vice President and the Director of Human Resources. The time spent in class during normal working hours must be charged to personal time or vacation or may be made up by performing work outside of normal working hours during the same pay period. For coursework that requires the payment of a fee to an outside organization, the fee is the responsibility of the student. For Acadeum courses, please see below policy.

The benefit excludes the following:

  • Music lessons, music practica or recitals;
  • Nursing programs (with the exception of PT coaches as listed below)
  • MEDU, student teaching course work, education certifications and endorsements (with the exception of autism endorsement classes and PT coaches as listed below)
  • M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with Principal’s Certification (MPACT) (with the exception of PT coaches as listed below)
  • Certain internships or independent studies that may be excluded at the discretion of the relevant academic Dean.
  • AT, OT, S-LP, MSAT and PT
  • MFA

Remission benefits will only be granted for the following programs when the employee’s primary role will benefit:

  • MACC program
  • MSW pr
  • DAT program 
  • DNP program
  • MASAC program
  • MASAC-LCP program
  • SAC Certification

Approval from the appropriate VP, HR and the Provost are required. Certain doctoral programs may be excluded at the discretion of the relevant academic Dean. 

Effective July 1, 2024, the Doctor of Education in Transformational Leadership program will be available for tuition remission for full-time benefits eligible employees who are chosen through a selection process established by the President's Cabinet.  The President’s Cabinet will select 2-3 employees to join each cohort of the Ed.D Program.  Selection will be based on alignment with the employee’s current role, career aspirations, and/or seniority. If you are interested, please submit a personal statement and resume at this link no later than February 1st for the upcoming Fall cohort. Tuition remission for the Ed.D program is for 26 months.  Should an employee exceed the anticipated degree completion duration of 26 months, they will be responsible for the payment of any additional tuition fees incurred. Exceptions to this policy may be considered under extenuating circumstances, subject to approval by the President's Cabinet and the Director of Human Resources.

Undergraduate tuition benefits are tax-free under current federal tax code. However, current IRS regulations indicate that the first $5250 of graduate or doctoral tuition benefits are not taxable. The taxable portion of graduate or doctoral tuition benefits (above $5250) will be added to wages in Box 1 of your W-2 and noted in Box 14 as TUITION. The institution makes no commitment or guarantee regarding the future taxability of tuition benefits. The waiver of tuition is contingent upon verification of eligibility by the Human esources. Employees must meet the normal admissions requirements. Non-tuition fees are the responsibility of the student. Employees are subject to all University policies pertaining to enrollment in daytime courses on the same basis as non-employees. Courses taken on either a matriculated or non-matriculated basis must meet the standards of academic progress by the University.

Part-time Coaches

Part-time coaches may enroll in up to two courses (undergraduate, graduate, or seminary-6 credits) per semester in which they are paid employees on a space-available basis. For those coaches working two full semesters fall and spring, a total of four classes (12 credits seminary) can be taken in the academic year including winter, may or summer terms.  – not to exceed 12 graduate credits or 16 undergraduate/post-baccalaureate credits) per semester (fall and/or spring) on a space-available basis. Assistant coaches may enroll in MACC, MPACT and MEDU courses. Certain MACC, MPACT and MEDU courses may be excluded at the discretion of the Provost. The University will underwrite any expenses outside of that provided by the sponsoring district for the MEDU and MPACT program. Proof of application for course reimbursement from their sponsoring school district is required for the MEDU  program. Similarly, assistant coaches may enroll in the MSN courses. Certain MSN courses may be excluded at the discretion of the Provost. The University will underwrite any expenses outside of that provided by the sponsoring health network. Proof of application for course reimbursement from their sponsoring employer is required. Courses may be deferred but must be taken in the same academic year as the coach’s employment. This benefit is not available to full-time day students. Part-time coaches are not eligible for The Doctor of Education in Transformational Leadership (Ed.D) program.

University Interns

University interns may enroll in up to two courses (8 undergraduate/post-baccalaureate credits, or 6 graduate, or seminary credits) per semester (fall and/or spring) on a space-available basis. For those interns working two full semesters (fall and spring), a total of four classes (16 undergraduate/ post-baccalaureate credits or 12 graduate credits) can be taken in the academic year including winter, may or summer terms. Interns employed for twelve (12) months receive an additional two classes (8 undergraduate/ post-baccalaureate or 6 graduate credits for the summer months and up to one (1) additional class (4 undergraduate/post-baccalaureate or 3 graduate credits) for May or winter term. This benefit is not available to full-time day students. Classes beyond two per semester must be budgeted within the department or program budget. University internships allowing for tuition waiver require the approval of the Provost or their designee, and the Director of Human Resources.

Graduate Fellow

Graduate fellow tuition remission must be funded by the supporting departmental budget and is not supported by the institutional tuition remission budget. New program planning should consider the use of fellows when building their respective business plans. 

Graduate Assistants

Please see attached policy for eligibility regarding graduate assistants.

 

Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships Policy & Procedures

Please see attached policy for eligibility regarding graduate teaching.

 

Adjuncts

Adjunct faculty may enroll in undergraduate courses each term equal to the number of courses taught by said adjunct in that same term. The adjunct faculty member may defer such tuition-free enrollment to a subsequent term, but not later than the summer following the term in which the teaching is performed.

Retirees

Official University retirees may take up to four (4) courses per academic year while adhering to the same space availability requirements listed above.

In any of the above situations, the employee/retiree enrollment would not be counted in enrollment numbers with regard to decisions concerning the minimum number of students necessary to sustain a course offering. 

Short-term study abroad 

Part-time coaches, interns, and other benefits-eligible employees may enroll in short-term study abroad courses (faculty-led travel) on a space- available basis. In such cases, the employee/coach/intern is fully responsible for the costs of the trip, but the tuition is waived. The instructor is not “credited” for this student in the course enrollment.

In instances where part time coaches have other full time employment with an education benefit, the non-Moravian University employer paid education benefit must be used prior to the Moravian Remission Benefit being applied. Space available in all instances is defined as space available after all paying students are enrolled.

Acadeum Courses

Moravian University participates in the online course sharing consortium Acadeum.  For students enrolled full-time, the cost of the Acadeum courses are covered by the comprehensive fee.

For part-time students, or students enrolling in summer or winter terms, students pay the normal Moravian University tuition for a course during that term, and then Moravian transfers the appropriate amount of tuition to Acadeum for payment to the teaching institution.

Benefits eligible employees, their partners/spouses, and their dependents are not eligible to enroll in Acadeum courses for free, as there is a cost associated with this enrollment.  However, as a benefit to our employees, Moravian will invoice the employee, their partner/spouse or their dependent for the cost of the Acadeum course, with no surcharge.  Thus, if a selected Acadeum undergraduate course costs the University $800, then the student will be invoiced $800, rather than the normal Moravian University summer tuition of approximately $1850 (22-23 estimate).  Enrollment in Acadeum courses requires the normal approvals for cross-registered courses. 

Exchange with Area Private Schools—LVAIC Cross Registration

Following the completion of the conditional period of employment, benefits-eligible employees may take two (2) undergraduate courses per semester during the fall, spring or summer semesters at a member institution of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges on a space-available basis. These schools include Lehigh University, Lafayette College, Muhlenberg College, Cedar Crest College and DeSales University. Non-tuition fees associated with such courses are the responsibility of the student. This benefit does not apply to courses offered in a January term or winter term and applies only to undergraduate, credit-bearing courses. Faculty-led travel courses are excluded from this tuition benefit. Please review the policies and procedures located at these links for more information: Cross registration for employees, cross registration for faculty, and cross registration for dependents.  An LVAIC cross registration form must be completed prior to each semester enrolled. Contact HR@moravian.edu for the most up to date form.

Tuition Benefits for Spouse or Domestic Partner

Effective the next semester following the completion of the conditional period of employment, an employee’s spouse or same-sex domestic partner may enroll in up to a maximum of 40 units of College undergraduate and/or Seminary graduate courses with full waiver of tuition if space is available in the class. Undergraduate benefits for spouses are tax-free; graduate tuition benefits are taxable. Undergraduate tuition for same-sex domestic partners is taxable. The taxable portion of graduate tuition benefits (above $5250) will be added to wages in Box 1 of your W-2 and noted in Box 14 as TUITION. The waiver of tuition is contingent upon verification of eligibility by the Director of Human Resources. The spouse/same-sex domestic partner must meet normal entrance requirements and meet or exceed satisfactory academic progress in order to maintain eligibility. The spouse/same-sex domestic partner is subject to all institutional policies pertaining to enrollment in day division courses on the same basis as non-employees. If separation of employment occurs before the semester is completed, a prorated charge of tuition will be made. Non-tuition fees are the responsibility of the student. The benefit excludes the following for spouse/same-sex domestic partner:

  • Music lessons, music practica or recitals;
  • Nursing (those courses with a NURS prefix);
  • Pre-student teaching field experiences (education courses numbered 158.2, 358, 358.2, 359.2 and 360 through and including 368);
  • Student teaching including related seminars 370, 371, 374, 378 and 379;
  • MEDU coursework;
  • Certain internships or independent studies that may be excluded at the discretion of the relevant academic Dean.
  • For Seminary coursework that requires the payment of a fee to an outside organization, the fee is the responsibility of the student.
  • AT, OT, S-LP, and PT

Beginning with the next full semester following the commencement of employment and after the completion of the employee’s first 90 days, the employee’s spouse/same-sex domestic partner may take advantage of the same LVAIC tuition exchange plan provided to the employee (excluding summer cross-registration and providing the host school recognizes and extends benefits to same sex domestic partners). The spouse/same-sex domestic partner would not be counted in enrollment numbers with regard to decisions concerning the minimum number of students necessary to sustain a course offering. Space available in all instances is defined as space available after all paying students are enrolled. Please review the policy located at this link for more information: Employee/ spouse cross registration policy.  The LVAIC cross registration form must be completed each semester enrolled.

The TUITION WAIVER APPROVAL form must be completed by the active faculty or staff member on behalf of the student for every term prior to initial registration and for any class(es) the student registers for after the initial approval. This form MUST be completed and approved not less than two (2) weeks prior to the first class meeting.

Tuition Benefits for Dependent Children

Children of benefits-eligible employees may take advantage of various tuition plans. Benefits from the plans are effective beginning with the next full semester following the completion of two years of service as a benefits-eligible employee for tuition remission and five years as a benefits eligible employee for tuition exchange.

For budgeting purposes, an application for enrollment to Moravian, either for a freshman or transfer, must be completed not later than January 31 of the academic year prior to enrollment. Midyear transfers or freshmen admitted midyear are not guaranteed funding for that first semester. 

For purposes of the tuition benefits, the term "dependent child" applies to unmarried

  • Biological child/children
  • Adopted child/children
  • Step child/children

of the faculty or staff member who are their "dependents" as defined under the Internal Revenue Code (see IRS publication 501, "Qualifying Child," p.12). Documentation of proof will be required to be submitted to the Human Resources Office.

The remission benefit will expire when the student reaches the age of 24. Exceptions may be made for those dependents whose education has been interrupted by military service.

The TUITION WAIVER APPROVAL form (current version) must be completed by the active faculty or staff member on behalf of the student for every term prior to initial registration and for any class(es) the student registers for after the initial approval. This form MUST be completed and approved not less than two (2) weeks prior to the first class meeting. 

Tuition Remission

If an employee’s child satisfies the federal dependency criteria described above, the dependent child may enroll in College undergraduate courses with full waiver of tuition on a space-available basis.. The waiver of tuition is contingent upon verification of eligibility by the Director of Human Resources and completion of the required financial aid application process (including completion of the FAFSA--Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.gov and submission of any/all requested applicant information verification documents) through the Financial Aid Office. For returning students, satisfactory academic progress is required. Remission will be adversely affected by the late submission of financial aid required documentation. Non-tuition fees are the responsibility of the student.

For dependent, part-time or non-degree candidates the benefit excludes the following:

  • Music lessons, music practica or recitals;
  • Nursing (those courses with a NURS prefix);
  • Pre-student teaching field experiences (education courses numbered 158.2, 358, 358.2, 359.2 and 360 through and including 368);
  • Student teaching including related seminars 370, 374, 378 and 379;
  • MEDU coursework (with the exception of PT coaches as listed below);
  • Certain internships or independent studies that may be excluded at the discretion of the relevant academic Dean.
  • For Seminary coursework that requires the payment of a fee to an outside organization, the fee is the responsibility of the student
  • Tuition fees related to May and summer travel courses

Certain course work for dependents in a baccalaureate degree program will be covered (i.e. music lessons, student teaching or nursing), assuming such coursework is required for the major. Certain field studies or independent studies may be excluded at the discretion of the relevant academic Dean. Dependents are subject to all College policies pertaining to enrollment in day or evening courses on the same basis as non-employees (newly enrolled after 05-06 academic year). Courses taken through this benefit on either a matriculated or non-matriculated basis must meet the standards of academic progress by the college.

Students must meet the normal entrance requirements and the employee must remain employed through completion of the course. A maximum of 40 registered units (or the equivalent of 10 full-time semesters –withdrawals and failures count against the 40 units) is available under this benefit. If separation of employment occurs, a pro-rated charge of tuition costs will be made.

In any of the above situations, the dependent child would not be counted in enrollment numbers with regard to decisions concerning the minimum number of students necessary to sustain a course offering. Space available in all instances is defined as space available after all paying students are enrolled.

Tuition Grants for Adjuncts

Moravian University recognizes the contributions of its regular adjunct teaching faculty and artist/lecturers by providing a limited tuition grant program for contributions toward a FT full-time student’s tuition at the University.

Eligibility Criteria: An adjunct faculty member who has been at Moravian for five (5) consecutive years. Is actively teaching and maintained at least one full unit undergraduate or 3 credit graduate class per year for five consecutive years (exceptions to be determined by the Provost and the Director of Human Resources). In the case of an artist/lecturer a full-unit music course equates to 10 college students in this calculation; a half-unit music course equates to 5 college students. Grant eligibility is evaluated annually based on the following criteria:

  • Has the student met academic progress (SAP)
  • Has the adjunct faculty member-artist/lecturer taught in the previous 12 months
  • A limit of 1 unit per student per academic year and a maximum of four(4) over four years.
  • Allocation of benefit over two successive semesters which assumes SAP
  • The benefit is limited based on the availability of funds in any given year.
  • In cases where there are limited units available, existing students would be given first priority (based on SAP). Initial determination will be made based on date of deposit and class (seniors get priority over juniors etc)

The student is limited to (1) unit, or one (1) course equivalent, per academic year. There is a total of nine (9) units being available to dependents of all eligible adjuncts in any academic year. All adjunct grant awards are awarded by the Provost Office. 

Tuition Exchange

In addition to offering tuition remission at Moravian, the University is also a member of Tuition Exchange, a network of over 700 institutions that offer reciprocal scholarship opportunities for the dependents of eligible faculty and staff.  At Moravian, a dependent child may apply for a Tuition Exchange (TE) Scholarship starting the next full semester after the benefits-eligible employee reaches five years of service. The Tuition Exchange Scholarship is not guaranteed. Rather, it is reciprocal in nature and subject to the number of dependent imports and exports moving between member institutions in a given year. The student must apply for admission to each institution, as well as through TE's scholarship application process.

If the student is offered a TE scholarship at the import institution, they will receive a guaranteed minimum amount determined annually by Tuition Exchange and agreed upon by the member institutions. In many cases, this scholarship amount covers (or nearly covers) the cost of tuition at the import institution. Tuition benefits from this program are limited to eight semesters. A $25.00 per semester processing fee will be charged to the employee for each dependent receiving a Tuition Exchange Scholarship.

A dependent who transfers into Moravian after one or more terms as a tuition exchange student is subject to the same total unit and semester maximums as remission students. For purposes of the maximum calculation, a semester at an exchange institution is assumed to equal to 4.5 registered units (= 18 credit hours) maximum per term.

More information about this scholarship opportunity, application process, and annual award amounts is available on the Tuition Exchange website.

Rules Governing Tuition Waiver Benefits

Remission applies to tuition only, less any applicable state, federal, or outside grants for which the student will be expected to apply. Should additional funds be needed to cover room, board, books, mandatory fees, and incidental expenses, the institution will endeavor to award student employment and assist with obtaining educational loans for which the student might be eligible. Any fees and charges not covered by tuition remission must be paid to the institution by the due date for payment of such bills. Awards will normally be continued until the student completes his or her program of study. In order that the institution may ascertain the student’s eligibility for federal and state funds, students planning more than half-time study must, on an annual basis, complete the financial aid application process (including completion of the FAFSA--Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.gov and submission of any/all requested applicant information verification documents) in accordance with stated deadlines and requirements before they can receive initial or renewal awards. If requested by the Financial Aid Office, submission of signed copies of the parent’s and student’s most recent federal income tax returns (or tax return transcripts) must also be provided, along with any other required supporting documentation.

Students qualifying for tuition remission are subject to certain financial aid policies of the institution, such as but not limited to those related to off-campus study, academic progress, the disclosure of outside grants, special sessions, and financial aid refunds. Statements of these policies are available from the Financial Aid Office.

Procedure for Tuition Waiver Approval

  1. The student registers for classes.
  2. The employee must obtain and complete the Tuition Waiver Approval Form (TWAF) available through AMOS for themselves or a qualified dependent. Except in the first term of registration for full-time day students, the form must include the list of courses intended for registration. One form is required for each eligible employee, spouse/same-sex domestic partner, or dependent in each term of registration. (Separate forms are required, for example, for May Term, Summer I, and Summer II.)
  3. The Tuition Waiver Approval Form is then submitted to the Human Resources Office for verification of eligibility or the associate provost for adjuncts-/artist/lecturer grants. The Director of HR or their designee checks the employee’s eligibility for the benefit as well as the student’s eligibility (if the employee and student are not one in the same).
    1. Based on employment status (is the employee in question benefits-eligible?
    2. Financial aid requirements (does the student meet FA eligibility requirements?)
    3. Course enrollment limitations (has the student exceeded the 40 unit limit)
  4. Once the TWAF is signed by HR or the associate provost, the student must bring the completed, signed form along with his or her registration to the appropriate office – the registrar’s office for day-division degree candidates; the Graduate and continuing education office for graduate, continuing education and non-degree candidates; the Seminary for Seminary degree candidates and other students wishing to enroll in Seminary courses.
  5. An employee who has completed the form for an initial registration but who wishes to either add courses or to replace the initial course(s) with different course(s) must complete a new form.

Procedure for Tuition Reimbursement

Courses must be paid back within a timeframe of 6 months per qualifying course with payments not to exceed $350.00 per month. A promissory note will be issued to the employee by Human Resources detailing the total amount owed, number of payments, and the due date of each payment. A member of the Human Resources team will reach out to confirm the payment schedule prior to the note being issued. Employee accounts with any balance owed more than thirty (30) days after the final payment due date will be placed with a licensed collections agency.

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Tuition Waiver Approval Form

SCOPE OF POLICY

X       Moravian University – assumes benefits eligibility or as classified within policy.

X          Administration

X          Faculty

X          Adjunct Faculty (grants)

X          Support staff

X          Assistant Coaches and Interns

X          Graduate Assistants