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Tuition Waivers

Eligible employees, their dependents, and previous employees may be eligible for full or partial tuition waivers benefits when required criteria and years of service are met.

There are three basic types of tuition waiver categories:

Employee tuition waivers and retirees
Dependents of seven-year employees or deceased employees
Permanent laid-off employees

The SIUE Educational Assistance Plan allows employees and other eligible individuals to receive tuition waivers for graduate courses. The plan allows individuals to receive non-taxable waiver benefits up to the IRS limit calendar limit of $5,250. See the detail plan at the link below.

SIUE Educational Assistance Plan

Tuition Waiver Taxation

Employee tuition waiver general requirements

These apply to all employee tuition waivers.

An employee must be hired by the first day of classes for the semester they are requesting a tuition wavier.
Part-time (status civil service and continuing or term faculty or staff) employees may receive a tuition waiver at the same percentage as their appointment; an 80 percent appointment position, receives an 80 percent waiver. Employees on extra-help civil service appointments are not eligible.
Employees must meet the academic requirements of the University and applicable School and comply with all student requirements.
Employees must obtain their supervisor's approval before taking a class during work hours and prior to submitting a tuition waiver. Work time lost in attending classes may either be made up at a time mutually agreeable to the employee and supervisor or, with departmental approval, charged against the employee's accumulated vacation. Lunch hours, which are not considered basic work time, may be used as make-up time. Supervisor approval is not required for classes outside of an employee's normal work schedule.
To insure the completion of work during emergent situations, supervisors may require employees to remain on the job instead of attending class or rearrange work schedules when employees attend class.
Employees may not receive a tuition waiver for medical, dental, law, aviation, or other special tuition programs or professional degrees.
Fees are excluded from tuition waivers.
Employees represented by bargaining unions should refer to the appropriate union contract for additional information concerning this benefit.
The Internal Revenue Service sets the graduate course taxation limit of $5,250, and this may change over time if the IRS determines.
If employment is terminated during but before the end of the semester for which a waiver is received, the tuition waiver will end at the end of the current semester. If termination occurs before the semester begins, the employee or dependent waiver will not be applied for that semester.

Civil Service Employees

Permanent status, full-time civil service employees may take up to nine credit hours per semester, and may take only one class no more than five credit hours during their work hours. For civil service employees work time lost in attending classes may either be made up at a time mutually agreeable to the employee and supervisor or, with departmental approval, charged against the employee's accumulated vacation. Lunch hours, which are not considered basic work time, may be used as make-up time. Civil service employees are eligible for tuition waivers, as long as their contract is active, which includes summer break.

When it is in the best interest of the University, the human resources director may require or authorize employees to take course(s) during working hours. Civil service employees who take classes during the work day but who do not request a tuition waiver are still limited to taking only one class during the work day.

Civil service employees may utilize this tuition waiver benefit at the Illinois universities in the State Universities Civil Service System, which includes: Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Northern Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, Illinois State, Chicago State, Governors State, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

Civil service employee form for classes at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or any other Illinois university:

Tuition Waiver for SIUE Employees

*If attending SIU Carbondale, you must also submit SIU Carbondale's form.

These forms can be completed online but must be printed for signatures and sent to the Department of Human Resources, Campus Box 1040. HR will ensure the employee is eligible for the benefit and forward it to the Office of Student Financial Aid for processing. You will see the tuition wavier benefit when you view your student account in CougarNet.

Faculty, Administrative Staff and Professional Staff

Faculty and staff employees may use the tuition waiver benefit for classes at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or Carbondale. Faculty and staff on term appointment are eligible for tuition waiver during their term appointment, provided that the class is completed by the end of their term appointment. Faculty and staff on continuing appointment are eligible for tuition waivers, as long as their contract is active, which includes summer break.

Faculty, Administrative and Professional staff form for classes at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or Carbondale:

Tuition Waiver for SIUE Faculty and Staff (attending either SIUE or any other Illiniois university)

*If attending SIU Carbondale, you must also submit SIU Carbondale's form.

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SIUE Retirees

SIUE retirees who retiree under the State Universities Retirement System may use the tuition waiver for classes at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or Carbondale. SIUE retirees are eligible for a full waiver of tuition, exclusive of fees.

Faculty, staff and retired employee form for classes at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or Carbondale:

Tuition Waiver SIUE Retirees

*If attending SIU Carbondale, you must also submit SIU Carbondale's form.

This form is designed to be completed online but must be printed for signatures and sent to Human Resources, Campus Box 1040. HR will ensure the employee is eligible for the benefit and forward it to the Office of Student Financial Aid for processing. You will see the tuition wavier benefit when you view your student account in CougarNet.

Dependent of seven-year employee 50 percent tuition waiver

The University provides 50 percent tuition waivers for children of employees who have been employed an aggregate of at least seven years of verified work experience in positions 50 percent or greater with the following Illinois state universities: Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Northern Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, Illinois State, Chicago State, Governors State, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

This benefit is in accordance with the Southern Illinois University Management Act, 110 ILCS 520 8F and rules prescribed by the SIU Board of Trustees as amended periodically. If you are an employee who has worked at multiple participating universities, you must contact your human resources staff at your current employer to confirm eligibility before your dependent applies for this waiver.

In addition to the tuition waiver benefit listed above, a waiver will be extended to eligible children of a seven-year employee of SIU who has retired or who is on permanent layoff status, and to the biological or adopted children of a domestic partner, who is not an employee at SIUE. Subject to the requirements listed, an eligible child will be entitled to a 50 percent waiver of the undergraduate tuition at SIU. This benefit was approved per SIU BOT Section 4 Policies A.8. (May 12, 1998)

To be eligible to receive a employee's dependent 50 percent tuition waiver, the child (biological, adoptive, or stepchild) of an employee must:

Ensure that the parent has met the seven-year aggregate employment required in positions 50 percent or greater in a SURS eligible capacity. Employment shall be defined as 50 percent time or greater, in a capacity that is eligible for participation in the State Universities Retirement System (SURS), over a minimum of seven academic years, at any of the designated universities specified in 110 Illinois Compiled Statute 520/8f including all campus and office locations under the present or former jurisdiction of Illinois senior public university governing boards including the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and Western Illinois University. Eligibility for participation with SURS includes employees with appointments (excluding extra-help, graduate assistants and student workers) of four months or greater. Employees who complete a nine-month appointment comprising a full academic year for purposes of benefits eligibility shall receive the full-year service credit so long as this appointment was made on a 50 percent or greater basis.
Be under age 25 at the beginning of the academic year for which the waiver is requested. If the dependent reaches age 25 after the beginning of the fall semester, he/she receives the waiver through the summer semester.
Qualify for admission to the University under the same admissions requirements, standards and policies which the University applies to applicants for admission generally to its respective undergraduate colleges and programs and must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward graduation.
Complete a new tuition waiver form each semester, as the campus must confirm the dependent’s parent is still employed.
Provide the appropriate documentation to HR to verify the relationship between the dependent and the employee the first time the waiver is used. Documentation may include birth certificate, adoption papers, marriage license, etc.
Not have attempted more than 130 hours. The waiver has a limit of 130 attempted hours (eight semesters). For any hours in excess of 130 hours, the 50 percent tuition waiver will not apply and this can be seen in your student account at the university you are attending.

The statute grants the tuition waiver to the student, who consequently has sole control of it unless under some legal disability. The benefit will therefore be granted upon application of any eligible student for any school term within the duration of the waiver.

Employee Dependent Tuition Waiver for classes at SIUE

Employee Dependent Tuition Waiver for classes outside SIUE

*If dependent attends SIU Carbondale, you must also submit SIU Carbondale's form.

These forms can be completed online but must be printed for signatures and sent to the Office of Human Resources, Campus Box 1040. HR will ensure the employee is eligible for the benefit and forward it to the Office of Student Financial Aid for processing. The dependent will see the tuition wavier benefit applied when the dependent views their student account in CougarNet if at SIUE or in another institution’s system if taking classes elsewhere.

Dependents and surviving spouses of deceased employees

Surviving spouses and dependent children of deceased SIUE employees are eligible for tuition waivers. For the purpose of this policy, a "deceased SIUE employee" is defined as an employee who at the time of death was in active employment or in retirement or disability status and who had worked for the University at least five years in a full-time capacity. The tuition waiver may only be used at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

To be eligible to receive a Dependent of Deceased Employee waiver, the surviving spouse or dependent of a deceased employee must comply with the following:

Ensure that the spouse or dependent’s parent met the 5 year full time service requirement.
If a dependent child, be under age 22, at the date of the parent’s death unless they were already enrolled in the university. When a dependent child reaches age 28 they are no longer eligible for this waiver.
Qualify for admission to the University under the same admissions requirements, standards and policies which the University applies to applicants for admission generally to its respective undergraduate colleges and programs.
Complete a new Tuition Waiver Form each year, as the campus must review the dependent’s age each year.
Provide the appropriate documentation to Human Resources to verify the relationship between the dependent and the employee, the first time the waiver is used. The dependent must be a biological or adopted child of the employee or spouse and was a dependent of the deceased employee for Federal Income Tax purposes or foster child who was supported by and lived in the home of the deceased employee for at least five years and was considered a dependent for Federal Income Tax. Documentation may include birth certificate, adoption papers, marriage license, etc.
Not have attempted more than 130 hours, as the waiver has a limit of 130 attempted hours (8 semesters). For any hours in excess of 130 hours, the tuition waiver will not apply and this can be seen in the Student Account at the university you are attending.
Spouses and children of a deceased employee are not eligible for tuition waiver if they are employed by the University in any capacity other than as student employees or are receiving aid under any educational grant, aid program, fellowship, or scholarship providing tuition reimbursement.

Dependent or spouse of deceased employee form taking classes at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville:

Tuition Waiver by a Dependent/Spouse of a Deceased Employee of SIUE

Employees on Layoff or involuntary separation

Faculty and staff employees on continuing appointment or on a term appointment for at least one year, and who are involuntarily separated from the University, except for cause, will be entitled to enroll in classes at SIUE tuition free, for one year following separation. Fees are excluded from the tuition waiver.

Status civil service employees who are laid off will be entitled to enroll in classes at SIUE tuition free, for one year following separation. Fees are excluded from the tuition waiver.

Employee/Retiree Tuition Waiver for classes at SIUE

In-State Rates for Out-Of-State Dependent of SIUE Employee

The out-of-state spouse and/or dependent of SIUE employees will be charged in-state rates regardless of the employee’s length of
service or percentage of appointment. This benefit covers both graduate and undergraduate coursework.

In-state Tuition Waiver

This form is designed to be completed online but must be printed for signatures and sent to Human Resources, Campus Box 1040. HR will ensure the employee is eligible for the benefit and forward it to the Office of Student Financial Aid for
processing. You will see the tuition wavier benefit when you view your student account in CougarNet.