Tuition Waivers
Employee Tuition Waiver Eligibility
Employee Tuition Waiver Eligibility Heading link
Academic Employee Tuition Waiver Eligibility
Academic employees who hold an appointment of 25% or greater for at least 3/4 of a semester (91 days) are eligible for a tuition and fee waiver for University courses. Three-fourths of a term is defined as 91 calendar days per semester and are based on a period from one week prior to the beginning of instruction through the last day of final exams. Please review Academic Professional or Faculty Employee or Retiree Attending College for more detailed information regarding eligibility and limitations.
Limitations
There are no limitations to the number of credit hours however employees should discuss the employee-student status and determine the appropriate level of hours with their employing unit. Academic employees are eligible to register in University of Illinois courses for which they are eligible for admission and in which space is available.
Civil Service Employee Tuition Waiver Eligibility Heading link
Civil Service Employee Tuition Waiver Eligibility
Civil Service employees (including rehired retirees) who hold an appointment of 50% or greater for at least 3/4 of a semester are eligible for a tuition and fee waiver for University courses. Please review Civil Service Employee or Retiree Attending College for more detailed information regarding eligibility.
Limitations
Civil Service employees: UIC charges tuition by range and not credit hours. Please talk with your supervisor if coursework will be during your standard work schedule. Per policy, one course can be during standard work hours.
| FTE | Fall / Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
| 100% FTE | Range 2 tuition: Fall/Spring 6-11 hrs | Range 2 tuition: Summer 3-5 hrs |
| 50-99% FTE | Range 3 tuition: Fall/Spring 1-5 hrs | Range 3 tuition: Summer 1-2hrs |
Civil Service employees who exceed the ranges will be responsible for the difference in cost. Job changes such as separations or FTE reductions will also impact the waiver where out-of-pocket expenses will occur.
Attending Courses at UIC Heading link
If you have not yet applied to the University, please visit the Admissions page to start the process. Questions regarding the Admission process should be directed to the Office of Admission and Records (OAR) at (312)996-4350. As part of the registration process, UIC employees can indicate that they are a current UIC employee. OAR will verify and confirm employment and waive the registration fee.
No tuition waiver form is needed for UIC employees who have registered for courses at UIC. The waiver will be applied through the Office of Student Financial Aid (OFSA) (312)996-3126. Any questions regarding billing should be directed to the Office of Student Accounts Receivable
The UI Employee Tuition Waiver will cover the cost of the Tuition along with the Service Fees. To get an estimate of the cost, please view the Office of the Registrar’s Tuition and Fees for Undergraduate and Graduate level.
Academic Programs that are part of the UI Cost Recovery or Self-Supporting Programs are not eligible for the Employee Tuition Waiver program.
Attending Courses at UIUC/UIS Heading link
If you are registered for classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, then additional action is not needed. Simply register for the course.
If you are taking classes at University of Illinois at Springfield, please log into the on-line application process which can be found at the Tuition Waiver page.
Attending Courses at other Illinois Senior Public Institutions Heading link
Civil Service employees are eligible to enroll at any of the Illinois Senior Public Institutions.Once the Application has been reviewed/approved, the final approval will be routed to the Institution which you are attending for their review and final processing of the employee tuition waiver. Each Institution follows their own practice on the application process.
| FTE | Credit |
|---|---|
| 100% FTE | 6 hrs |
| 75-99% FTE | 4 hrs |
| 50-74% FTE | 3 hrs |
| Institution | Application |
| Chicago State University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Eastern Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Governors State University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Illinois State University | ISU Request for Inter-Institutional Waiver of Tuition for Employees |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Northern Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Southern Illinois University | Carbondale Employee of Other IL State Universities attending SIUE |
| Western Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
Tax-ability of Certain Tuition and Service Fee Waivers at the Graduate Level
Employees who are registered for graduate level courses will be taxed in compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 127 which excludes the value for Graduate-level tuitions waivers from taxable income up to $5250/yr. View the Tuition Waiver Overview or visit Employer Provided Graduate Level Tuition and Fee Benefits for more information.
For other criteria, please review NESSIE for additional information.
Child of Employee Tuition Waivers Heading link
The Inter-institutional 50% tuition waiver for children of public university employees provides for a 50% tuition waiver (not including fees) for up to 4 years of waivers for undergraduate education (excluding non-credit & graduate/professional academic programs or certifications).
UIC HR will approve the waiver based on the employee’s eligibility to apply for the waiver. The Office of Student Financial Aid verifies that a student meets eligibility requirements for the waiver to be disbursed.
Please note, you will need to document proof of relationship to the UIC HR Service Center the first time a tuition waiver is submitted. When submitting documentation, please include the employee’s UIN along with the Student’s University ID Number (not SS#)
Parent works at UIC with Child attending UIC/UIUC/UIS
Employees who have worked for the University for 7 or more years may be eligible for a child to attend an Illinois college or university and receive a tuition waiver at that institution. There are two forms that will be required:
- Child of Employee 50% Tuition Waiver application The parent must complete the online once an academic year for each child receiving the benefit.
- Tuition Waiver Benefit Utilization Record (BUR) The child must complete the form every semester and provide directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid and to the UIC HR office (fax 312-996-1803).
While UIC HR verifies the parent’s eligibility, the Office of Student Financial Aid (OFSA) will apply the waiver to the student’s account. Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement. If the student is not meeting satisfactory progress, the waiver will be removed.
More information on this topic can be found at the Tuition Waivers page.
Parent works at UIC with Child attending another Illinois Senior Public University other than UI system.
For Illinois employees with children attending and Illinois senior public universities, please complete the Inter-institutional 50% Tuition Waiver for Children of Public University Employees. Return it to UIC HR Service Center along with the BUR form. UIC HR Service Center will review and determine the parent’s eligibility. Once approved, the Application will be forwarded to the Institution in which the child attends.
More information on eligibility can be found at the Tuition Waivers page.
| Institution | Application |
|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Eastern Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Governors State University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Illinois State University | ISU Request for Inter-Institutional Waiver of Tuition for Employees |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Northern Illinois University | Online Tuition Waiver Application |
| Southern Illinois University | Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Other IL State University Employees Dependent of Employee of Other IL State Universities attending SIUE |
| Western Illinois University | WIU Application 50% Tuition Waiver for Children of Public University Employee |
Parents who work at another institution but the child attends UIC
The Inter-institutional 50% Tuition Waiver for Children of Public University Employees must be completed by the parent and approved by the HR Office of the Institution in which the parent works. The approved waiver form along with the child’s completed BUR form should be submitted to the UIC HR Service Center. Once reviewed, the UIC HR Service Center will internally route to the Office of Student Financial Aid (OFSA) for applying the waiver.
More information on this topic can be found at the Other Illinois Public Universities page.
Retirees
Retirees can only receive tuition and fee waivers for courses at one of the University of Illinois campuses (UIC, UIS, or UIUC). Complete the Retiree Tuition Waiver Request Form and return to the UIC HR Service Center for confirmation of your retiree status. There are no limits to the number of credit hours.
Graduate Assistants Heading link
Graduate Assistantship tuition waivers are a condition of their employment and would be eligible for courses taken through UIC. Students must meet registration requirements throughout the term and hold an assistantship between 25% and 67% for a minimum of 91 continuous calendar days during the period beginning a week before instruction and the last day of finals during Fall or Spring semester and for 41 continuous calendar days during the summer term service period. A 25%-67% time appointment must be maintained for the duration of the assistantship to be eligible for a tuition and selected fee waiver. Increasing the assistantship above 67% or decreasing it below 25% will cause loss of the waiver.
Tuition waivers will cover the cost of the full tuition except for those graduate programs that have tuition differentials. Please see Admission and Records for a current listing of Tuition and Fees breakdown.
The Office of Student Financial Aid will apply the waivers based on the Graduate Assistant appointment information in the payroll system. Students may receive an initial bill 10 day prior to the start of the term if the Graduate Assistant appointment has not been applied. Once the Graduate Assistant appointment has been applied, the Office of Student Financial Aid will apply the waiver the following Tuesday or Thursday. Students should work directly with Financial Aid regarding their student accounts.
More detailed information regarding Graduate Assistantships can be found on the Graduate College website.