Tuition Sponsorship for Full-Time Permanent Employees Procedure

1. Purpose

The Tuition Sponsorship policy aims to provide a framework to support Loyalist College full- time permanent employees and their spouse and/or children in their professional development to gain an academic education credential.

2. Scope

This procedure sets out how Loyalist College will manage internal tuition sponsorship in a consistent and fair manner. Loyalist College believes everyone’s professional development is critical in building and maintaining a high performing academic organization.

3. Definitions

• 3.1 Immediate family:
  • A spouse, common-law spouse, or partner (as defined in the Income Tax Act); and
  • A child of a full-time permanent employee
  • The following children are eligible for tuition reimbursement:
  • Children of the full-time employee;
  • Stepchildren of the full-time employee; and
  • Adopted children of the full-time employee.
• 3.2 Full-Time Permanent College Employee:
  • A full-time permanent member of the College working in administration under the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Administrative Staff; or
  • A full-time permanent support staff member under the Full-Time Support Staff Collective Agreement (OPSEU Local 421); or
  • A full-time permanent academic staff member under the Academic Employees’ Collective Agreement (OPSEU Local 420).

4. Procedure

• 4.1 Full-time permanent employees wishing to enroll in a full-time program must obtain approval from their manager.
• 4.2 The College will sponsor full-time employees and their immediate family members (spouse/partner and/or children) for full-time enrolment in a program which:
  • is funded by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities; and,
  • leads to a Loyalist College certificate, diploma, applied degree, orbachelor’s degree undertaken at Loyalist.
• 4.3 Sponsorship means that the College will pay the applicable tuition fee. All other fees and levies remain the responsibility of the student (e.g., ancillary fees, consumable fees, campus service fee, late fees, default fees, books, course material, equipment, etc.).
• 4.4 The policy is limited to one enrolment per eligible individual. Should the registered student be simultaneously enrolled in two (2) eligible programs, the Tuition Sponsorship benefit will be based on the maximum semesters or the higher tuition, whichever is most beneficial to the student.
• 4.5 The Tuition Sponsorship Form must be completed, signed and delivered to the People & Culture Department and People & Culture is the final authority in determining eligibility of full-time employees and immediate family members (spouse/partner and/or children).
• 4.6 The Tuition Sponsorship Form is received by the Registrar’s Office for confirmation of registration. The Registrar is the final authority in determining eligibility of programs/courses and what constitutes full-time program status.
• 4.7 The completed and authorized Tuition Sponsorship Form is routed to the Finance Department for processing as the tuition fee payment by the College may give rise to taxable income for the full-time student. This will be reflected in the student’s T4A slip which is issued for the appropriate year.
• 4.8 Should a full-time permanent employee leave the College’s employment, this procedure and the related policy ceases to apply for any semesters following his/her last day of employment.
• 4.9 Should the eligible employee leave the College before the end of the semester, they will be responsible for reimbursing the College fifty percent (50%) of the tuition fees that were sponsored to them or their family member.
• 4.10 Should a sponsored employee or immediate family member cease to be enrolled on a full- time basis, or they remove themselves completely from a program, the Admissions Department will process the change per normal procedures. Admissions will notify the Registrar’s Office of the change in student enrolment status. The Accounting Department will process billing for tuition as required.
• 4.11 The employee, spouse or child is required to provide proof of successful completion of any course with a minimum of passing grade. This is done electronically through the sponsored student’s signed authorization for release of grades at the time of application. When an employee, spouse or dependent fails to complete a course in which they are enrolled in on two successive occasions, the tuition sponsorship will be suspended.
• 4.12 Applications for Tuition Sponsorship must be obtained from People & Culture.

5. Related Documents

• HR 407 Tuition Sponsorship Policy for Full-Time Permanent Employees