Employee Fee Waiver Guidelines

The fee waiver program provides eligible faculty and staff employees with the opportunity to attend classes at CSU campuses at greatly reduced rates.

Eligibility

The following employees are eligible to participate in the fee waiver program:

• Full-time permanent or probationary employees;
• Full-time temporary employees, if allowed by collective bargaining contract;
• Permanent part-time employees;
• Employees on an approved leave of absence, if otherwise eligible;
• Temporary faculty employees with three (3) year appointments pursuant to Article 12. Coaches with at least six (6) years full-time equivalent service in the department.

Conditions

• Fees are waived for a maximum of two (2) classes, or 6 units, whichever is greater.
• If the unit/course limitation is exceeded, the employee must pay the difference in fees.
• All classes must be taken for academic credit.
• Classes may NOT be audited.
• Fees cannot be waived for courses taken through Extended Studies.
  
  
• Enrollment Options: Fees may be waived for classes that are either work-related or part of an employee's career development plan. Work-related courses are taken to improve skills required to perform the employee's current job duties. Career development courses are taken for professional development and may assist the employee in meeting the educational or equivalent requirements for another job classification within the CSU.
  
  
• An Individual Career Development Plan (HR 133a form) is a formal plan of course work and/or development activities. It is also a written record of understanding between the employee and the university and is intended to assist the employee in reaching short- or long-term career development goals. An ICDP must be completed by all new participants in the fee waiver program and revised whenever there is a change in career development objectives.
  
• Release Time for Class Attendance: "Release time" means that an employee has supervisory or managerial approval to attend a class during the employee's normal work hours. An employee may be given release time to attend one course per quarter, if the supervisor/manager determines that the operations of the department will not be adversely affected by the employee's absence.
  
• Intercampus Enrollment: Employees may enroll in classes on their own time at other CSU campuses. Human Resources will provide the other campus with verification of the employee's fee waiver eligibility The campus of enrollment will advise the employee regarding appropriate admissions procedures.
  
• Student Services: Except for instructional services, the university may reduce the level of student services provided to employees enrolled in classes under the fee waiver program. For example, employees are not entitled to use campus health services (except for work-related injuries), obtain student status for ASI or Recreational Sports activities/membership, or work as a student assistant.
  
• Taxable Educational Benefits: Under current IRS regulations, effective January 1, 2002 fees waived for employee undergraduate or graduate coursework are non-taxable up to $5,250 annually. However, upon employee transfer to a dependent child, spouse, or domestic partner the following applies: The dependent fee waiver benefit is not taxable for undergraduate dependent children or spouse coursework. The benefit is taxable for graduate dependent children, spouse, and undergraduate and graduate domestic partner coursework. This taxation is against the employee who transfers the benefit and occurs via withdrawal on their check warrant. Please review Technical Letter – HR/Benefits 2006-05 for complete information regarding these regulations.

Human Resources Department
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
(805) 756-2236 humanresources@calpoly.edu