Purpose

Tuition Reimbursement is provided to assist eligible employees in pursuing their educational objectives in order to enhance or develop their work-related skills within the Rochester City School District.
 

Eligibility

Full time employees as defined in each bargaining unit who have worked for the Rochester City School District for a minimum of 12 months.  

Employees working less than full-time or on an unpaid leave of absence are not eligible for tuition reimbursement  

Employees must be taking classes that meet one of the four defined eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for Tuition Reimbursements. 
 

1. Employee is enrolled in a program leading to a degree in a field relevant to their current position or to a promotional opportunity within the district.
    

2. Employee is enrolled in a class as part of a degree program that is relevant to their current job or to a promotional opportunity.
    

3. The course of study is required of the employee by the District.
    

4. Employee is not enrolled in a degree program but is taking on individual course that is related to the employee’s current job or to a promotional opportunity in the District.
    

Policy

Tuition Reimbursement is provided for work related or career development courses offered by accredited colleges, universities, and vocational schools. 

Employees are responsible for obtaining prior authorization from their immediate supervisor and from the Human Resources Department. 

Courses shall not be taken during the employee’s assigned work hours. 

An eligible employee may receive 100% reimbursement for tuition and labs. This policy does not cover cost for registration, books, fees and exams. Course work taken shall be reimbursed at the lowest rate for comparable course offerings in the area (SUNY rate). 

Reimbursement is based on satisfactory completion of the course. Satisfactory completion is defined as a grade of “C” or better. For ungraded classes, proof of successful completion is required. 

An employee eligible for reimbursement from another source (such as federal/state aid, scholarships, or grants) may seek assistance under the tuition reimbursement program but reimbursement will only be approved for the difference between the amount received from the other funding source and the actual allowed expense. 

An employee who is terminated while enrolled in an approved class due to a reduction in the workforce or through no fault of his own shall be reimbursed for the class upon successful completion as defined in this policy. An employee who voluntarily leaves RCSD, leaves at the request of management, or is discharged prior to completing a course, shall not be reimbursed. 

An employee who terminates employment with the Rochester City School District within twelve (12) months of receiving tuition reimbursement shall refund the entire amount of the reimbursement to the district. Employee must sign the Deduction Authorization form prior to reimbursement.
 

Procedure

The Tuition Reimbursement form is available on the RCSD website at http://www.rcsdk12.org/district/HR/tra.htm on the P: drive in the Tuition Reimbursement folder, or in the Human Resources department.  

The employee must submit a completed Tuition Reimbursement Application  and the Deduction Authorization form to Human Resources for approval 30 days prior to the first day of class.  

The application should be signed by the employee’s direct supervisor and list the courses to be taken, credits to be obtained and cost per credit hour. 

It is the supervisor’s responsibility to determine what courses are job-related and to approve the employee’s application. 

Tuition cost will not be reimbursed for classes that have not been previously approved. 

Following successful completion of the course, the employee must submit to Human Resources proof of payment and successful completion of the course within 60 days. 

Reimbursement is subject to appropriate taxation[1]. Every effort will be made to reimburse employee as soon practicably possible.

[1] In some cases, tuition reimbursement may be subject to income tax withholdings if the course you are taking is required to meet minimum requirements for your job or will qualify you for a new trade or business. If the course maintains or improves your current job skills, it will not be taxable. Therefore, it is very important that you relate each course to the improvement of skills in your current job. This is the criterion for determining if coursework is taxable or not. If the coursework is considered to be taxable, the reimbursement payment will be included in your payroll check and taxed at your withholding status.” (RCSD Business Services Policy manual.)