Tuition Reimbursement Program

Tuition reimbursement funding is used to reimburse employees for the cost of tuition for classes taken at regionally accredited institutions. The classes must be related to maintaining or improving employee skills.

Eligibility

Any full-time employee is eligible to make application for participation in the Plan. Employees under current disciplinary actions may be suspended from participation in the Plan.

Maximum Reimbursement

The College will reimburse an employee up to the maximum per year as outlined in the Policy and Information Manual and SSEA Agreement for approved classes. The tuition reimbursement shall be made in the order of the approval of classes until the fund is exhausted.

Reimbursement Overview

The tuition reimbursement must be approved in advance by the College. The employee is to pay all the expenses connected with a class prior to applying for reimbursement. Upon satisfactory completion of the class and in accordance with the provisions that follow, the College will reimburse the employee for tuition.

Classes must be taken at an accredited institution.
The class must be completed within 60 days of the estimated completion date unless the President approves special dispensation.
The request for the reimbursement should be presented within 60 days following completion of the class.
Certification from the educational institution that the class has been satisfactorily completed is required, and is to be submitted with the request for refund. Satisfactorily means a grade of at least a "C" or its equivalent for all degree levels.
Verification of the cost of tuition is to be submitted with the request for refund. Please note fees associated with a particular class will not be reimbursed by the College. This includes lab fees, technology fees, late fees, book fees, etc.
If the employee has been or will be the recipient of educational assistance (other than loans) from the government or from any other institution(s), the total of the payment or any part of it which duplicates Southern State Community College’s reimbursement will be deducted from the total covered cost to which the reimbursement amount is applied.

Process to Apply

Staff

For each fiscal year (July 1 - June 30), the College shall budget $25,000 to be used to reimburse employees for the cost of tuition for classes taken at regionally accredited institutions which are related to maintaining or improving their job-related skills.

Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis in the order of received and approved applications until the allocated budget is exhausted. Employees must apply for approval for a specific class (or classes) at least fourteen (14) days before it begins.

To apply for the Tuition Reimbursement, you must complete the DocuSign form located below. When you submit the form, it will automatically be sent to your direct supervisor. He/She will approve the request. The form will then be sent automatically to Human Resources for final approval. A follow-up email will be sent to you and your supervisor from Human Resources confirming approval/denial of the request.

Staff Tuition Reimbursement Application (DocuSign)

Once the class, or classes, are complete, you must submit a copy of the following verification documents no later than sixty (60) days after the course is completed to Human Resources at HR@sscc.edu to finalize the reimbursement:

Copy of receipt showing the full tuition amount paid by employee
Copy of course grade.

A passing grade is required to receive reimbursement (grade of "C" or higher)
In the event your course grades on a simple "Pass/Fail" scale, a course grade showing "Pass" is required to receive reimbursement.

When the necessary documents have been received by Human Resources and reimbursement is approved, the Human Resources Department will process the reimbursement to be paid directly to the employee. The reimbursement will be separate from normal employee earnings.

The amount of tuition reimbursement shall be based on the amount of tuition expense incurred by the Employee and will be made within fourteen (14) days of the submission of the official verification that the class was completed with a passing grade and verification of the cost of tuition. Non-faculty employees shall not receive more than $5000 per calendar year for approved classes.

Payback Plan

Employees who receive tuition reimbursement must be continually employed with the College for at least one full academic year after the last date of reimbursement. Any employee who leaves prior to one year will repay the tuition reimbursement to the College on a prorated basis.

Faculty

For each fiscal year (July 1-June 30), the College shall budget sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) to be used to reimburse Employees for the cost of tuition for classes taken at regionally accredited institutions which are related to maintaining or improving the Employees skills.

An Employee who is required to attain additional education in order to remain qualified pursuant to Ohio Department of Higher Education and/or the Higher Learning Commission, and third-party accreditation bodies, as determined by the College's Chief Academic Officer (CAO), will be given preference over those Employees who do not have this requirement.

To apply for the Tuition Reimbursement, you must complete the DocuSign form located below. When complete, the form will automatically go to the Office of the Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs (VPSAA) for approval and processing.

Faculty Tuition Reimbursement Application (DocuSign)

Once the class, or classes, are complete, you must submit a copy of the following verification documents no later than sixty (60) days after the course is completed to the office of the VPSAA to finalize the reimbursement:

Copy of receipt showing the full tuition amount paid by employee
Copy of course grade.

A passing grade is required to receive reimbursement (grade of "C" or higher)
In the event your course grades on a simple "Pass/Fail" scale, a course grade showing "Pass" is required to receive reimbursement.

When the necessary documents have been received by the Office of the VPSAA and reimbursement is approved, the paperwork will be processed for the reimbursement to be paid directly to the employee. The reimbursement will be separate from normal employee earnings.

The amount of tuition reimbursement shall be based on the amount of tuition expense incurred by the Employee and will be made within fourteen (14) days of the submission of the official verification that the class was completed with a passing grade and verification of the cost of tuition. Reimbursements shall not exceed the amounts indicated below based on the current bargaining agreement:

Year 1 (August 2022 to July 2023) - Maximum $6,000

Year 2 (August 2023 to July 2024) - Maximum $7,000

Year 3 (August 2024 to July 2025) - Maximum $8,000

Payback Plan

Employees who receive tuition reimbursement must be continuously employed with the College for at least three (3) full academic years after the last date of reimbursement. Any Employee who leaves prior to three (3) year will repay the tuition reimbursement to the College on a prorated basis. Any amounts under this Section shall be withheld from any and all payments owed to the Employee in the absence of a written repayment agreement specifying a different method of payment. This agreement shall constitute a written signed payroll deduction authorization.