Tuition Remission Policy for Faculty and Administrators

Eligibility Requirements for Active Faculty and Administrators

Full Time Faculty

Full-time Faculty Members (including ROTC) are eligible from the date of hire.
There is a 24 credit maximum for the academic year. The academic year begins with the fall semester (fall semester, spring semester, summer semester).
Eligible for 100% for courses offered by Fordham University in any undergraduate/graduate school for which tuition remission applies. Eligible for 80% for courses taken in the Executive MBA Program.
Enrollment by faculty is subject to the approval of the Dean of the School in which the faculty appointment is held and the Provost.

Full Time Administrators (35 hours per week)

Full-time Administrators (including ROTC) are eligible after completing a six month waiting period starting from the date of hire.
There is a 24 credit maximum for the academic year. The academic year begins with the fall semester (fall semester, spring semester, summer semester).
Eligible for 100% for courses offered by Fordham University in any undergraduate/graduate school for which tuition remission applies. Eligible for 80% for courses taken in the Executive MBA Program.
Enrollment is subject to the approval of the employee’s supervisor.

Full Time Residential Life Directors Administrators (35 hours per week)

Residential Life Administrators are eligible from the date of hire.
There is a 18 credit maximum for the academic year. The academic year begins with the fall semester (fall semester, spring semester, summer semester).
Eligible for 100% for courses offered by Fordham University in any undergraduate/graduate school for which tuition remission applies. Eligible for 80% for courses taken in the Executive MBA Program.
Enrollment is subject to the approval of the employee’s supervisor.

Part Time Administrators (25-34 hours per week)

Part-time Administrators are eligible after completing a one year waiting period starting from the date of hire.
There is a 12 credit maximum for the academic year. The academic year begins with the fall semester (fall semester, spring semester, summer semester).
Eligible for 100% for courses offered by Fordham University in any undergraduate/graduate school for which tuition remission applies.
Part-time Administrators are not eligible for tuition remission at the Law School, the Executive MBA (EMBA) and the Joint JD/MBA programs.
Enrollment is subject to the approval of the employee’s supervisor.

ROTC Troop Unit Members

ROTC Troop Unit Members are eligible from date of hire
There is a 12 credit maximum for the academic year. The academic year begins with the fall semester (fall semester, spring semester, summer semester).
Eligible for 100% for two (2) courses per semester offered by Fordham University in any undergraduate/graduate school for which tuition remission applies. Eligible for 80% for two (2) courses per semester taken in the Executive MBA Program.
Enrollment is subject to the approval of the employee’s supervisor.

Dissertation mentoring charges, doctoral residency seminars, maintenance of matriculation fees, oral defense courses and comprehensive exam fees are covered under tuition remission for doctoral programs only.

An employee whose employment begins after the beginning of a school term or terminates prior to the ending of a school term is eligible only for a proportional part of a tuition grant, depending on the period of service.

Eligibility Requirements for Dependents

The following requirements must be met by eligible dependents:

Eligible dependents include your spouse or Legally Domiciled Adult (LDA) and child (biological, adopted, or stepchild, or eligible dependent of your LDA). For an LDA, the Certification of Domestic Partnership Form must be completed if not previously filed and already on record.

Eligible dependent children are eligible for undergraduate tuition remission through age 25 and graduate tuition remission through age 30.

To be eligible for tuition remission, dependents must be claimed on the employee’s most recent federal tax return or the eligible dependent must reside with the employee. Students who reside on campus or in off campus housing for purposes of attending school full time will be considered as residing with the employee. The Student’s permanent address should match the employee’s permanent address.

Eligible dependent(s) of part-time Administrators and Residential Life Directors are not eligible for tuition remission.

Eligible dependent(s) are subject to the same waiting period as the employee. There are no credit maximums for eligible dependents.

Eligible dependent(s) are eligible to receive:

100% tuition remission for undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools (except the Law School and Executive MBA programs).
After completing 5 years of service, dependents are eligible for 50% tuition remission in the Law School and the Executive MBA Programs.
After completing 15 years of service, dependents are eligible for 100% tuition remission in the Law School and 80% in the Executive MBA Program.
Dependent children of full-time faculty and administrators are eligible for one-half tuition remission at the Fordham Preparatory School.
Dependent children of full-time faculty and administrators are eligible for a 25% tuition discount at the Ursuline School.
Jesuits who are full-time faculty or administrators are eligible for 50% tuition remission for their brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.

In the event that a Fordham Faculty Member or Administrator with at least 10 years of full-time employment at the University dies or becomes totally disabled, the eligible dependent(s) of the deceased Faculty Member/Administrator shall be entitled to the same benefits to which they would have been entitled had the Faculty Member/Administrator continued on a full-time basis.

In the event that a Fordham Faculty Member of Administrator dies or becomes totally disabled before completing 10 years of full-time employment at the University, the employee’s spouse/ Category A LDA and/or your dependents are entitled to complete the degree program for which they were enrolled at the time of your disability or death.

Dependent(s) of an employee whose employment begins after the beginning of a school term or terminates prior to the ending of a school term is eligible only for a proportional part of a tuition grant, depending on the period of service.

Eligibility Requirements for Retired Employees and Their Dependents

Retirees, defined as age 62 or older with 10 years of full-time Fordham University service are eligible to enroll in courses offered by Fordham University for which tuition remission applies. The tuition remission benefit will not exceed the cost of tuition for two courses per semester or the Summer Session.

Eligible dependents of retirees are eligible for the same tuition remission benefits as active employees and follow the same eligibility criteria.

In the event a retired Faculty Member or Administrator with at least 10 years of full-time service dies, the dependents and spouse of the deceased Faculty Member or Administrator shall be entitled to the same benefits as when the Faculty Member or Administrator was alive.

Eligibility Requirements for Terminated Employees and Their Dependents

If you resign or are terminated, you are no longer entitled to receive tuition remission benefits beginning on your final day of employment. If you are making use of these benefits at the time of your resignation or termination, you may make arrangements to pay a prorated amount for the remainder of the semester.

If you have been employed for less than 3 years, and your job is eliminated, you, your spouse/Category A LDA and/or your dependent children may continue to use your tuition remission benefits for one semester after your employment ends.

If you have been employed for more than 3 years and your job is eliminated, you, your spouse/ Category A LDA, and/or your dependents are entitled to complete the degree program for which you or they are enrolled at the time your employment ends.

If you have been employed for 10 or more years, and your job is eliminated, your dependent children under the age of 18 at the time your employment ends are eligible to receive four years of tuition remission toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree when they reach college age.

Limitations and Exclusions

Fees (e.g. University fees, enrichment fees, general fees, technology fees, lab fees, audit fees, etc), are not eligible for tuition remission. Registration fees are the responsibility of all employees and balances must be paid in full in order to register for courses.

Books, supplies, room and board charges are not eligible for tuition remission.

Study abroad programs are not eligible for tuition remission. Tuition Remission, Tuition Exchange, and FACHEX can be applied to the cost for Fordham in London, Fordham in Granada, and Exchange Programs only.

Certificate programs must be job-related and have prior approval of the Area Vice President/Provost to be eligible for tuition remission.

All educational awards from any source (with the exception of PELL grants) will be regarded as tuition awards reducing tuition remission, unless documentation to the contrary is provided by the Grantor. Awards that are granted to specifically cover fees (ie. ProMBA Scholarship) will be first applied to fees and any remaining balance will be used to offset the tuition remission award.

2U programs are currently eligible for tuition remission benefits but are subject to change pursuant to the terms of the agreement between 2U and the University.

Graduate Tuition Remission Taxation

Graduate Tuition Remission Taxation for Self:

Graduate school and professional school tuition remission is a taxable benefit. Pursuant to IRS regulations, employees enrolled in graduate courses will be exempt from income tax withholding for the first $5,250 of the graduate tuition remission benefit per calendar year. Tuition remission in excess of $5,250 is taxable. Taxes are withheld through payroll deductions. Employees who can prove their courses are directly related to their current job responsibilities may be eligible for a tax exemption. The IRS guidelines mandate that the education must meet at least one of the following tests:

The education is required by the employer or by law for the employee to keep his or her salary, status or job. The required education must serve a bonafide business purpose of the employer.
The education maintains or improves skills needed in the job.

However, even if the education meets one or both of the above tests, it is not qualifying education if it:

Is needed to meet the minimum educational requirements of the employee’s present trade or business, or
Is part of a program of study that will qualify the employee for a new trade or business.

Graduate Tuition Remission Taxation for Spouse/Eligible Dependent(s):

Graduate tuition remission for spouses and eligible dependents are fully taxable. Taxes are withheld from the employee’s salary through payroll deductions.

If you and/or your eligible dependent(s) drop classes after the add/drop period the tuition remission award will continue to be applied to the bill and the employee will still be responsible for the applicable taxes.

Tuition Remission Application Procedures

Faculty and Administrators:

Complete the Employee or Dependent Online Tuition Remission Application located on the employee portal under Tuition Remission / Tuition Exchange.

The employee application requires the approval signature of the supervisor, with final approval by Human Resources.

Pursuant to University policy all students are required to file for NYS Tuition Assistance and therefore must file a FAFSA in order to receive disbursement of Tuition Remission unless they meet one of the following criteria:

are enrolled less than full-time (12 credits)
are not matriculated
employees who earn over $128k in NYS Taxable Income
one of the parents is an employee who earns over $128k in NYS Taxable Income
students who are not NYS residents

Additional supporting documentation may be requested for proof of income.

The tuition remission application must be received by the Office of Human Resources Management no later than 30 days after the end of the registration period or two weeks before classes begin, whichever occurs first. Failure to provide the tuition remission application within that period may result in the loss of tuition remission benefits for that semester/trimester.

Falsification of the tuition remission application may result in permanent termination of tuition remission benefits.

Graduate Tuition Waiver Application Procedures

Please refer to the Employee - Tuition Remission-Graduate Tax Waiver User Guide

The Graduate Tuition Tax Waiver Committee will review the waiver application and provide approval as applicable.

Revised March 18, 2023