Tuition Waivers/Release Time for Employees

Printable Employee Tuition Waiver Form (pdf document)

I. Section 820 of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education Policy Manual and Section 33 of the North Dakota University System Human Resource Policy Manual provide that university employees may receive a tuition and activity fee waiver for no more than three academic classes per calendar year. The employee is responsible for charges other than tuition and activity fees. This includes charges such as the technology fee, Connect ND fee, special course fees and access fees.

II. All regular staff employees may be allowed release time from their regular duties for the purpose of enrolling in one academic class per semester. A supervisor grants release time as long as it does not interfere with the essential work of the institution (up to a maximum of five hours per work week).

III. Staff employees must have successfully completed their probationary period prior to the start of a term to be eligible.

IV. The waiver is not applicable to MSU OC4 classes. OC4 classes are Distance Education courses normally offered by the Center for Extended Learning and include classes such as online, IVN and correspondence.

V. MSU employees should complete an “Employee Tuition Waiver Request” form when requesting a tuition waiver for an academic class. The form must be signed/approved by the supervisor and the MSU Controller.

VI. The employee, like all other students, is responsible for registering for his/her own class(es). Likewise, the employee is responsible for dropping or withdrawing from his/her class(es).
 
If an employee wants to reduce their load by one or more course(s), the employee may drop the course(s) as long as the employee retains a minimum of one course. To avoid paying for a course or to be able to take the class again using a tuition waiver, the class must be dropped by the end of the seventh day of a term. See published schedule when term is less than the standard length (i.e., summer, term II at Minot AFB).
 
If an employee does not retain a minimum of one course, the employee must complete the withdrawal process with the Financial Aid Office. The employee’s portion (e.g., technology fee, ConnectND fee, special course fee and access fee) of his/her financial obligation will be based on the published withdrawal dates and percentage.

VII. Regular staff employees are not eligible for a rest period (break) during the morning or afternoon in which they attend class. For example, if an employee uses release time to attend a class from 8 to 9 am, the employee is not eligible for a morning rest period that day.

VIII. MSU will waive tuition and fees for a maximum of twelve semester hours per employee per calendar year.

IX. Tuition and fees will not be waived by the university more than once for the same class, unless the class was approved for a previous term but dropped by the employee prior to the end of the seventh day of that term.