Family-Friendly & Wellness Benefits

Ithaca College's educational benefit program consists of four types of benefits. These benefits are applicable to tuition only and do not apply to room, board or any fees.

Cash Award 

• The cash award benefit is for employees with legally dependent children who are under the age of 25 and pursuing their first undergraduate degree at an accredited institution other than Ithaca College. The cash award benefit is in the amount of $500 per semester for a maximum of $4,000 per child. The benefit must be requested on a semester-by-semester basis by the parent. A copy of the billing statement for the semester must accompany the request form for the semester in which the employee is requesting the benefit for. The $500 payment is sent directly to the college or university in which the child is attending. Review of the applications begin in late-July and continues through early-September. Once the application is processed an email is sent to the employee.
• Please note you will need to upload the tuition billing statement for the semester you are submitting the request for.
• Deadlines
  • Spring Semester - December 1
  • Fall Semester - September 1

Employee Tuition Remission | Please see here for more information on Employee Tuition Remission

• The maximum number of credit hours granted for each eligible employee may not exceed 8 per semester. Employees may not enroll for more than 8 credit hours in summer sessions I and II combined and not more than 8 credit hours in the winter session and spring semester combined.
• Consideration of the work demands of the department shall be prioritized over class schedule.
• All classes must be approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor.
• Employees may not be absent from their job for more than three hours per week and must either 1) make up time missed or 2) use approved personal or vacation paid time away balances.
• Only credit bearing courses are covered under Tuition Remission.
• Applicable course fees that are associated with a class are not covered by the Tuition Remission benefit.
• Tuition remission benefits are not applicable for courses from which faculty compensation is derived as a percentage of revenue generated (i.e., for independent studies, tutorials, internships, performance study instruction, or any other type of individualized study).
• Tuition remission benefits may be applied only to undergraduate courses in which at least seven tuition-paying students have enrolled or to graduate courses in which at least four tuition-paying students have enrolled.

Deadlines

• At least one month prior to the start of every semester they wish to take classes.

Dependent Tuition Remission 

• Dependent tuition remission benefits are granted for 8 semesters or 120 credit hours. Credits will be subtracted from the bank of credits when used by an eligible dependent. If a student is enrolled in a program which requires more than 120 credits, additional credits will be charged at the normal per-hour tuition rate.
• Tuition remission benefits are used based on credit hours taken, not the number of credit hours successfully completed. Tuition remission credit hours are still charged if a course is dropped after the official add-drop period, if the course is not successfully completed, or if the student receives a failing grade.
• Tuition remission benefits are not applicable for courses from which faculty compensation is derived as a percentage of revenue generated (i.e., for independent studies, tutorials, internships, performance study instruction, or any other type of individualized study).
• Employees whose dependents are enrolled in a course of study that requires individualized study during the summer or winter sessions should contact the Office of Human Resources before applying for any tuition remission benefits. A dependent who wishes to take an independent study that is not covered under the tuition remission benefit would have to pay the normal per-hour tuition rate.
• Applications for winter and summer sessions will not be approved/denied until 3 business days prior to the start of the session.
• Tuition remission benefits may be applied only to undergraduate courses in which at least seven tuition-paying students have enrolled.
• Deadlines
  • Winter Semester - November 1
  • Spring Semester - November 15
  • Summer Semester - April 1
  • Fall Semester - June 30

Tuition Exchange

In addition, Ithaca College is a member of the Tuition Exchange. The Tuition Exchange is a reciprocal scholarship opportunity at the over 700 Tuition Exchange schools and is available to dependents of employees who meet Ithaca College’s educational benefits eligibility criteria as defined above.

The value of a Tuition Exchange scholarship ranges from the Tuition Exchange set rate up to the full cost of tuition at the Tuition Exchange member school. Scholarships are not guaranteed (i.e. not all students that apply for a tuition exchange scholarship will be awarded one) and may be offset by federal grants, state grants, institutional scholarships/grants, or outside scholarships the student is awarded at the Tuition Exchange member school. Each Tuition Exchange school has the flexibility in determining the specific parameters for their tuition exchange program.

To find out more about the Tuition Exchange scholarship and to review a list of Tuition Exchange schools, visit the Tuition Exchange website at www.tuitionexchange.org.

• Deadlines
  • Export candidates (dependents of Ithaca College employees) - March 1
  • Import candidates (dependents of employees at other Tuition Exchange schools looking to attend Ithaca College) - December 1