Dependents of AFT- member employees of the College may enroll in undergraduate programs and have the Annual Enrollment, Application and Credit Transfer fees waived. Such employee dependents will, however, have to pay in-state tuition rates for DIAL courses, for testing, and for portfolio assessment.
These dependents must also meet
college admissions standards (e.g., they must be 21 years of age or older). A
dependent is defined for these purposes as a spouse or a dependent child of an
AFT member employed by the College for at least one year’s time.
Staff
Tuition Waiver Program for AFT Members Wishing
to Undertake
Thomas
The College supports the educational aspirations
and achievements of the adult learner.
The offering of graduate-degree options at Thomas Edison State College
presents significant opportunities for those who wish to further their
education in support of their professional endeavors. Two employees represented by the AFT may
enter the program each fiscal year.
The following general guidelines present
specifics of eligibility and outline the steps in the process for determining
the granting of tuition waiver for graduate study. These guidelines present only a general
outline of practice. They may be altered
at the discretion of the President.
Guidelines:
1) Candidates must be
members of the AFT union; they must be full-time employees of the College; they
must be on multi-year contracts; and they may not have already earned a
graduate degree.
2) Candidates must have
achieved at least a “satisfactory, meets or exceeds” rating on performance
reviews for three of the last five years; they must abide by the same rules as
regular MS students; and they must already hold a Bachelor’s Degree.
3) Staff must complete
the normal application process, and meet all prescribed requirements for
admittance to the graduate program.
4) Candidates must be
willing to pay any graduation fee, and they must sign a letter of commitment to
finish the program.
Process:
1) Candidates shall apply
for consideration by a five-member committee whose members will be nominated by
the AFT president but appointed at the discretion of the President. Members of the committee should be drawn from
all three College divisions, and the Assistant Vice President for
Administration and Finance, or his/her designee, shall serve the committee by
certifying the validity of each candidate’s application. The Executive Assistant to the President will
also sit on the Committee. Applicants
must submit proof that they have met all criteria as outlined above. In cases wherein more than two candidates
have met all criteria, seniority shall be a determining factor.
2) The assistant vice
president for Graduate Studies shall advise the employee, in writing, of (a)
acceptance or rejection to or from the program, and (b) final determination
regarding tuition waiver, assuming acceptance into the program.
3) Tuition Waiver, when approved, shall only
apply toward the tuition cost of the program and shall not cover additional
expenses such as application fee, textbooks and supplies, graduation fee, and
other incidental costs.
4)
Academic
policies and procedures for all Thomas Edison State College graduate students
shall also apply to AFT-member students.
If such a student is dropped from a master’s degree program for academic
or other reasons covered under program policy, the employee shall reimburse the
College for all courses taken.
5)
In
consideration of the investment made by the College, all staff afforded tuition
waiver in this program must agree to continue in the employ of the College for
a minimum of two (2) years following the date of graduation. If they fail to do this, they must reimburse
the College for the amount of tuition waived, prorated on such factors as
actual length of time in the Master’s Degree Program and length of time elapsed
between the end of studies and departure from the College, unless otherwise
approved by the President.
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