Academic Release and Tuition Support

Texas State full-time benefits-eligible employees can participate in college or university credit courses taken at Texas State or other accredited higher educational institutions.

Employees with good academic standing may have certain fees and designated tuition waived for courses taken at Texas State. Employees may also receive paid class release time to attend courses, if held during their normal work hours.

academic release and tuition support video — Learn more about how to enjoy these great educational benefits.

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Leave & Tuition Support
- Paid Class Release Time
  In order to be eligible for paid class release time during your normal work schedule, you must:
  - be approved by your department head;
  - complete and submit the Academic Release and Tuition Support Form in SAP;
  - stay within the limits of three hours per week (all semesters);
  - make up any time taken in excess of the allotted release time limits; and
  - record time in SAP as "Class Release Time", using time code 3070".
  Note: Supervisors may ask participating employees to make up for the hours away from work.
- Waiver of Fees and Designated Tuition
  - In order to be eligible for a waiver, you must remain in good academic standing by meeting the Financial Aid GPA qualifications of Satisfactory Academic Progress for continued awards per Texas Education Code 54.2001.
  - Eligible employees registering for courses are automatically identified in the system and verified by Student Business Services. (Please note that employees do not have to complete the form to receive the fees and designated tuition waivers.)
  Note: Courses offered through the Office of Distance and Extended Learning are not included in the fee waiver process, including Study Abroad, Correspondence, Texas State Intensive English (TSIE), and Continuing Education.
- List of Fees Waived
  ID Service fee;
  
  International Education fee;
  
  Recreational Sports fee;
  
  Computer service fee;
  
  LBJ Student Center fee;
  
  Environmental service fee;
  
  Bus fee;
  
  Medical service fee;
  
  Athletics fee;
  
  Designated Tuition
  
  Student service fee
  
  Library fee;
  
  Off-campus course fee;
  
  Electronic course fee;
  
  Student publication fee.
How to Participate
- Eligibility to participate
  
  In order to participate, employees must be full-time, benefits-eligible and in good academic standing by the by the 12th class day (spring and fall terms), or the 4th class day (summer term).
- Preliminary review and conversation with supervisor
  
  Review eligibility requirements and have preliminary conversations with your supervisor if classes are within your normal work hours.
- Who should submit the form?
  Employees who request the following should submit the form available in SAP, under ESS+:
  - paid leave,
  - wish to opt-out of the waiver, or
  - have tuition and fees paid by their department.
- How to complete and submit the Academic Release and Tuition Support Form
  Employees can access the new form in the SAP Portal, under ESS+. Please review the following resources for more guidance:
  - Employee User Guide
  - Supervisor User Guide
- What are the form deadlines?
  
  All approved forms are due by the 12th class day (spring and fall term), or the 4th class day (summer term).

General FAQs

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Enrollment & Tuition Support
- Do I need to be enrolled at Texas State to take academic courses?
  No, you may be considered for admission as a non-degree seeking student. Please visit the following websites below for more details.
  - Undergraduate courses
  - Graduate courses
- If I take courses at another college or university, how will I be reimbursed?
  
  Reimbursement for courses at other accredited higher education institutions will occur once the employee has provided proof of payment.
  
  Once the proper documentation has been verified, an e-NPO will be processed.
  
  Note: It is the employee’s responsibility to coordinate payment through their direct supervisor and account manager. Departments can also make a direct payment to the institution.
- What is the cost of tuition?
  
  Tuition and fee information are accessible by visiting the Student Business Services website. Please use this link to access the current Texas State tuition rates.
- Does the waiver cover all my tuition?
  
  The program does not cover tuition costs. Eligible participants will only have fees and designated tuition waived.
- Why aren't study abroad & correspondence courses covered for fee waivers?
  
  Courses offered through the Office of Distance Learning, Study Abroad and Correspondence do not receive tax support, therefore, those courses are not covered by the waiver.
- Which courses are considered Distance Learning?
  
  Please contact the Office of Distance Learning at 5.2322 for more information.
- Does participating in this program affect my Financial aid?
  
  It could. If need be, you may opt-out of receiving the waiver.
  
  Please contact Financial Aid & Scholarships at 5.2315 to discuss your particular case. For questions about billing, please contact Student Business Services at 5.2544.
- When will the fee and designated tuition waivers be applied to my student account?
  
  The fee and designated tuition waivers will be applied to your account after grades post for the previous semester (even if you were not enrolled).
- How do drops, withdrawal, and refunds work?
  
  It is the responsibility of each student to abide by the rules and regulations.Students wishing to withdraw from all classes will forfeit their fee and designated tuition waivers.
  
  In order to avoid any financial obligation, please refer to the Academic Calendar or refund schedules for specific withdrawal deadlines. (Please note that dropping and withdrawing are two very different actions and the refund schedule are not similar.)
  
  Contact Office of the University Registrar at 5.2367 for more information.
- How will dropping a class or withdrawing from my classes affect me?
  
  Students wishing to withdraw from all classes will forfeit the fee and designated tuition waivers. Students must withdraw from the University prior to the first official University class day for any semester or term to avoid financial obligation.
  
  Withdrawal Information is available on the Office of the University Registrar website.
  
  Please note that dropping a course or withdrawing from the University does not relieve a student of their financial obligation to the University for any unpaid charges (including financial aid adjustments) incurred for the related semester or term.
  
  The refund percentages are applicable to all tuition and fees except non-refundable fees including late fees and orientation fees. It is the responsibility of each student to abide by the rules and regulations.
- Why did the reimbursement program change?
  
  This change stems from a TSUS Board of Regents approval of Designated Tuition set to $0 for all full-time faculty and staff, which includes the waiver of certain fees. This decision was made in order to lessen financial barriers for educational opportunities.
Paid Class Release Time
- Does class release time cover courses taken elsewhere?
  
  Yes. If you are a full-time benefits-eligible employee and have received approval from your supervisor to take a course in other accredited higher education institutions during your regular work hours, you may receive class release time.
Participation Eligibility
- If I want to participate in this program, do I need to fill out a form each semester?
  If you are requesting the following you must complete the form by the 12th class day (for long semesters) and 4th day of class day (summer session):
  - paid class release time,
  - opt-out of fee waiver, and/or
  - department funds to cover tuition and other fees,
  Note: You do not have to complete the form to receive the fees and designated tuition waivers.
- What if I don't have an acceptable passing GPA?
  
  In order to be eligible to receive the waivers, you must remain in good academic standing by meeting an equivalent GPA to the Texas State GPA qualifications of Satisfactory Academic Progress for continued awards per Texas Education Code 54.2001. Enrollment for the following semester will be allowed if the GPA is acceptable.
  
  If a failing GPA is on record from the previous semester, enrolling into the program will not be allowed for the upcoming semester.
Supervisor Approval
- Is the Academic Release and Tuition Support form sent to my supervisor for approval?
  
  Yes, the form in SAP is routed to your immediate supervisor and/or department head for approval.
- Can my supervisor ask me to make up for hours not worked?
  
  Yes. Supervisors have the discretion to ask participating employees to make up for hours away from the office, depending on office needs and project goals.
  
  These are necessary conversations that should happen before employees apply for and/or are approved to participate in the program.

Contact Information

General questions about the Academic Release and Tuition Support program | Organizational Development & Communications | hr_odc@txstate.edu

Billing and fees, including opting-out | Student Business Services | tuiassist@txstate.edu.

Financial aid information | Financial Aid and Scholarships | financialaid@txstate.edu.