Fee Waiver - Employee

• Employee Eligibility
• Deadlines
• Points to Remember
• Helpful Tips
• Career Development and Job Related
• Unit Limitation
• Fees
• Use of State Time
• Inter-Campus Enrollment
• Taxable Educational Benefits
• Evaluation
• Further Eligibility Information

Employee Eligibility

The California State University (CSU) Presidents or their designees have been delegated authority to waive and reduce fees for enrollment of eligible employees in job related or career development courses.

For information on transferring your Fee Waiver benefit, click here.

Units 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 - Full-time employees (i.e. Permanent, temporary and probationary), part-time permanent employees and full-time employees who are on an approved full or partial leave without pay.

Unit 3 - Tenured and probationary faculty unit employees, and temporary faculty unit employees (excluding coaches) with three (3) year appointments. Coaches must have at least six (6) years of full-time equivalent service in the department for enrollment in the CSU fee waiver program. FERP employees are considered tenured faculty and are eligible for fee waiver only during the semesters/quarters when they are actively employed.

Unit 1 - All unit members are eligible

Units 8, Confidential(C99), Excluded(E99) and Executive(MPP and M98)- Full-time or part-time permanent employees and full-time probationary employees (no temporary). Excluded (E99) FERP employees are considered tenured faculty and are eligible for fee waiver only during the semesters/quarters when they are actively employed. Confidential (C99) and Excluded (E99) employees only attain permanent status in part-time positions as a result of completing a probationary period in a full-time position and subsequently reducing their timebase.

The Human Resources Office - Professional Development and Training must determine your eligibility. 

The following employees are not eligible to participate: graduate assistants, student assistants, auxiliary organization employees, part-time temporary employees.

Deadlines

For current deadlines, please view our Dates to Remeber page.

Forms must be complete with all appropriate signatures and supplemental documents. Do not remove any copies of the form - they will be mailed to you upon completion of processing your Fee Waiver paperwork.

Note: If all forms are not received by the deadline, the student will have to pay full fees and will be facilitated a refund upon completion of processing Fee Waiver paperwork for approved coursework.

Points to Remember

• Fee Waiver participants are responsible for notifying our office of any changes in approved course(s) by submitting a memorandum with the appropriate signatures to the attention of Kim Harrington, 6032. 
• Employees in positions funded from sources other than CSUS, graduate assistants, student assistants and part-time temporary employees are not eligible for this benefit. 
• Fee Waiver participants do not receive priority status when registering and may not audit classes. 
• Please allow 10 working days processing time once we receive the completed application(s) in Human Resources.

Helpful Tips

• To apply to the University, please go to http://www.csumentor.edu/AdmissionApp/. Complete the online application, pay the application fee, and submit a copy of your confirmation page to our office to receive a refund of the $55.00 application fee. 
• If using the Fee Waiver, do not select "installment plan" when choosing how to pay for your registration fees. 
• Call and make an appointment to meet with an Admissions counselor. For referral to the appropriate academic department, contact Undergraduate Admissions, at 278-3901; for Graduate Admissions 278-6470. Bring your transcripts and test scores with you to your Admissions appointment. Otherwise, for Undergraduate Admissions, send all necessary transcripts and test scores to CSUS ATTN: Admissions and Records Office. For Graduate Admissions, please contact the Graduate Center for instructions.

Career Development and Job Related

Career Development Course
A career development course is determined to contribute to the growth and development of an employee and to reach specific performance objectives and career goals as established in a Career Development Plan approved by the President's designee. 

A career development plan is a written program that outlines the specific courses, work experience, and training activities that are being undertaken to qualify for a different or higher level classification within the university system.

Job Related
A job related course is a course that the supervisor and employee agree is potentially helpful in improving the skills or knowledge of the employee in performing the duties of his or her present job.

Unit Limitation

An eligible employee may be granted approval to enroll in two (2) courses or six (6) units, whichever is greater, per semester. Enrollment by eligible employees, not on reduced pay status, for units more than the unit requirement per semester allowed under this program requires payment of additional fees. 

Fees

*Tuition Fee may be fully waived for a maximum of two (2) courses or six (6) units, whichever is greater, per term. This includes the tuition fee charged during state-supported summer term and Doctorate Tuition Fee charged for the CSU Ed.D. Program. The Tuition Fee applies to Undergraduate, Credential, Graduate/Post Baccalaureate and Doctorate Tuition Fees.

Fees for any units taken beyond units approved under the Fee Waiver Program will be the difference between the full State University fee and the fees waived or reduced. Late fees are not waived.

NOTE: A fee waiver may not be approved for enrollment in any course offered under a self-supporting program such as Winter Intersession or Extension classes.

Use of State Time

A manager or supervisor may grant approval for an employee to enroll in a maximum of one (1) course per semester during working hours without loss of pay. The use of State time for this purpose will be granted only if the orderly functioning of the department to which the employee is assigned will not be adversely affected as determined by the supervisor.

Employees voluntarily enrolling in a course(s) outside the Fee Waiver program will not be granted time off with pay to attend such a course(s). The employee may be granted vacation leave or leave without pay to attend such course(s).

However, if the employee is directed to attend a course, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires that the full amount of time required must be considered work time.

There is a reasonable sharing between the CSU and the employee of the time and expense to achieve the training objective. For the CSU this may include approval of the waiver and reduction of fees for enrollment. For the employee this may include dedication of personal time to attend classes and the payment of expenses beyond those fees waived pursuant to this Executive Order.

Inter-Campus Enrollment

Instances where employees need to enroll on their own time at a CSU campus other than the campus of employment will be provided with a written certification that enrollment is authorized under Section 41804 of Title 5, Administrative Code. This certification will be signed by the President's designee at the employing campus or Chancellor's Office, if applicable.

Taxable Educational Benefits

Under current Internal Revenue Service regulations, fees waived for undergraduate are excluded from taxes.  However, fees waived for post baccalaureate enrollment may be reported as taxable income for the employee.  Employees participating, in most cases, will exceed the Internal Revenue Code Section 127 limit ($5,250.00) and will be subject to taxation.

Evaluation

At the close of each term, a review is made of the grade(s) received for each course taken. Courses may not be taken for auditing purposes under the Fee Waiver Program. If the employee's performance in the course(s) is less than satisfactory, a review of the initial decision to use the program to meet specific training or development needs is conducted. In addition, a periodic review is made to determine whether reasonable progress is being made toward achievement of the goals outlined in the Career Development Plan.

UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE IN THE COURSE(S) OR LACK OF PROGRESS TOWARD THE GOALS OF A CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN MAY BE CAUSE FOR WITHHOLDING FURTHER APPROVAL FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM.

References: Education Code, Section 23763; Title 5 - California Administrative Code, Section 41804, Section 42703 (g); Fair Labor Standards Act (rev 11/07)

For Additional Information Contact:

Kim Harrington, Fee Waiver Coordinator
California State University, Sacramento
Del Norte Hall, Room 3010D
6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819-6032
Ph: (916) 278-6327
Email: training_development@csus.edu

Revised: 06/06/2012