WashU Employee Tuition Assistance Benefit

Washington University Campus

Washington University provides its faculty and staff and their families with tuition assistance to foster their continuing education.

Eligibility

  • Employee must be a regular full-time benefits-eligible employee who has been employed for one year prior to the first day of classes.
  • To remain eligible, employees must remain enrolled through the completion of the course and receive a passing grade.
  • A grade of incomplete must be converted to a passing grade within 60 days of the end of the semester. 
  • Employees regularly working during the day are eligible for evening courses starting at 4pm or later.
  • Employees regularly working during the evening may enroll in courses starting before 4pm.
  • Vacation time must be used in order to receive the Tuition benefit toward an intense format class which requires the employee to be absent from their job. 

For complete details on the university’s tuition assistance program, visit WashU’s Human Resources tuition assistance website.

Employee Benefits

  • Regular full-time university employees receive 100% tuition remission for the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) undergraduate for-credit courses and 50% tuition remission for CAPS graduate for-credit courses, up to 7 units per semester.
  • Employees taking undergraduate courses in CAPS do not need to submit a form.
  • Employees taking Graduate courses must submit the appropriate Graduate Tuition Assistance form (Job-Related) (Non-Job-Related) before the first day of classes and be admitted to a degree program. The original should be sent to Human Resources and a copy should be sent to CAPS (MSC 1064-134-1001).

Learn more about the WashU Employee Tuition Assistance Benefit.

Spouse / Domestic Partner Benefits

After one year of continuous full-time service your spouse/domestic partner may use the tuition assistance benefit to pay for undergraduate courses taken at the university through a part-time evening program. After five years of full-time service the benefit will cover undergraduate level day courses at the University. The benefit pays 50% of the tuition cost. This benefit is tax-free for spouses, but is a taxable benefit to the employee when utilized for domestic partners.

Washington University provides two forms of tuition assistance benefits to the spouses/domestic partners of Full-time Employees:

  1. undergraduate courses offered through evening programs at the university (beginning at 4 p.m. or later) effective after the employee has completed one year of employment prior to the beginning of the semester; and
  2. all other undergraduate courses offered through the university after the employee has completed five current consecutive years of full-time service.

The appropriate Spouse / Domestic Partner Tuition Assistance form must be submitted before the first day of classes. The original should be sent to Human Resources and a copy should be sent to CAPS (MSC 1064-134-1001).

For more information, read our Spouse/Domestic Partner Tuition Plan.

Postdoctoral Appointee Benefits

Washington University is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our postdoctoral research appointees (“postdocs”).

  • Individuals appointed under the Postdoctoral Education Policy (effective July 1, 2004) having the titles of Postdoctoral Research Associate and Postdoctoral Research Scholar are eligible for the Postdoctoral Tuition Plan.
  • Qualified individuals receive tuition remission on up to 4 credits per semester of CAPS undergraduate for-credit course work.
  • Courses may be taken at any time during the day or evening, but must be undergraduate level (400 and below) and for career development purposes only.
  • Courses may be taxable to Postdoctoral Research Scholars (non-employees). 
  • Postdocs must submit the appropriate Postdoctoral Appointee Tuition Assistance form (signed by their PI) to the appropriate person at their School for approval (see the form for details).

For more information, visit WashU’s Postdoctoral Appointees website.

Dependent Child Benefits

After seven years of full-time service (or its equivalent if you work part-time), your eligible dependent children may receive up to eight semesters of tuition assistance for undergraduate studies. The level of benefit paid is determined by your date of hire and full or part-time status at the time you utilize the benefit. Tuition assistance benefits are tax-free for birth, adopted and stepchildren. Benefits for children of domestic partners are a taxable benefit to the employee. Special Note: Prior full-time service at another accredited university may count toward the service requirement for this benefit.

Washington University provides two forms of tuition assistance benefits for dependent children of  its full- and part-time employees who meet certain eligibility requirements:

  1. full tuition remission benefit at the university and a partial tuition remission benefit at other accredited institutions for the dependent children of full-time employees, and
  2. partial tuition remission benefit at the university and other accredited institutions for the dependent children of part-time employees.

Learn more about the employee dependent tuition assistance plan.

Course Restrictions

Applied Music and Audited courses are not eligible for tuition remission.

Passing Grade Requirement

  • Employees, Spouses, Domestic Partners, and Postdocs must remain enrolled through the completion of the course and receive a passing grade.
  • A grade of incomplete must be converted to a passing grade within 60 days of the end of the semester.
  • Penalties for failed, incomplete, or dropped courses will be the financial responsibility of the student.
  • If an account balance is not settled within one billing cycle, payroll deduction will automatically be initiated.

Fees

  • The tuition benefit plan only covers tuition.
  • Individuals must remit payment via check, credit card, financial aid, or payroll deduction (submit the payroll deduction form) for fees not covered by the benefit plan (books, lab and material fees, etc.).
  • Your registration will be processed upon receipt of payment or approved documentation.
  • Overdue account balances will be automatically payroll deducted.

Leaving the University

If a currently eligible employee terminates his or her employment with the university after classes begin for the academic semester, the employee can retain their tuition benefit for that semester but not for any future semesters.

Questions? Contact us.

Dependent child tuition benefits 
Bright Horizons/EdAssist

Eligibility for benefits 
Benefits Service Center, 314-935-2332 or hr-benefitsmail@wustl.edu

Tuition assistance taxation 
WashU Tax Manager, 314-935-8283

Taxes withheld from your paycheck 
WashU Payroll Representative, 314-935-5792