OM 8.1.9 Spouse/Partner Tuition Assistance Program
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Effective Date: August 1975 |
Policy Contact: Human Resources |
Policy Purpose
Clarkson University provides a tuition discount for spouses and partners of regular fulltime administrative, supervisory, faculty, general staff and researchers on at least a 2 year contract to attend classes taken at Clarkson University.
Policy Summary
Spouses and partners of the administrative, supervisory, faculty and general staff who are regular full time employees and of researchers on at least a 2 year contract are entitled to enroll for credit in, courses taught at Clarkson University at a one third (1/3) discount rate.
Definition of Terms
Eligible Employees: All regular full- time exempt and non-exempt employees who work 37.5 or more hours per week. Research employees who are at least on a two year contract and work 37.5 or more hours per week.
Academic Year: Fall, Spring and Summer terms.
Domestic Partner: For purposes of ensuring consistent implementation of the President’s memorandum, a “domestic partner” is defined in OPM regulations (e.g. 5 C.F.R. § 875.213) as a person in a domestic partnership with an employee or annuitant of the same sex. The term “domestic partnership” is defined as a committed relationship between two adults, of the same sex, in which the partners—
- are each other’s sole domestic partner and intend to remain so indefinitely;
- maintain a common residence, and intend to continue to do so (or would maintain a common residence but for an assignment abroad or other employment-related, financial, or similar obstacle);
- are at least 18 years of age and mentally competent to consent to contract;
- share responsibility for a significant measure of each other’s financial obligations;
- are not married or joined in a civil union to anyone else;
- are not the domestic partner of anyone else;
- are not related in a way that, if they were of opposite sex, would prohibit legal marriage in the U.S. jurisdiction in which the partnership was formed;
- are willing to certify, if required by the agency, that they understand that willful falsification of any documentation required to establish that an individual is in a domestic partnership may lead to disciplinary action and the recovery of the cost of benefits received related to such falsification, as well as constitute a criminal violation under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, and that the method for securing such certification, if required, shall be determined by the agency; and
- are willing promptly to disclose, if required by the agency, any dissolution or material change in the status of the domestic partnership.
Policy Statement
Spouses/partners of the administrative, supervisory, faculty and general staff who are regular full time and of researchers on at least a 2 year contract are entitled to enroll in courses taught at Clarkson University for credit at a tuition charge which is one-third (1/3) the normal tuition charge.
Spouses/partners may take undergraduate and graduate level courses at the reduced tuition rate. To enroll, a Spousal/Partner Tuition Assistance Program form must be completed and submitted to HR prior to the start of the course.
Spousal benefit cannot be combined with other award programs in relation to aid. Recipients enrolled in graduate level courses should be aware there may be federal and state tax implications, and are encouraged to consult their tax advisor.
Procedures
Prior to the start of a semester, the employee spouse/partner must fill out the Spousal/Partner Tuition Assistance Program form. Human Resources must sign before the start of the class. Once the form is approved by Human Resources, the form will be submitted to Student Administrative Services for processing with Human Resources retaining responsibility for eligibility records.
History
Editorial Revision August 1975
Section Renumbered & Revised July 2011
Section Renumbered July 2012
Section Renamed & Revised July 2013
Revised October 2015