Tuition Assistance Program

Transcription

1 Tuition Assistance Program Purpose: The employees of the County of Marin are our greatest asset. By investing in the education of our current employees, we invest in our future workforce. We enable employees to seek greater roles of responsibility within the County and strengthen their ability to serve the people that live and work within the County. This program is designed to help foster the ability of our employees to expand their knowledge, increase their marketable skills and to help advance their career within the County. It is a new resource that broadens the opportunities for training and development for County staff. It is not to shift accountability and funding for maintaining credentials, licenses and continuing education for the position currently held by any employee. Program Overview: Human Resources will establish a Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Review committee of seven (7) employees from across the County. This committee will review all applications and determine eligibility. Denials of requests can be appealed to the Director of Human Resources who will have the final decision. The Director of HR s decision is final and cannot be appealed and is not eligible for grievance. Each Fiscal Year the County Administrator will work with Human Resources to establish a budget for this program. The amount set will vary by year and may not be funded at all. Funding levels in any given year do not guarantee similar funding in future years. Program Eligibility: The program is open to all regular and limited term employees who have been in a regular or limited term position for at least six (6) months and have achieved at a rating of at least competent and effective on their most recent Performance Review. Reimbursement: Employees may be reimbursed up to 50% of the total eligible expenses up to a maximum of $3,000 per Fiscal year. Eligible Expenses: Funds may be used for any professionally recognized or accredited education to include: Registration Fees Tuition Laboratory Fees Textbooks, Publications, Workbooks, Videos etc. as required by the program enrolled in. 1

2 Supplies, travel expenses, computers and other equipment, software, internet connections, parking, seminar admission fees, student body fees and any optional fees are not eligible. These must be paid by the employee and will not be reimbursed. Eligible Programs: The annual maximum award can be applied to: Individual Classes or Coursework Professional Certifications & Licenses that are not required for the employee s current position Degree Programs (Associate and Bachelor) Advanced Degrees Ineligible Expenses and Programs Any expense for any class, coursework, program, certification, or license that is required for the employee s current position. This can include: Professional and technical licenses required of the position Mandatory continuing education Mandatory certifications Reimbursement Process: Appeals 1. Employees submit a completed application package to Human Resources containing: a. Completed Reimbursement Request form signed by the employee, their supervisor and department head. b. Proof of payment for requested amount. Minimum reimbursement is $ c. Proof of successful completion of coursework. 2. Human Resources will submit all complete applications to the TAP Review committee in the order received. 3. The TAP Review committee will meet once each quarter and make a determination on each application. 4. Applications will be reviewed until all funds for a specific Fiscal Year have been allocated and spent. 5. Employees may receive conditional approval for their reimbursement prior to completing the coursework; however, no funds will be reimbursed until successful completion and all criteria for reimbursement are met. 6. Funds eligible to be reimbursed will be paid based on an established schedule through payroll. No off cycle checks will be processed. 2

3 If an application is denied by a department, an explanation and basis for the denial will be provided by the department head. If an application is denied by the TAP review committee a written explanation of the specific reasons will be provided to the employee. This notice will specify any needed documentation. In the event the application is denied and the only reason is for missing documentation, the application can be resubmitted along with the required documents to the review committee. Denied reimbursement claims may be appealed to the Human Resources Director who makes the final reimbursement eligibility determination on all TAP claims. Reimbursement Payments: Employees are eligible to receive a reimbursement when: 1. The employee has incurred the expense 2. The TAP Review committee has approved their application, or 3. The Director of Human Resources has approved their appeal, and 4. The employee has submitted proof of successful completion of the coursework (C or better in graded work, certificate of completion, or awarding of professional certificate or license). Proof must be submitted within 60 days of completion or award. Claims submitted after the 60 day limit will not be approved, and 5. Funds are still available within the appropriate budget category. Taxability of Payments: Questions: This program will be administered under applicable regulations primarily IRC 132. In order for benefits paid to be non-taxable they must be necessary to maintain or improve current job skills or facilitate advancement within the same or similar classification. For example, an employee in Human Resources obtaining their Professional in Human Resources certification would improve current job skills. Or, an Account Clerk I taking an advanced accounting course so that they could be promoted to Account Clerk II. Reimbursements that lead to new job classes or unrelated programs will be taxable reimbursements. For example an accountant taking classes to become a Certified Public Accountant (new class), or a Secretary going to school to obtain a Bachelor s degree in Science (unrelated program). Any taxable reimbursement will be included in the employee s W-2 corresponding with when the reimbursement was paid. Scott Hadley, Employee Benefits Supervisor shadley@marincounty.org or (415)

4 Tuition Assistance Program Review Committee County Representatives: these members may be identified by position and can remain on the committee for as long as they hold that position. Two members of the Management Council chosen by the Council One member of the County Human Resources staff chosen by the HR Director Labor Representatives: bargaining units will be offered a seat on the committee beginning with the largest bargaining unit and working down until all seats have been taken. Members can serve for no more than three (3) years on the committee County employees only Can include unrepresented employees, all unrepresented will be considered one Bargaining Unit regardless of actual job duties Representatives that miss three (3) consecutive meetings can be removed from the committee by consensus among the labor representatives on the committee. Initial Committee Members Scott Hadley Jason Weber Marin County Fire Lauren Houde Assessor Recorder Human Resources Member Management Council Member Management Council Member Labor Representative 1 Labor Representative 2 Labor Representative 3 Labor Representative 4 4

5 Reimbursement Schedule The Committee will meet the third Thursday of the second month of each fiscal quarter (August, November, February and May). If employees submit their application to Human Resources by the first of the month of the meeting, HR will review the application prior to the meeting for completeness. This review does not obligate the Committee to approve application; it is only to help avoid denied applications due to missing information. The deadline for submitting applications is one week prior to the meeting. Any application received after the deadline will be held for the meeting the following quarter. Employees will be notified of the status of their request one week after the meeting. All approved requests will be paid by the last pay date of the fiscal quarter. Off cycle checks will not be processed. Example Schedule: Item Date Ongoing Timing Date to submit reimbursement request for review prior to committee review May 1, 2014 Frist day of the month containing the committee meeting Deadline to submit complete reimbursement request May 8, 2014 One week prior to the committee meeting Date of committee meeting May 15, 2014 Third Thursday of the Second month of the quarter Notice to employee of status of request May 22, 2014 One week after committee meeting Date of payment of approved requests June 20, 2014 Last pay date of each quarter 5

6 Tuition Assistance Program Reimbursement Request Form Name: Personnel Number: Department: Bargaining Unit: Work Location: Work Address: Work Phone Number: Job Title Full Time or Part TIme Are you a regular or limited term employee? Yes No Have you worked in a regular or limited term position for at least the last 6 Yes No months? (If you answered no to either question above, you are not eligible for this program.) Is this training legally required or mandatory training required for your current Yes No job? (If you answered yes to the question above, this request is not eligible for this program, but may be an expense your department is required to reimburse you for.) Have you already been approved for $3,000 tuition assistance reimbursements Yes No this fiscal year? (If you answered yes to the question above, you are not eligible for another reimbursement until the next fiscal year.) Course/Class/Workshop/Seminar/Conference Educational or Professional Institution or Organization Beginning Date Ending Date Number or Hours Number of Credits Registration/Tuition $ Class Materials $ Other $ (specify) Total $ Employee Job Relevancy Statement (State below how this expense relates to your current position, performance plan and/or career goals) Is this expense necessary to maintain or improve current job skills or facilitate Yes No advancement within the same or similar classification? (If you answered yes to the question above, this reimbursement is not taxable. If you answered no it is a taxable benefit and the amount of the reimbursement will be included on the W-2 in the calendar year paid.) The undersigned, under the penalty of perjury states: that no part thereof has been heretofore due, and that the amount therein is justly due. The undersigned also acknowledges that the County has relied on the statement of the undersigned to determine taxability and that any taxes, or penalties owed due to misclassifying the taxability are the responsibility of the undersigned. Employee Signature Date 6

7 To be completed by Supervisor Date of Last Performance Review Rating on last Performance Review of at least Competent and Effective Yes No Supervisor Signature Date The department supports this application as an acceptable use of the Tuition Assistance Program: Department Head Signature Date Date Reviewed by Reimbursement Committee: Approved Denied Reason for Denial Amount Approved: Non-Taxable Taxable Signature HR Member of Committee: 7