Policy Number: III-21
Last Reviewed: November 2, 2023
Responsible Dept.: Human Resources
Office to contact for clarifications: Human Resources
A signed copy of this policy is available in the President’s Office.
Purpose:
Educational assistance is available to eligible employees to encourage and support educational and professional development opportunities when these opportunities benefit the college, enhance current job performance, and/or improve opportunities for advancement at Virginia Western. Employees who receive educational assistance may be required to sign a Continuation Agreement.
Definitions:
Ad Hoc Committee for Professional Development – A subcommittee of the Resource Team designed to assist in the review and recommendation of requests to the president of the educational assistance funding distribution. The Chair of the Subcommittee will be a member of the Resource Team. The membership of the committee will be compromised of the Chairs of each Senate (Faculty, Staff, and Administrative), a Resource Team member, and a Human Resources Liaison. If a member of the subcommittee is an applicant for educational assistance, they must recuse themselves from review of their application.
Continuation Agreement – An employee agreement to remain employed with the college for at least six months after receiving reimbursement or upfront payment for educational assistance. Employees who receive educational leave with pay will be required to sign a Continuation of Employment Agreement twice that of the leave period.
Degree Requirement – Academic courses taken at regionally accredited institutions (a) to enable qualified administrative and teaching faculty to attain advanced degrees for the maintenance of established standards of the college, promotion, or to meet specific needs that have been authorized by the college; or (b) to enable classified employees to complete degree programs which will enhance job performance or support the college’s mission.
Educational Assistance – Educational assistance may provide financial support for professional development activities, such as graded college coursework, the acquisition of job-related degrees, job-related professional certifications, job-related training, job-related conferences, and/or job-related licenses. Employees seeking financial assistance for these activities must have the request pre-approved. Books are not an eligible expense. The amount of financial assistance for each course taken shall not exceed the three-hour credit hour cost for tuition and mandatory fees at Virginia Tech. For college coursework within Virginia Western, refer to the Continuous Learning Policy and procedures for employees.
Educational Leave – A pre-approved unconditional leave that can be with or without pay that allows employees to further their education through study related to their work or that of the college. Educational assistance may be combined with educational leave. Educational leave requests may consist of full pay, partial pay or leave without pay for up to 12 months. For the exception of an unconditional leave without pay, employees shall be required in accordance with VCCS policy to sign a Continuation of Employment Agreement to work for the college for a period twice that of the leave period.
Educational Assistance Request Form (form VCCS-16) – A required form that an employee completes when requesting educational assistance for college coursework.
Eligible Employees – Educational assistance shall only apply to non-probationary full-time faculty rank and non-probationary full- time classified employees in accordance with DHRM and VCCS policy.
Job Related Courses – Courses related to employees’ current positions to meet one of the following objectives: (a) to provide training in the use of new or modified methods and/or equipment; (b) to provide training in skills and knowledge required by changes in the employees’ current positions, or (c) the completion of courses as it relates to promotional requirements for faculty.
New Employees – Probationary employees within their first year of becoming a full-time employee.
Non-Job Related Courses – Coursework within degree programs that will enhance job performance or support the college’s/System Office’s mission. Coursework must be a part of a degree program.
Professional Development Request Form – The form used to request consideration for Professional Development funds.
Promissory Note – A required form for participation in the Educational Assistance Program when requesting upfront payment for tuition. The employee is acknowledging their requirement to make a “C” or better in the class; otherwise, under obligation of this contract, the employee must repay the college.
Taxable Benefit – In accordance with IRS regulations, financial assistance may be or become a taxable benefit to the employee. Employees will be notified if they are subject to paying taxes In consideration of college coursework, the threshold is inclusive of tuition costs both through the Educational Assistance and Continuous Learning Program for the tax year.
Unconditional Leave Without Pay – An unconditional leave without pay is a pre-approved absence from work in excess of 14 consecutive calendar days without pay that guarantees reinstatement to the position held by the employee before the leave commenced. Employees will not be required to sign a Continuation Agreement for twice the length of leave.
Policy:
To the extent of available resources, the college may financially assist eligible employees or provide leave for educational and/or other opportunities such as a Sabbatical as defined in VCCS Policy 3.10.3. The president shall approve/disapprove requests. The authority of the president shall not be inconsistent with the policies in force by the state, VCCS, and pertinent delegated authority agreements.
Employees pursuing degrees shall file a full program of study with the Human Resources Office. Any changes to the program of study shall be filed with Human Resources as changes are made.
Supervisory Role
- Each supervisor shall support the development of all employees through participation in and providing equal access to education, training and development opportunities.
- When college allocated funding for educational assistance is not available, the supervisor must consider the availability of funds in their departmental budget. Additionally, in the absence of an Ad Hoc Professional Development Committee, supervisors shall develop an internal method that is non-discriminatory and uniformly administered for determining when financial support will be provided to employees for education or professional growth.
- The decision to recommend financial assistance is the responsibility of each supervisor based on the needs of both the college and the individual.
- Supervisors may require employees to seek training or take classes to improve their job skills when performance issues arise. In these situations, the college shall pay for all costs associated to the supervisory requirement, including books if applicable. Books shall be the property of the college after the completion of the coursework. When feasible, college coursework should be completed at Virginia Western through the Continuous Learning Program for employees.
- The identification of education and training, either required or voluntary, or faculty promotional requirements should normally occur during the annual supervisor/employee discussion during the annual performance evaluation and planning processes. However, education and training opportunities may be identified outside of the annual process and may be considered as the needs or opportunities arise.
Ad-Hoc Committee for Professional Development Role
- The Ad-Hoc Committee shall assist the president in planning for and allocating fiscal year funding in order to equitably and uniformly support educational assistance. The committee shall develop the educational assistance application process, establish deadlines, and advertise when applications are accepted. The committee shall form as allocated funds for educational assistance and/or professional development become available.
- The Ad-Hoc Committee, according to established processes, will review courses, professional certifications, and any other professional development activity submitted for approval during the application process.
- The Ad-Hoc Committee, however, shall not make recommendations regarding continuous learning courses taken at Virginia Western by eligible employees under the III-22: Continuous Learning Program for Employees Policy.
Educational Assistance Eligibility and Provisions
- The Educational Assistance Program shall apply to all non-probationary full-time faculty rank and full-time classified employees.
- College coursework must be for job related courses, non-job-related courses that meet policy criteria, or for degree requirements at regionally accredited institutions of higher education, public or private, outside of Virginia Western Community College.
- Employees must be employed with the college throughout the term of the coursework and satisfactorily complete college courses with a grade of “C” or better to receive financial assistance. Employees who request upfront payment and do not complete the coursework with a grade “C” or better shall immediately refund the college. Auditing is prohibited under the provisions of state and VCCS policy.
- Only one attempt to obtain a license or certification will be covered under this policy. Requests to pay for licenses and certifications must be made before the attempt.
- Eligible individuals may not receive money from the Professional Development Fund to attend more than one conference or convention per year. Requests to pay for conferences and conventions must be made before attendance.
- Educational assistance funding may be limited or ceased in the college’s fiscal year budget.
- College courses approved for educational assistance shall be subject to the per credit hour tuition and mandatory fees rate in effect at that college at the time the course is to be taken, unless specified otherwise by President.
- Eligibility for educational assistance that includes leave with full pay, partial pay or without pay shall be controlled by VCCS Policy 3.10.1.2.C., Department of Human Resources Management (DHRM) Policy 5.10 Educational Assistance, and DHRM Policy 4.15 Educational Leave.
- Employees may be required to complete a Continuation of Employment Agreement to remain employed with the college for six months receiving educational assistance provided in the form of reimbursement or upfront financial support.
- The Educational Assistance Program is not available to employees receiving financial aid in the semester for which financial support through the program is sought. Receiving financial aid will not impact requests for professional development that is not directly tied to the financial aid award.
- An employee who fails to follow policy or the associated procedure shall not be approved for Educational Assistance for the academic semester in which it is sought.
Funding Sources for Financial Assistance
| Funding Source | Deadline to Submit Application** | Submit Application To |
|---|---|---|
| VWCC College-wide Professional Development Fund (State) VWCC Educational Foundation | Split into two allocations for fall and spring. The Ad Hoc Committee for Professional Development will announce deadlines for funding application submission each year. Typically, application submission deadlines will be set several months prior to when funds will be spent. Following is a guide, but is subject to change: July to December, due March 15th January to June due October 15th | Human Resources Liason |
| VWCC Carl D. Perkins Funding (Grant) | Carl D. Perkins is federal funding to improve both secondary and post-secondary CTE programs to meet needs identified in a comprehensive needs assessment. March, call will go out | Perkins Coordinator |
| VCCS New Horizons Lottery | February call will go out | VP-AWS |
| VCCS Higher Ed Conference | October call will go out | VP-AWS |
| VWCC Tuition Waiver through Continuous Learning Policy | Fall: Prior to class starting Spring: Prior to class starting Summer: Prior to class starting | Human Resources |
| Chancellor’s Fellowship for Classified | Set by VCCS, usually mid-April | VCCS |
| Chancellor’s Fellowship for Faculty | February 1 | VCCS |
| Departmental Budget, if available | Set by department Budget Manager if funding available | Budget Manager (typically Dean/Director/Department Head) |
**Deadlines may be subject to change
Payment Options for the Educational Assistance Program
For all payment options, the employee must be currently employed by the college in a full-time position and the course(s) must be completed satisfactorily with a grade of “C” or better.
Up-Front Payment-Promissory Note
Approved courses taken at other institutions of higher education will be based upon tuition and mandatory fees in effect at the time the courses are taken up to the allowed limit of the cost of three-credit hours for tuition and mandatory fees at Virginia Tech. The college may pay for the course at the time of registration. Pursuant to VCCS Policy 3.10.1.5, if upfront payment is requested, the employee shall not only complete a Professional Development Request Form and a VCCS-16 but also execute a promissory note for the amount of tuition and mandatory fees prior to registration for the course, and a Continuation of employment Agreement. Payment for tuition will be transmitted to the institution by check or IAT. If an employee fails to complete a course, receives an unsatisfactory final grade, and/or fails to complete the employee work obligation, the college will immediately implement the repayment provisions pursuant to VCCS Policy which shall not exceed six months.
In the event an employee receives a grade other than a “C”, “B”, “A” or “P” for the course(s) pursued under the Educational Assistance Program, the college will immediately implement the repayment provisions pursuant to VCCS Policy which shall not exceed six months.
Reimbursement
Prior to registration, an employee submits a Professional Development Request Form requesting assistance and, if necessary, a VCCS-16. Employees must obtain all approvals before submitting the documentation to Human Resources. For college coursework, employees pay the required tuition and mandatory fees and request reimbursement for the tuition costs after course completion. The employee submits proof of payment and their final grade to the Human Resources Office. The employee will be required to sign a Continuation of Employment Agreement Employees seeking reimbursement must make an “A”, “B”, or “C” in the course(s), to be eligible.
General Provisions for Educational Assistance
- All documents of employees receiving educational assistance shall be filed in the Human Resources Office as required by state and federal regulations. These documents will become part of the employee’s official personnel records.
- When dictated by the IRS, educational assistance will be a taxable benefit.
- Employees must adhere to the college’s Educational Assistance for Employees Policy and Procedure.
Fair Labor Standards Act – Hours of Work
College courses taken by employees that are not supervisory required that occur during and/or outside of normal work hours are not considered hours of work, if employee’s attendance is voluntary, and the employee performs no productive work during such attendance. Employees taking courses voluntarily during normal work hours are required to request in advance an alternate work schedule to fulfill their normal work hours per week. Additional adjustments may take the form of requiring the use of annual or compensatory leave or VSDP family/personal leave (for VSDP participants). Faculty are required to ensure that courses do not conflict with teaching and college responsibilities.
Professional development activities, such as job-related training or job-related conferences, as approved to attend by the employee’s supervisor are considered hours of work.
Supervisors must appropriately manage work schedules to ensure that the daily and/or workweek standards are met in accordance with college policy.
Supervisory Required Courses
- After Work Hours – Courses offered after hours and are required by the supervisor shall be considered hours worked and will be counted accordingly on the employee’s timesheet, if applicable. Consequently, overtime payment will be due to non- exempt employees for total hours worked over 40 in the workweek if the supervisor fails to manage the employee’s schedule appropriately.
- During Work Hours – – Courses taken by employees that are required by the supervisor to enhance job performance shall be considered hours worked during their regularly scheduled workweek and will not be subject to work schedule adjustments or requirements to use accrued leave balances. Time spent in a job related supervisory required class during normal work hours is considered hours of work for computing any overtime liability.
Policy on Policy and Procedure
The college may modify this policy from time-to-time to meet college needs. This policy may address:
- Partial payments of tuition and fees.
- Establishment of in-state benchmark payments for tuition at out-of-state institutions of higher education.
- Limiting the financial support for the first two years of a degree program to the cost of the course at a community college.
- Application procedures and deadlines.
- Tax implications.
Additional Information:
Other Sources of Financial Assistance Available for Employees
- Eligible employees may apply for financial aid through the Financial Aid Office. There are established federal guidelines that determine the eligibility and aid to be granted to students.
- Eligible employees may inquire about assistance through the VWCC Educational Foundation, as appropriate. Established guidelines determine eligibility of qualifying for assistance based on student status and financial need.
Unused Funds
Funds remaining at the end of the fiscal year will not be carried over.
Professional Development Request Form (DOCX)
References
VCCS Policy 3.10 Educational Assistance and Continuous Learning Program Guidelines
Virginia Community College Educational Assistance for Employees Procedure
DHRM Policy 4.15 Educational Leave
DHRM Policy 4.45 Leave Without Pay Conditional and Unconditional
VWCC Student Policies
IRS Publication 15-B Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits
