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TAP Mission
Tuition Assistance Program Introduction
Mission Statement & Purpose
As part of its mission statement the University System of Georgia is committed to “the recruitment, hiring, and retention of the best possible faculty, staff and administration.” The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia is committed to creating a more educated Georgia. Both of these commitments extend internally, as well as externally. As part of its desire to meet its employees evolving needs, the University System of Georgia (USG) has established an educational assistance program, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). The purpose of TAP is to foster the professional growth and development of its eligible employees. Section 802.18, Career Development, and Section 802.20, Tuition Assistance Program, of The Board of Regents Policy Manual contain the system-wide policy guidelines for this program.
Work Schedule Arrangements
To the extent possible, no employee should take a course(s) that would require him/her to be absent from work during regularly scheduled work hours. If attendance in an approved TAP course requires that an employee be absent from his/her assigned workstation during normal work hours, various accommodations may be possible, depending upon the needs of the unit/department and of the employee. The supervisor must certify that the employee’s participation in TAP will not adversely affect departmental services, or result in undue hardship for other employees. Alternate work arrangements will only be granted at the discretion of the immediate supervisor. Supervisors are encouraged to make a reasonable effort to find an appropriate work schedule accommodation.
Tax Implications for Participants
The federal government currently allows up to $5,250 annually in employer-provided educational assistance benefits to be “tax free” to TAP participants. This applies to both undergraduate and graduate-level courses. This “tax free” exemption currently applies through 2010. An employee must generally pay taxes on employer-provided educational assistance benefits in excess of $5,250. This amount will be included in your wages (Box 1 of your Form W-2). A tax professional should be consulted for further information concerning taxable tuition.
Ineligible Programs
Employees may not enroll in certain programs or courses of study under the TAP policy.
Those ineligible programs, or courses of study, include academic courses in the following professional schools: dental, law, medical, pharmacy, veterinary, or executive/premiere or comparable graduate school programs. Other ineligible programs, or courses of study, include: workshops, seminars, continuing education courses, management development programs, special examinations for admissions to degree programs, or private consultant refresher courses to take examinations such as C.P.A. certification, admissions examinations, and related types of programs or classes. Support for these types of programs may be provided by departmental policies.
Appeals
An employee may not appeal any institutional decision regarding the TAP program to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Each USG institution will utilize its internal review process to review TAP application denials.
University System of Georgia TAP Coordinators
The name, title, address, e-mail address, telephone number, and FAX number for each institutional TAP Coordinator may be found at http://www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/tuition/usg-tap.phtml.
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