H. Faculty/Staff Tuition Grant

The faculty/staff tuition grant program provides specific assistance to regular, full‐time faculty, their spouses, and eligible dependents. Eligible dependents include the spouse and dependent children to age 19, and/or dependent children meeting the Internal Revenue Service definition, who are making satisfactory progress as degree‐seeking students. The benefit is governed by the IRS and is considered taxable.

The Office of Human Resources provides application forms for faculty/staff tuition grants. A candidate for a grant must be accepted for admission to The University of Tampa before applying for a grant and must advise the appropriate supervisor before budgets for the intended grant period are developed.

All grants must be processed prior to the completion of registration for the semester for which a grant is sought; applications arriving later will be denied. Registration dates will be posted on the bulletin board outside the Human Resources Office.

Current policy statements for faculty/staff tuition grants follow.

  1. Employees are eligible to receive a waiver of UT tuition not to exceed eight (8) credit hours per fall and spring semesters and eight (8) credit hours for Intersession, Summer I, and Summer II combined on a space available basis. Space availability is determined as of the first meeting of the class. A grant may not exceed 24 credit hours per calendar year.
  2. Eligible dependents of employees with five (5) years service or less at UT are entitled to 75% reduction in UT tuition for undergraduate and graduate credit‐bearing courses. Full‐time is defined as up to a maximum of 18 semester hours. Part‐time students are admitted to courses on a space available basis, with the availability determined as of the first meeting of the class. Full‐time dependents are exempt from the space availability determination
  3. Eligible dependents of employees with more than five (5) years of service are entitled to a 100% grant covering full‐time UT tuition. Full‐time is defined as up to a maximum of 18 semester hours. Part‐time students are admitted to courses on a space available basis, with the availability determined as of the first meeting of the class. Full‐time dependents are exempt from the space availability determination.

The faculty/staff tuition grant will cover tuition costs only. Books, room, board, general fees, and other fees or charges are the responsibility of the student or the employee. For those students with financial need, the staff of the Financial Aid Office will be available to evaluate eligibility for appropriate sources of aid.

Eligible dependents receiving grant assistance for full‐time study should apply for state and federal assistance by completing the Free Application for Federal Students Assistance (FAFSA) after January 1 for the next academic year. Forms are available from the Financial Aid Office.

The faculty/staff tuition grant may be reduced by the amount of merit scholarships and/or need‐based grants. Students may not receive aid from any source that in combination with a faculty/staff tuition grant exceeds UT’s actual tuition and fee charges, unless they demonstrate need (as defined by Federal Methodology) over and above UT’s tuition and fee charges. The faculty/staff tuition grant supersedes and overrides all other institutional awards.

All full‐time dependents will be required to apply for the Florida Resident Access Grant and to continue to meet all state eligibility requirements (GPA, academic progress, and completion). For both 75% and 100% grant recipients, the actual value of the Access Grant will be deducted for the total faculty/staff tuition grant value. The proceeds from the Florida Access Grant will be used to reduce the institution’s grant liability.

Grant assistance does not apply to private studio lessons, non‐credit courses (including those offered by the School of Continuing Studies), or workshops or travel/study courses and programs.

Grant assistance does not apply to auditing courses. However, Faculty members may give their permission to colleagues who want to informally “sit in” on courses.

Individuals who elect to take a number of courses in any given term that exceeds the maximum benefit will be charged for the excess hours at the established rate.

In order to receive and retain a faculty/staff tuition grant, the recipient must maintain the standard of academic quality established by the University.

Tuition benefits in effect at the time of a faculty member's death continue to apply to all surviving dependents eligible for these benefits who wish to make use of them in the future.