Tuition Grant Policy Reference: Section 7.1
Shenandoah University is pleased to provide employees with selected educational benefits.
Full-time employees who have completed one year of employment may request a grant for themselves, their spouse, and/or their dependent children under the age of 24. A maximum of six (6) credit hours per Term 1, 2, and/or 3 are awarded for the employee and/or spouse either at the undergraduate or graduate level. Grants for dependent children range up to undergraduate full tuition for four (4) years (full or part-time). There is no graduate tuition benefit for dependent children unless they are enrolled in a seamless undergraduate to graduate program such as OT, PT, or Pharmacy. If the dependent child is enrolled in a seamless undergraduate to graduate program such as OT, PT, pharmacy they are eligible for a total of four (4) years of tuition benefit.
The award is the difference between the cost of tuition (excluding fees) and any other grants and/or scholarships. Children must apply for all available aid such as VTAG, if applicable.
The benefit applies to full tuition classes (for employees, spouses, and dependent children) and, if specific conditions are met, discounted or reduced tuition classes (for employees and spouses only). Participation in full tuition classes and discounted or reduced tuition classes is permitted when: a) minimum enrollment is met by tuitionpaying participants; b) space is available after tuition-paying participants are registered (determined at the first class); c) other admission criteria for the courses or program have been met. Private instruction, music lessons and overload tuition are excluded. Noncredit classes offered by the University, through the Institutional Computing Center, that are designed to enhance employee computer and/or communication skills may also be taken by employees (with supervisor’s approval) at no tuition cost to the employee.
The employee must have a signed supervisor approval before they can take courses and receive the tuition benefit. Recipients of the tuition benefit must maintain a 2.0 CGPA. There are no repeats on the benefit if the course is failed or dropped after the add/drop period.
The benefit is not an entitlement. The program is designed to assist as many employees as the annual budget allows. If the budget is limited in any year, awards will be made on a first come, first served basis with priority to undergraduate tuition.
If the employee ceases to work full-time or leaves the University, the benefit ends with the current term. If the employee dies, the benefit ends for the spouse at the end of the current term, but continues four years after the date of the employee’s death for the dependent children. Request forms are available in the Office of Human Resources.