ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY
Title: Tuition Benefit for Dependents, Spouse, Domestic or Civil Union Partner
Subject: Employee Benefits
Policy No: HR:2020:01
Applies: University Wide
Issuing Authority: President
Responsible Officer: Chief Human Resources Officer/Vice President
Adopted: March 25, 2014
Last Revision: October 16, 2020
Last Reviewed: September 30, 2020
I. PURPOSE
Rowan University shall provide a benefit, equal in value to university tuition (with the exception of other fees that are added to a University bill) for the dependent children, spouse, domestic or civil union partner of full-time employees of the University, as set forth herein:
II. ACCOUNTABILITY
Under direction of the Chief Human Resources Officer/Vice President
III. APPLICABILITY
- Full-time Employee: An employee must be employed by Rowan University on a full-time permanent basis for at least one year prior to start of semester in which the tuition benefit is being requested. As such, faculty in probationary status are eligible; temporary faculty are not; 10 month Lecturers are eligible.
- Dependent Children: A dependent child is a person either born to or adopted by a full-time employee of the University. Proof of dependency can be verified by the employee’s tax returns or through confirming through the HR Benefits team that the dependent is listed on the employee health and/or dental benefits. The dependent must continue to be a declared dependent for each year he or she is a student at the University.
Children who were born to, or adopted by, the spouse or domestic partner of the employee but who have not been adopted by the employee (i.e., stepchildren) are also eligible for this program, provided that they are declared dependents on the employee’s tax returns or employee health or dental benefits. In the event tax returns cannot be provided, the employee may provide a birth certificate including the employee’s spouse’s name along with a marriage certificate to confirm the step parent (i.e., employee) is married to the individual listed on the birth certificate. - Spouse/Domestic/Civil Union Partner: A spouse, domestic or civil union partner is a person who has established eligibility as required by the State of New Jersey (Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Vital Statistics - http://www.state.nj.us). In addition, he or she is legally joined with a full-time employee of the University, by marriage, domestic partner or civil union and who continues to be a declared spouse, domestic or civil union partner for each year he or she is a student at the University.
- Student: A student eligible for a tuition benefit shall be matriculated in an undergraduate degree granting program of instruction at the University, on a full- or part-time basis. Students who receive any other tuition assistance while participating in the Rowan University Dependent Benefit Program must declare that assistance and provide appropriate documentation of such assistance. The tuition waiver may be reduced in accordance with the amount of the other assistance. At no time should a student receive cash as a result of the dependent benefit.
Admission to University: In order to be eligible for this program, a student must apply to Rowan University and be offered admission at the University. This process is detailed in the student admissions procedures.
IV. POLICY
Under this program, students are eligible for 130 credits of support, or until receiving their first Baccalaureate from Rowan University, whichever comes first. Students may attend in the fall, winter, spring, or summer terms, but only credits obtained at and from Rowan University will be supported by the benefit. The 130-credit limit refers to enrollment, not successful completion. That is, if a student fails a course academically, or chooses to withdraw from a course after the add/drop deadline, those units will apply to the 130-credit limit.
- Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 to stay eligible for the benefit (Incoming transfer students must enter with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above to be eligible for the benefit in their first semester). A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.5 at the end of the academic year will be continued on this benefit for one additional year. If, at the end of the additional academic year, the student’s cumulative GPA is still below 2.5, the benefit will be discontinued. If, at a subsequent time, the student’s cumulative GPA reaches 2.5 or greater, the benefit will be reinstated.
- Continued Employment Status of the Employee (Parent/Spouse/Domestic or Civil Union Partner):
In the event of the death of an employee who has a dependent child, spouse, domestic or civil union partner already admitted to or enrolled at the University and receiving a benefit under this program, that student shall be eligible for continuation in the program as if the employee were still employed by the University. Otherwise, eligibility of the student for the benefit will cease at the end of the semester in which the employee leaves University employment for any reason whatsoever. - Additional Death Benefit: Should a full-time employee (as defined above), die; leaving behind minor children, those children will retain the same eligibility for this benefit program as if their employee/parent were still alive.