TUITION REIMBURSEMENT POLICY 06-27-2018.PDF

MARICOPA COUNTY INTERNAL POLICY
Policy Number: HR2430
Policy Title:
06-27-2018
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT Current Adoption Date:
Current Implementation Date:
06-27-2018
Board Agenda Number: C-31-11-016-6-03
Approved by:
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Original Adoption Date: 06-19-2006
I. PURPOSE
To equip employees to pursue new opportunities within the County, enhance productivity and job performance,
promote long-term employee retention, and help attract qualified candidates.
II. AUTHORITY
This Policy is authorized by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to A.R.S.§11-251.
III. APPLICATION
This policy applies to all Maricopa County elected offices and appointed departments as well as the Flood Control
District, the Library District, and the Stadium District.
IV. DEFINITIONS
A. Appointing Authority: An elected official, the single administrative or executive head of a department, or
the designated representative authorized to act in this capacity.
B. Approved Degree Program: An undergraduate or master’s degree program approved by the County’s
Human Resources Department that either relates to the employee’s current job or an entirely new trade
or career as long as the new trade or career is one that the County currently employs, subject to any
exclusions or conditions listed in this Policy.
C. Full-Time Employee: For this policy, one who works 80 hours or more per pay period.
V. POLICY
The revisions to this policy are applicable to reimbursements submitted after July 1, 2018.
A. Limitation of Funds
1. Calendar Year Maximum Reimbursement per Employee: $5,250. The dollar limit is based on the
calendar year in which the funds are actually paid to the employee.
2. County Tuition Reimbursement Funds: Each fiscal year the Board of Supervisors must approve the
general funds available for this program. Funds will be reimbursed on a first-come, first-reimbursed
basis until they are exhausted for that fiscal year.
3. Department Funded Tuition Reimbursements: Departments may fund their own tuition
reimbursements within their operating budgets under these same guidelines. Grant and special
revenue funded departments are encouraged to use grant and special revenue funds as their first
source of tuition reimbursement funding.
4. Other Tuition Assistance: Employees can only seek reimbursement for funds which they have
personally paid or must personally repay and must report all forms of tuition assistance. Employees
receiving tuition assistance from other sources (e.g., scholarships, grants, refunds, tuition waivers,
discounts or other tuition reimbursement programs) are eligible for reimbursement only for the portion

Policy Number: HR2430
Policy Title:
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
Current Adoption Date: 06-27-2018
of qualified expenses that exceed the amount of other assistance received. Student loans are not
considered as coming from other funding sources as the employee must repay those amounts.
5. Number of Degrees (Life-time Maximum): Employees may only seek reimbursement for one
bachelor’s degree and one master’s degree. Employees must obtain Human Resources’ approval
prior to changing from one degree program to another to ensure compliance with the number of
degrees life-time maximum.
B. Employee Eligibility
1. Prior to submission of degree or class approval, employees must be in a non-temporary, full-time
status.
2. Employees must be meeting performance expectations or equivalent.
3. Employees on protected Family Medical Leave Act or Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act leave are eligible for reimbursement. Employees who are not on state or
federal protected leave and are in an unpaid status at the time of their application submission,
approval, or final reimbursement are not eligible.
C. Class Eligibility
1. Classes must be offered through a public or private college, university, community college, or technical
school that is accredited by the US Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education or
another official accrediting body in the United States.
2. Classes must be taken for credit unless otherwise allowed in this policy and:
a. Have a direct relationship to the maintenance or improvement of skills required by the employee’s
present job; or
b. Be necessary for the completion of an Approved Degree Program.
Classes Ineligible for Reimbursement:
1. Seminars, workshops, professional licensures, continuing education units to maintain certifications or
licensures, and conferences. Departments may pay for these out of their budget.
2. Study abroad courses or classes attended outside of Arizona. However, online courses, regardless of
where offered, are eligible if they meet all eligibility criteria.
3. All doctoral degree and Ph.D. classes and programs (including but not limited to: law, medicine,
veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, chiropractic, etc.); including those required for master’s
and other degrees.
D. Class Reimbursements
Only fees, costs, charges, and expenses specifically mentioned herein will be reimbursed.
1. Costs Eligible for Reimbursement
a. Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD)
100% of tuition, required books (excludes recommended books), laboratory fees, registration
fees, and other related class fees for classes where a grade of “A”, “B”, “C” or “Pass” is obtained.
b. Non-MCCCD
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Policy Number: HR2430
Policy Title:
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
Current Adoption Date: 06-27-2018
Tuition (does not include books or any fees) for approved classes as follows:
100% - A
80% - B or Pass
60% - C
Plus (+) or minus (-) grades will be reimbursed based on letter grade alone.
c. Credit-by-Examination Tests
100% for tests that assess the mastery of college-level material and are used to obtain college
admittance or college credit (College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Dantes Subject
Standardized Tests (DSSTs), Proficiency Examination Program (ACT-PEP), Graduate
Management Admissions Test (GMAT), etc.).
d. Out-of-state/County Tuition
Tuition reimbursements are only paid at in-state and in-county tuition rates.
2. Ineligible Costs
a. When a grade of D, F, Fail, Incomplete, Withdraw, or Pass/No Credit is received.
b. Classes taken a second time for a higher grade if the class was previously taken and the employee
received a C or higher.
c. Fees to third party lender/processors.
d. Costs associated with audited classes.
e. Costs incurred by employees that fail to comply with the requirements of this policy.
E. Eligible Job Related Certification/Registration and Recertification Reimbursements
1. Certification/Registration must be related to the employee’s current position and be value added as
determined by the department.
a. Upon successfully obtaining a certification/registration or recertification, employees are eligible for
100% of their examination fees and recertification fees; excludes membership fees, continuing
education units, and certification preparation classes and materials.
2. Limitations:
a. Annual Maximum: $2,000
b. Maximum Number of Certifications/Registrations (Lifetime): 1 (unlimited recertification for the
same certification/registration)
c. Does not include licenses that are paid for by the department.
F. Tax Consequences
All tax liabilities for reimbursements are the sole responsibility of the employee.
G. Separations and Repayments
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Policy Number: HR2430
Policy Title:
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
Current Adoption Date: 06-27-2018
One of the primary reasons for this program is to promote employee retention. Therefore, employees who
voluntarily separate from County employment must repay all sums they received for reimbursement under
this policy during the last 12 months prior to their termination. The amount eligible by law will be deducted
from employees’ final pay checks. Employees should reach out to Human Resources to determine the
terms of their repayment.
VI. PROCEDURES
A. Application Requirements
Failure to submit all required paperwork to Human Resources by the deadlines set herein will result in the
denial of the tuition reimbursement request.
1. Approved Degree Program
a. A one-time degree program approval by Human Resources is required prior to receiving
reimbursements for classes related to an Approved Degree Program. An approved application for
a specific class taken as a part of a degree program does not constitute approval of the degree
program.
2. Individual Class Reimbursement
Each individual class, including those for an Approved Degree Program, must be approved by Human
Resources.
a. An application for class approval must be submitted no earlier than 60 calendar days before and
no later than fourteen calendar days after the class start date.
b. Tuition reimbursement documents (i.e., itemized documents showing tuition charges, proof of
payment and type, a zero balance due, academic year financial aid awards information, official
term schedule, and Official Grade Reports/Unofficial Transcript) must be submitted within 60
calendar days following the last date of the class.
c. Proof of payment must show tuition charges, funding sources, and that the tuition has been paid
in full. No reimbursements will be made until payments are paid in full and only if the payment is
made within the applicable timeline.
d. An employee taking a self-paced learning class must choose a beginning and end date for the
class that meets the criteria of this policy.
3. Job Related Certification/Registration and Recertification Reimbursements
a. An application for approval must be submitted no earlier than 60 calendar days before and no
later than fourteen calendar days after the actual examination or recertification date.
b. Certification/Registration and recertification documents (i.e., documents showing certification or
recertification charges, date, proof of payment and type, and a zero balance due) must be
submitted within 60 calendar days following the examination or recertification date.
c. Proof of payment must show certification/registration or recertification charges, funding sources,
and that the fees have been paid in full. No reimbursements will be made until payments are paid
in full and only if the payment is made within the applicable timeline.
B. Employee Responsibilities
1. Submit all required paperwork and documentation within deadlines.
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Policy Number: HR2430
Policy Title:
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
Current Adoption Date: 06-27-2018
2. Take classes and complete homework during non-work-scheduled hours or during periods of
approved personal leave.
3. Monitor the amount of reimbursements received in the calendar year and not request more than the
$5,250 calendar year cap.
4. Repay any amount received in error or in excess of the cap amount.
5. Any employee who attempts to obtain Tuition Reimbursement in a manner inconsistent with this policy
may be prohibited from participation in the program and may be subject to discipline.
C. The County Manager or designee may approve exceptions to this policy that are consistent with the intent
of the policy.
Revision History
Version Revision Description of Revision
Date
1 19 Jun 2006 Initial version
2 22 Jun 2011 Expanded eligibility criteria (C-31-11-016-6-00)
Expanded approved degree programs, eliminated supervisor approval, added a repayment
3 17 Jul 2013
clause, and eliminated payment for non-MCCC fees (C-31-11-016-6-01)
Minor revisions to align with changes to the Employee Merit System Rules (C-31-16-016-6-
4 09 Dec 2015
00)
Minor revisions to align with changes to the Employee Merit System Rules; December 2015
5 27 Feb 2016
version was not the correct version of the policy. (C-31-11-016-6-02)
Simplified the language, limited the number of degrees to 1 bachelors and 1 masters,
6 27 Jun 2018
modified the tax language, and added job related certification clause. (C-31-11-016-6-03)
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