Human Resources

The State University Employee (SUE) Tuition Waiver Program provides University and Research Foundation employees with official forgiveness of part of the tuition for courses taken within the SUNY system.

• Eligibility
• Covered Expenses
• Amount of Waiver
• Coordination with Other Tuition Support Programs
  • - CSEA Employees
  • - UUP Employees
  • - M/C Employees
  • - PEF Employees
  • - NYSCOPBA Employees
  • - PBANYS Employees
• Application Procedures
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Taxability of Tuition Support
• Deadlines
• Application Form
• SAVI Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Eligibility

All University and Research Foundation employees (non-student titles) are eligible. Employees must be expected to be on the payroll for the duration of the course(s) covered by the waiver as well as a reasonable expectation that their employment will continue beyond the course duration so that the University, in addition to the employee, will benefit from the knowledge acquired.

Covered Expenses

Only credit-bearing courses taken at the University at Albany or other state-operated SUNY campuses are covered. Non-credit courses, courses taken at community colleges, and course audits are not covered. Courses must be related to the employee’s current position or increase the employee’s opportunity for advancement within the University. Only two semesters of doctoral load credits per employee will be covered.

Tuition only may be waived. Employees are responsible for all fees, including the University fee. Employees must satisfactorily complete courses (obtain a grade of D or better) to retain the tuition waiver. Employees who drop or do not provide proof of satisfactory completion of courses are ineligible for a tuition waiver and are responsible for any charges billed by the instructing campus. If the tuition waiver funding cannot be recovered from the instructing campus, the employee will be prohibited from utilizing the SUE Tuition Waiver Program for the following two semesters. Incompletes will be given an extension period. Failure to provide proof of satisfactory completion of the courses by the extension date will prohibit the employee from utilizing the program for the following two semesters after the extension period.

Amount of Waiver

The amount waived is contingent upon available funding. The usual reimbursement rate is up to 50 percent of up to six credits per semester for part-time employees, and up to 50 percent of up to eight credits for full-time employees. 

Coordination with Other Tuition Support Programs

University employees may also be eligible for tuition assistance through negotiated programs. We encourage employees to use these programs in lieu of the SUE program where possible, in order to maximize the tuition support they receive. Your SUE waiver will be adjusted accordingly if you receive other tuition assistance for the same course(s).

• CSEA Employees: The NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training program is available for employees represented by CSEA.  Further information is available at http://nyscseapartnership.org/, or by calling (518) 486-7814.
• UUP Employees: Article 49 of the current agreement between the State of New York and United University Professions provides for a tuition waiver for one course per semester on a "space available" basis.  Requirements and registration information can be found here:  https://www.albany.edu/registrar/21884.php.  For questions or assistance, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 518-442-5540 or [email protected].
• M/C Employees: The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations sponsors a tuition reimbursement program for Management/Confidential Employees. More information is available at: https://goer.ny.gov/managementconfidential-mc-training-programs 
• PEF Employees: The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations sponsors a tuition reimbursement program for PEF Employees. More information is available at: http://www.goer.ny.gov/Training_Development/PEF/index.cfm.
• NYSCOPBA Employees: visit: http://www.goer.ny.gov/Training_Development/SSU/index.cfm or http://www.nyscopba.org/nysnyscopbalmtuition for the latest information and procedures for their tuition reimbursement program.
• PBANYS Employees: PBANYS (APSU) Tuition Information

Application Procedures .

Application forms are available from the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) website or the Employee Benefits Office. The employee must complete and sign and date the application. The employee’s supervisor must sign and date the application in Part II, #12, prior to submission to OHRM. There are specific deadlines for each semester listed below. As a general rule, the deadline for fall is early August, spring is early December, and summer is mid-April. Due to funding limitations, applications received after established deadlines will be placed on a waiting list pending determination of available funding. Employees will be promptly notified by email as soon as action has been taken on their application.

Taxability of Tuition Support

Federal law provides that tuition assistance for graduate level courses is subject to federal and state income tax, and social security and Medicare taxes, unless the courses for which tuition support is provided are related to the employee’s current job.

Under Federal law, the first $5,250 of educational assistance from a qualified program provided to an employee is excluded from taxable wages.

Deadlines

Waiver applications received after the deadline will be placed on a waiting list and approved only if funding is available. Questions regarding tuition support programs may be directed to (518) 437-4705 or [email protected].