Employee Tuition and Fee Policy

Authority: Business Affairs
Date Enacted or Revised: Revised March 6, 2013; May 2015; April 2019; August 2021

Employees of the University of Louisiana System (ULS) and their spouses and dependent children may enroll at any of the institutions within the ULS at a reduced tuition, plus certain applicable fees as supported in this policy. This policy shall apply only to courses and programs for which regular tuition is charged. Tuition reductions under this policy are considered Qualified Tuition Reductions for purposes of Internal Revenue System (IRS) Publication 970.

  1. The following conditions apply to faculty and staff:
    1. Faculty or staff members must be employed on a full-time basis at a ULS institution. Enrollment at an institution other than the home institution requires the joint approval of the home institution president and the president of the institution the employee wishes to attend (host institution).
      1. Enrollment in classes may not conflict with work responsibilities. Non-faculty employees who work a 40-hour week may not take more than three (3) credit hours per semester during normal working hours. All time taken for class attendance must be recorded as leave time if not taken during the employee’s normal lunch period or if such time exceeds the employee’s normal lunch period. Total classroom attendance may not exceed three clock hours per week during normal working hours. No restrictions are placed on attending night courses, 100% online courses, or courses outside of normal work hours.
      2. Faculty/staff members may not take courses for credit which are taught in the department or the discipline in which the faculty/staff member is employed.
    2. Full-time ULS office staff may also attend any ULS institution. Enrollment at an institution requires the joint approval of the ULS president and the president of the host institution. 
    3. For full-time employees, a reduced charge of $25.00 per credit hour, not to exceed $150.00 for any undergraduate- or graduate-level courses, may be applied to a maximum of nine (9) credit hours per semester (or its equivalent under the quarter system), at least three (3) of which must be online.
    4. In addition to tuition, faculty and staff shall also be assessed the following fees:  academic excellence fee, operational fee, facility/building use fees, energy surcharge, and technology fee, as well as e-learning fees and specific course fees, if applicable. Participants must be assessed all state and federally required fees, including fees approved by the Board of Supervisors for the ULS.
    5. Retired faculty and staff, including those in the disability retirement system, who have served 25 years or more in the ULS shall maintain eligibility for this tuition and fee policy.
  2. The following conditions apply to spouses and children of full-time faculty and staff members:
    1. Spouses and dependent children of faculty and staff members employed on a full-time basis by a ULS institution are eligible to enroll in undergraduate coursework and may attend another ULS institution with the joint approval of the employee’s president and the president of the host institution.
    2. Similar dependent children of ULS office staff employed in full-time service may also attend any ULS institution for undergraduate coursework with the joint approval of the ULS president and the president of the host institution.
    3. For the employee to receive the tuition reduction for a dependent, the employee must attest that the dependent for whom the tuition reduction is sought qualifies as the employee’s dependent child for tax purposes as defined according to the Internal Revenue Tax Code Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 in the given taxable year in which the tuition reduction and fee waiver is sought under this policy. The employee’s dependent child ceases to be eligible for the tuition reduction and fee waiver under this policy when the employee’s child no longer qualifies as a dependent child for tax purposes. For the purposes of this policy, a dependent child of divorced parents is treated as the dependent of both parents.
    4. Spouses and dependent children of retired faculty and staff as provided in section I.E. of this policy shall be eligible for this tuition and fee reduction.
    5. Spouses and dependent children of deceased faculty and staff shall be eligible for this tuition and fee reduction provided the faculty or staff was in service to or retired from the ULS as provided in section I.E. of this policy and eligible for the reduction when death occurred.
    6. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for reduced tuition and fee waivers for undergraduate coursework only.
    7. The reduced tuition for spouses and dependent children shall be $25.00 per credit hour, not to exceed $300 ($200 per quarter) for full-time enrollment and shall be prorated for part-time enrollees.
    8. In addition to tuition, spouses and dependent children shall be assessed the following fees:  academic excellence fee, operational fee, facility/building use fees, energy surcharge, technology fee, and all student self-assessed fees, as well as e-learning fees and specific course fees, if applicable. Participants must be assessed all state and federally required fees, including fees approved by the Board of Supervisors for the ULS.
  3. The following pertains to continuing eligibility to participate:
    1. To continue participation, participants must maintain good academic standing or have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in the most recently completed term. Withdrawal from courses may impact continuing eligibility to participate.
  4. In accordance with ULS PPM FB.IV.V.O-1a, the University complies with the ULS Employee Tuition and Fee Policy.
    1. Any exceptions to the provision of ULS PPM FB.IV.V. O-1a shall be submitted with a full justification to the ULS president who shall determine if such an exception will be made.