Education Benefits

Note: Tuition waiver does not provide reimbursement for classes completed by the employee, spouse or dependent. The employee must submit the waiver request after initial registration for the class in order for the tuition to be waived by student accounts. 

After six months of continuous employment, regular and grant funded employees are eligible to have tuition waived according to District Board of Trustees Policy “Waiver of Tuition Fees for Employees and Their Eligible Dependents” 6Hx-18-5.76. as follows:

• Full-time staff – 4 courses (12 credits or 480 clock hours) per semester,
• Part-time staff – 2 courses (6 credits or 240 clock hours) per semester,
• Spouses of full-time staff – 4 courses (12 credits or 480 clock hours) per semester,
• Dependent children of full-time staff – 4 courses (12 credits or 480 clock hours) per semester

Tuition waiver does not apply to continuing education (CCE), avocational, supplemental vocation, recreational/fee based non-credit courses, or courses contract through an outside vendor.  It does apply to courses toward the Bachelor of Applied Science degree.

The employee must pay all fees beyond tuition including but not limited to, application, registration, and special fees.

Repayment will be required if not successful. Please refer to Board Policy #6Hx-18-5.76. 

Employees or their eligible family register for the class in Workday first, then the employee must compete the request for the tuition waiver in Workday. The linked job aid, provides instructions on how to complete and submit a request: Employee, Spouse or Dependent Waiver. (You will need to login using your credentials to view.)

Dependent children of instructional faculty, counselors, librarians, and CCP Instructors follow the dependent waivers section of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  If you are a bargaining unit member requesting for a dependent, please complete the Bargaining Unit Dependent Waiver request in Workday. The linked job aid, provides instructions on how to complete and submit a request: Bargaining Unit Dependent Waiver. (You will need to login using your credentials to view.)

Requests route as follows: Employee submits > Benefits reviews employee or dependent eligibility > Student Account Services applies the waiver > Employee is notified through Workday.

Note: When completing either the full-time staff or bargaining unit request on behalf of an eligible family member, you will be required to upload a copy of your most recent federal tax return (with the social security numbers redacted) reflecting that the family member was claimed on the return.

Non-bargaining unit employees who have completed a minimum of six (6) months of continuous full-time employment are eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement under Board Policy # 6Hx-18-5.88. Tuition (not including fees) may be reimbursed for a total of twelve (12) semester credit hours per fiscal year for graduate or undergraduate courses, junior or senior level at a regionally accredited institution other than Palm Beach State.

Bargaining unit instructional faculty should refer to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for classes after six (6) months of full-time employment. Instructional faculty may apply for twelve (12) semester credit hours for graduate or undergraduate courses at the junior or senior level and CCP Instructors may apply for nine (9) semester credit hours per fiscal year.

Courses must be taken at a regionally accredited four-year college or university, completed with a minimum of a "C", and the employee must not have received payment for the course(s) through other funding sources. An employee in a grant-funded position is eligible provided that it is permissible under the grant, and there are sufficient funds in the grant to cover the tuition reimbursement costs.

To receive reimbursement, employees must make the request electronically through Workday and submit to the Office of Human Resources within three (3) months of completing the course. The request must include a copy of the grade report, and a copy of a paid receipt or letter from the institution indicating the payment type and payment amount. Funds will be dispersed upon a first come first serve basis, up to the amount budgeted for the fiscal year. Instructions for completing the request in Workday can be found on the Request Tuition Reimbursement job aid.

As a learning institution, the college encourages employees to pursue a college degree that will benefit either their current position or will assist them in attaining the necessary educational background for another college position. To recognize the completion of an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited college or university, the college may award all full-time non-unit employees, who have been employed in full-time status for a minimum of one year with an award to their base pay, not to exceed the maximum of the salary range. Employees may receive only one award for each degree level during the course of their employment at the college, and the degree must be higher than what they currently have. For more information refer to Board Policy #6Hx-18-5.89. Employees must create and submit a request for degree recognition in Workday. Instructions for completing the request can be found in this Knowledge Base article. 

Florida 529 Savings Plan

The Florida 529 Savings Plan is an investment plan that allows you to choose from 11 investment options and let's you decide how much and how often to contribute. There is no minimum contribution needed. The 529 Plans can be used for any qualified higher educational expense, including tuition, room & board, textbooks, graduate school and much more. There are no income, age or Florida residency requirements. Payroll deduction is available by providing a Payroll Deduction Authorization Form to the Payroll Department after account has been established. Please visit www.myfloridaprepaid.com or call 1-800-552-4723 for additional information.

 

Florida Prepaid College Plan

The Florida Prepaid College Plan allows you to select from options with specific costs, payment schedules and benefits. The plan is guaranteed by the State of Florida and can be used for tuition and other specified fees at a Florida College or State University and other schools nationwide. The child or his/her parent or legal guardian must have been a Florida resident for the past 12 months when enrolling. Payroll deduction is available by providing a Payroll Deduction Authorization Form to Payroll Department after account has been established. Please visit www.myfloridaprepaid.com or call 1-800-552-4723 for additional information. 

The PSLF Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue to work full-time in public service jobs. Under this program, you may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on your William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan Program) loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments on those loans while employed full-time by certain public service employers. You can find more information as well as the required Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness form by visiting www.studentaid.ed.gov/publicservice.

Submit your PSLF form to HRRecords@palmbeachstate.edu