The University Faculty and Staff Career Services is once again offering employee benefits in the form of tuition waivers, reimbursement and assistance since the program has seen an increase in enrollment, said Emily Bardeen, director of Faculty and Staff Career Services.
This growing program allows University employees to enroll in one class at the University free of charge or receive financial assistance for job-related classes attended at other accredited universities, according to Bardeen. The program enrolled a total of 655 students during the 2004 calendar year, and 1,386 students were enrolled in spring 2005.
"There is a strong commitment at U.Va. to educate our own," University spokesman Carol Wood said.
The tuition reimbursement and assistance program has experienced much more growth than the waivers program in the past few years, especially because employees prefer to take night classes which are more readily available at other universities, Bardeen said.
Under the tuition waivers program, employees must submit a tuition waiver form before the end of the semester registration period as well as receive permission from their supervisors in order to be considered for the waiver.
Employees can take any undergraduate class as long as they do not displace a student and must maintain a grade of C- or better, Bardeen said.
In 2004, Faculty and Staff Career Services spent $575,000 to enroll 425 employees in University classes, according to Bardeen.
The University offers two financial aid programs to University employees who want to take job-related classes at other accredited universities in the form of tuition reimbursement and assistance.
Under the reimbursement program, employees must pay their own tuition and then are reimbursed by their department. With tuition assistance, employees are reimbursed before they take the class.
One group of employees that has taken advantage of these educational opportunities is the University Police Department. Last March, University Police Chief Paul Norris received the Educational Manager and Mentor Award, which is given to managers who especially support their employees' continued education.
"The chief's effort to get people to attend classes is a very important one," University Police Capt. Michael Coleman said.
"We'd love to see as many employees get their associate's degree as possible," Bardeen said. "Continuing education is key to success in the future."
--Chris Hall contributed to this report.
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