Article
Education Reimbursement Program
Basic Education Reimbursement requirements for the student:
- Staff must email completed state form #57438 within 30 days prior to the start of the course/s being claimed to fssaeducationreimbursement@fssa.in.gov, and
- Staff must have been employed by a state agency for 12 continuous months or more, and
- Staff must not have received any disciplinary actions in the year prior to submission.
Basic Education Reimbursement requirements for the courses:
- Eigible courses include all core and elective courses required for completion of a certificate, state licensure, General Education Development (GED), High School Equivalency (HSE), associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program offered through, in, or associated with an accredited training or educational institution, school, or professional organization. This includes credit/no credit or pass/fail courses, refresher courses, or preparatory course work for licensure or certification when required for the completion of the program, or courses taken as a non-degree seeking student.
- Eligible courses must not have already been paid for via a grant.
- Eligible courses must not have been dropped after an official “drop/add” date.
- Eligible courses cannot be taken more than once and/or submitted for reimbursement more than once.
- Eligible courses must have received a final grade of C or higher. For final approval for reimbursement.
FSSA Education Reimbursement
Enhancing our teams’ professional knowledge, skills, and abilities reinforces great government service by strengthening the effectiveness and credibility of state employees. To support the continued education of our workforce, all full-time employees who have been employed by a state agency for 12 continuous months and have not received a disciplinary action in the one year prior to the end of the course, may be eligible for reimbursements of up to $5,250.00 per calendar year.
Use the form with dropdowns for assistance and electronically sign.
Education reimbursements are subject to the provisions of this policy and the availability of funds for this purpose. The maximum amount of education reimbursement per employee per calendar year is $5,250.00. Approved education reimbursements under this policy are not a contract of employment. Any education, tuition, or similar reimbursement policies currently existing in agencies covered under this policy are superseded by this standardized policy.
Courses Eligible for Reimbursement
Eligible courses include all core and elective courses required for completion of a certificate, state licensure, General Education Development (GED), High School Equivalency (HSE), associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program offered through, in, or associated with an accredited training or educational institution, school, or professional organization. This includes credit/no credit or pass/fail courses, refresher courses, or preparatory course work for licensure or certification when required for the completion of the program, or courses taken as a non-degree seeking student.
Courses dropped after an official “drop/add” date are not eligible for Reimbursement or Assistance. No Reimbursement or Assistance will be provided if a course is taken more than once or an employee takes another attempt at a course previously reimbursed or assisted by the state. No Reimbursement or Assistance will be provided if the employee does not complete the course with a satisfactory grade of at least a “C” or above (or an equivalent “pass” grade)..
Costs Eligible for Reimbursement
Employees may receive reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year. Total reimbursement calculations are determined based on the reimbursement distribution date.
Eligible costs for reimbursement are limited to tuition.
Employees interested in pursuing advanced academic or professional education are encouraged to file a FAFSA® as they may qualify for additional federal loans, grants, and other scholarships. Receiving education reimbursement under this policy does not prohibit an employee from filing a FAFSA® for additional federal aid.
Scholarship awards, grant funding, and financial assistance (including any applicable employee discounts), other than student loans, which can be applied to tuition or course fees, must be deducted from the total amount requested for reimbursement prior to consideration for payment, except as required by federal law or regulation. However, these funds can be applied first to non-eligible courses taken concurrently with the eligible courses at the same institution before being deducted from the total amount requested for reimbursement. Student loans, including Perkins and Stafford loans, do not need to be deducted from the total amount requested for reimbursement.
Costs not eligible for reimbursement under this policy include any fees; these may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Application and enrollment fees
- Transcript fees
- Textbooks and other course materials, whether physical or electronic
- Pens, notebooks, pencils, and other office or school supplies
- Personal computers or other electronic devices
- Entrance exams or preparatory classes for an entrance exam (e.g. LSAT, GMAT, GRE)
- Fees for licensure or licensure exams
- Parking
- Late fees, fines, penalties, bank charges
- Equipment rental or charges
- Room and board
- Grants
- Technology Fees
- Lab Fees
- Equipment Rehab/Repair fees
Agency or employee association fees, membership dues, or licensure expenses that may not be reimbursable under this policy may be eligible for reimbursement under the State Budget Agency’s Financial Management Circular 1.1.
The Reimbursement Application Process
Steps for Education Reimbursement (reimbursement after taking classes and meeting basic requirements)
Application can be found here.
- The employee downloads and types up the Education Reimbursement Application and signs/dates the form.
- The employee forwards the form to their manager for signature in the Supervisor's Signature field at the bottom of Page 1.
- Do not fill in any fields on page 2 of the application regarding the initial or final approvals. That part is completed by the Education Reimbursement program administrators.
- After Page 1 is fully completed and signed, the typed application should be emailed to your area’s HR representative, which can be found here, for signatures before being forwarded to fssaeducationreimbursement@fssa.in.gov for processing 30 calendar days (or more) prior to the start of the course to be considered for initial approval. (Using the signature date of the manager)
- The following info/documentation must accompany the initial submission:
- Printed documentation from the school showing the dates the course/s being claimed started & ended
- Printed documentation from the school showing the tuition costs or the costs per credit hour for course/s being claimed
- In order to be considered for initial approval staff must meet the following criteria:
- Staff must have been employed by a state agency for 12 continuous months or more, and
- Has not received any disciplinary action in the one year prior to the end of the course.
- The Appointing Authority (FSSA Education Administrator) reviews the form for eligibility determination.
- The Appointing Authority (FSSA Education Administrator) will review the application and inform the staff of Approval/Denial of their request via email and/or a copy of the info on Page 2 being completed by the Administrator and returned.
- Before or after an initial approval, the FSSA Education Administrator may request additional documentation/digital proof to confirm the validity of the information contained in an application prior to granting a final approval.
- If the application is approved, the employee will be provided a W9 and Direct Deposit Authorization to complete and return to the Education Reimbursement mailbox. (If the employee is not already an active vendor in PS FIN - Administrator can confirm this info)
- When the course is completed, employee submits to the FSSA Education inbox:
- a grade report or transcript indicating a grade of C or higher
- and an itemized proof of payment or receipt from bursar.
- If the employee still meets the criteria of the program, the funding source will be determined and Direct AP Voucher will be completed for payment.
- The AP Voucher and supporting documents will be submitted to the fiscal department for signatures.
- Then the AP Voucher and supporting documents will be submitted to Accounts Payable for payment.
- Employee will be paid/reimbursed through the Auditor's Office as a vendor payment via direct deposit.
Effective 12/8/22, Addendum A was added to the Education Reimbursement policy that references Ivy Tech Tuition Assistance.
Steps for Tuition Assistance for Ivy Tech ONLY ("upfront" payment of Ivy Tech classes after meeting basic requirements)
- The student is provided an Achieve Your Degree (AYD) Ivy Tech link to use to fill out state form #57438 that is specific to State of Indiana employees only.
- Once the student fills out the application with the info for the individual semester being requested (one semester at a time), and then the student and their manager has signed the form, it must be emailed to your local HR representative for a signature before being forwarded to fssaeducationreimbursement@fssa.in.gov for review within 30 days prior to the start of their course/s.(Do not fill in any info in the "Tuition Assistance Initial Decision" section.)
- To obtain an initial approval, the student must meet the following criteria:
- Student must have been employed by a state agency for 12 continuous months or more, and
- Has not received any disciplinary action in the one year prior to the end of the course.
- To obtain an initial approval, the student must meet the following criteria:
- Then the FSSA Education Administrator responds to the email with an initial approval completing the "Tuition Assistance Initial Decision" section of the form for the student to upload to their Ivy Tech portal.
- Then once the course/s are taken, the Ivy Tech state contact contacts the FSSA Education Administrators to confirm that the criteria above is still applicable to the student and that the student was originally sent an initial approved version of state form #57438.
- If all criteria is met, then FSSA Education will then provide a second, final approval to the Ivy Tech contact via email.
- Ivy Tech then submits a request for payment of the tuition to the State of Indiana via direct AP voucher for payment of all students that met the requirements for final approval and payment of their tuition.
Important Note: If for any reason, the tuition amount becomes un-approvable (student did not pass or receive a final grade of C or higher), then the cost of the course/s must be paid by the student.
Appeal a Denied reimbursement
Each submitted request is reviewed for compliance pursuant to the Education Reimbursement and Tuition Assistance Policy of the Indiana State Personnel Department.
If you disagree with this decision, as a state employee in the state civil service system, you may file a complaint concerning the application of any law, rule, or policy pursuant to IC 4-15-2.2-42. A complaint concerning the denial of your request for tuition reimbursement must be submitted to SPD Employee Relations within thirty (30) days of the date of the denial email. Information regarding the civil service complaint process can be found at the following website: https://www.in.gov/spd/policies-and-procedures/laws-rules-and-policies/.
Other information
Reimbursement applications submitted January 1st through November 30th may be considered same-year reimbursements to count towards the yearly cap of $5250 for that same year IF all required documentation needed to finalize approval has been submitted prior to December 1st of that same year. Reimbursement applications submitted on December 1st or after will count towards the next year's cap of $5250
See Tuition Reimbursement info located on SPD's website by clicking here.
Click here to view the Education Reimbursement policy.
Any questions may be sent to FSSAEducationReimbursement@fssa.in.gov.