Tuition Remission

Tuition Remission Program for Private Human Service Providers
Administered by the Providers' Council

How many CHD employees have participated/benefited from the tuition remission program? Though I do not have exact numbers, I know there are a lot of employees who use it regularly each semester.  Over 25 people have taken advantage of it over the years.  Currently, because it is limited to daytime, undergraduate classes, the majority of those that take advantage of the program are CHD's night staff.  Some of the staff has even used tuition remission through much of their undergraduate careers, consistently for four or five years.  

What do you feel are the biggest benefits for the students who use tuition remission? Clearly because of the nature and the difficulty of human services work and because of the lower pay scales, this is one of the biggest employee benefits that CHD offers.  For many employees, they wouldn't otherwise be able to enroll in classes and take on this challenge without the financial support of the organization.  Even though the cost of tuition may have decreased, the cost of fees and books continues to rise.  This benefit still makes a big difference for employees so they can focus on paying fees and purchasing books and not have to worry as much about the cost of tuition.

What do you feel are the greatest benefits for CHD as an organization?   Using the tuition remission program really sends a strong message about the type of employer CHD is and that we are focused on supporting the whole person, not just the employee.  CHD cares about the person.  It allows each employee to see CHD as the conduit between them and the tuition remission benefit.  I think it also helps to improve how employees perceive of and do their work which is a great benefit to the organization.
 

When did you first get involved with the tuition remission program?  We first heard about the tuition remission program when the Providers’ Council began coordinating it in 2000. CHD had been doing tuition reimbursement for its employees for a long time.  When we heard about this opportunity with tuition remission, we decided to jump on it.  It fell right in line with what we were already offering to our staff. 

What schools do most of the students attend?
Employees mostly attend the local community colleges including Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College as well as Westfield State and UMass Amherst.
 

Would you support expansion of tuition remission to include graduate courses as well?  Yes, I would definitely support the expansion of the tuition remission program to include graduate courses as well.  Many staff members are disappointed to learn that the tuition remission program does not include graduate level courses or evening courses.  Because increasingly, there is a desire to get more human service employees credentialed, expansion of the tuition remission could be a way to do that. 

How does CHD publicize its participation in the tuition remission program?
A description of the tuition remission benefit is included in the benefits overview for new employees.  We also regularly include it in our staff newsletter.  At CHD, there is a regular rhythm around our tuition reimbursement program as we advertise it for the fall, spring and summer semesters.  We advertise the tuition remission program at the same time.

 Would you recommend that other organizations participate in the tuition remission program?  
 I would absolutely recommend that other organizations participate in the tuition remission program.  It is really easy from administrative standpoint and the cost is a minor investment compared to the benefits.  Staff really appreciates it and there is no good reason not to offer it.
 

Tips for students at Holyoke Community College

We have been informed that in an effort to simplify the application process, Holyoke Community College has decided to accept Tuition Remission certificates for any daytime, weekday class during fall and spring semesters. Tuition Remission will not be accepted for classes starting after 4pm, on weekends, or during summer sessions.
If you are applying for Tuition Remission at this school you do not need to find out if the class is state supported. You do need to make sure your class is eligible according to the guidelines listed above.

Annual Renewal Process
If you haven't  renewed your registration for the Tuition Remission Program, please do soon so employees will be able to participate in the program this year.The June deadline has passed, but renewals will continue to be accepted until spring 2010.

Please be aware that whenever you submit the renewal, it maintains your status for the 2009-2010 academic year (Summer II 2009-Summer I 2010), not for a year from when you actually renewed.

Please download both the instructions and the renewal form.

Renewal Instructions

Renewal Form

About the Tuition Remission Program

• The Providers' Council began operating the Tuition Remission Program in the fall of 2000, upon approval from the Massachusetts Commonwealth Board of Higher Education.
• The program was initiated to help human service employees gain access to college education to advance their careers in the field of human services. Since then, more than 15,000 certificates for Tuition Remission have been issued to thousands of human service employees allowing them to attend Massachusetts state college classes tuition-free.
• This program applies to state-supported, undergraduate classes at Massachusetts state colleges, state community colleges and the University of Massachusetts, upon a space availability basis.
• Processing fees, registration and renewal fees are required from participating human service employers to support the administration of this program.
• Participating employees are responsible for paying all school fees and book costs.

As always, students must check with the school registrar or bursar to find out if a class is state-supported before completing a Tuition Remission Certificate.

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Here are the answers to the Top Four most Frequently Asked Questions by employees: