CSU Employee Grant Program

Effective: May 14, 2007

Download the Employee Grant Program Form ... MS Word | Adode PDF

a. General Program Benefits. The Employee Grant Program is an employee benefit provided to all regular full-time employees and their dependents. It is not an entitlement. Funding for this program each year is dependent upon the availability of adequate institutional financial aid funds. Program benefits are immediate upon regular full-time employment. The employee must begin full-time employment prior to the beginning date of the term in which the employee/dependent is applying. Employee Grant funds may be used for undergraduate and graduate coursework.

While the Employee Grant Program is an employee benefit, it is managed in accordance with federal, state and institutional financial aid policies and procedures. All recipients of the Employee Grant Program who attend full-time or part-time in the undergraduate program must submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year prior to June 15 as a condition of eligibility and comply with these policies and procedures to receive funding. All recipients of the Employee Grant Program who attend full-time or part-time in a graduate program, will only need to complete the FAFSA if they are interested in taking out loans. Should the employee begin full-time employment after June 15 but prior to the beginning date of the fall semester, he/she must still submit the FAFSA for that term. Employee/Dependents may apply on-line at www.fafsa.org. Requests for exceptions to filing the FAFSA must be submitted in writing by June 15 to the Vice-President for Enrollment Management. Students beginning in the spring semester must submit a FAFSA by December 15. Should the employee begin full-time employment after December 15 but prior to the beginning date of the spring semester, he/she must still submit the FAFSA for that term. Likewise, requests for exceptions must be submitted in writing by December 15 to the Vice-President for Enrollment Management.

b. Program Limits:

1. Eligibility:

a. Employees. Regular full-time employees, full-time faculty and non-faculty personnel on contracts of at least 10 months annually are eligible, providing all other criteria is met. Temporary employees, visiting professors or lecturers are not eligible.

b. Dependents. A “dependent” for purposes of eligibility for an Employee Grant is a person who meets dependency status per federal guidelines OR is claimed on an eligible employee’s Federal Income Tax Return. The Federal guidelines are as follows:

Must be:

• Under the age of 24
• Working on an undergraduate degree
• Single with no dependents
• Not attained veteran status
• Not be considered a ward of the court

c. Admissions. All employees and dependents utilizing the Employee Grant Program must apply for undergraduate or graduate admission to the University and be accepted for admission based on current admission standards. This includes regular, foundation studies and special status students, i.e., non-degree seeking, transient, etc. All applicants must pay the application fee.

2. Maximum Institutional Award. Each employee has a maximum amount of institutional aid that may be used annually (fiscal year) for the employee and his/her dependents. The combined total of Employee Grant funds that may be used by the employee and his/her dependents during a fiscal year (June 1 to May 31) cannot exceed the equivalent of the annual full-time tuition rate for one person for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Multiple dependents may receive funds from the Employee Grant Program during a single fiscal year as long as the total funds do not exceed the annual full-time tuition rate for one individual for the fiscal year.

3. Attendance Criteria:

a. Employees. Employees may take undergraduate or graduate classes outside their normal working hours during any term with permission from the appropriate Senior Officer and the President of the University. Permission is to be obtained on the Employee Grant Form that must be submitted prior to the beginning of each term. The Employee Grant Form may be downloaded from the university website at www.charlestonsouthern.edu. The document is located under the Faculty and Staff section.

b. Dependents. A dependent of an employee, as defined above, may attend either part-time or full-time as an undergraduate or graduate student during any term with permission from the appropriate Senior Officer and the President of the University. Permission is to be obtained on the Employee Grant Form that must be submitted prior to the beginning of each term. The Employee Grant Form may be downloaded from the university website at www.charlestonsouthern.edu. The document is located under the Faculty and Staff section.

4. S.C. Hope/S.C. Life and Palmetto Fellow Scholarship Recipients.

a. Book Allowance. Employees/Dependents who are eligible to receive funds from the Employee Grant Program and qualify by the State of South Carolina to receive the S.C. Hope Scholarship, will be allowed to use $150 per year of their scholarship for books. Employees/Dependents who are eligible to receive funds from the Employee Grant Program and qualify by the State of South Carolina to receive the SC Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or the SC Life Scholarship, will be allowed to use $300 per year of their scholarship for books. The amount of funds each year will be based on the amount of funds allocated by the SC Legislature for this purpose. This will be awarded above the full-time tuition benefit of the Employee Grant Program.

b. Housing Allowance. Employees/Dependents who have met all eligibility to receive funds from the Employee Grant program and qualify by the State of South Carolina to receive the S.C. Hope Scholarship, S.C. Life Scholarship or the S.C. Palmetto Fellow Scholarship, will be allowed to use fifty percent of their scholarship funds toward their room and board charges providing the student lives in the Charleston Southern University residence halls. This will be awarded above the full-time tuition benefit of the Employee Grant Program. If the student chooses to use the book allowance, the remainder of the fifty percent will be used toward room and board.

5. Other Program Provisions. The employee receiving an employee grant for himself or his dependent(s) does so under the following provisions:

a. If the employee/dependent is attending in part-time status and withdraws from a course or courses after drop/add or receives a grade of FA, the employee will be responsible for payment of all tuition charges for the course(s). Financial aid will be reduced for the courses not completed. The award will automatically be adjusted if the course withdrawal is prior to drop/add. The employee/dependent must maintain financial aid satisfactory progress as defined in the University Catalog to remain eligible for the benefit in subsequent semesters.

b. If the employee/dependent is attending in full-time status and completely withdraws from a course or courses after drop/add, but remains in full-time status, the employee/dependent must meet financial aid satisfactory progress as defined in the University Catalog to remain eligible for the benefit in subsequent semesters.

c. If the employee/dependent is attending in full-time status and takes any action that reduces them to part-time status after drop/add, the employee will be responsible for payment of full tuition charges although financial aid will be adjusted to part-time status. (Note: Awards will automatically be adjusted if such action occurs prior to drop/add).

d. If full-time employment ceases for any reason during a semester, the Employee Grant Program will cover the remainder of the semester for which it has already been approved.

e. Any unused portion of the annual Maximum Institutional Award in any year cannot be applied to an earlier fiscal year nor carried forward for use in a later fiscal year.

f. When requests for employee grant funds exceed the availability of institutional funds for this purpose, employee grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Also, eligible employees will be given priority over dependents in awarding employee grants.

g. Graduate Students: Employees/dependents receiving a graduate tuition waiver under the Employee Grant Program are responsible for paying taxes on the fringe benefit amount. As such, the payroll office will add the value of such grants to your pay record for income tax withholding purposes. The fringe benefit amount will be split between paychecks and the amount will be included in your W-2 at the end of the year. This will decrease your net pay for these pay periods, since your taxes on this fringe benefit will be withheld, with no corresponding increase in your gross salary amount.

Revised 5/14/07 dbw