Tuition Assistance

Fully completed applications should be submitted by email to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu  Applicants are strongly encouraged to send only their own or their spouse/dependent's application from their own email address. This will ensure that the applicant will have electronic record of submission.

Yes. When an application is submitted to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu, an automated response will be generated. For this reason, applicants are asked to send only their own or their spouse/dependent's application from their own email address. This will ensure that the applicant will have electronic record of submission.

Note: This response is acknowledgement of receipt, and not a confirmation of acceptance. If any corrections and/or clarifications are needed, a member of the team will reach out to the applicant.

Applications are accepted during set timeframes for each term. Please submit each application separately during the appropriate timeframe to prevent delays in processing.

Applications are accepted during set timeframes for each term. Please submit each application separately during the appropriate timeframe to prevent delays in processing.

The tuition assistance program has been growing rapidly each semester. As we progress, we learn more over time and are able to refine processes. New guidelines have been put in place by the Total Rewards team effective with applications for the 2019 Spring semester. 

The majority of the procedural changes are designed to aid applicants, by better defining the expectations of the program. Many of these guideline clarifications are in direct response to circumstances that have arisen in previous semesters. Some procedural changes are designed to aid administrators of the program, by better defining the processes of the program.

Due to the volume of applications received each semester, late applications will be automatically denied. There will be no exception to this policy.

 

No, all application deadlines still apply. While there is no wait period for employees to request tuition assistance, applicants must be employed in an eligible position at the time of application. Additionally, to ensure proper distribution of award funds if approved, applicants should be accepted to and enrolled in an eligible program prior to application.

If an applicant can provide record, such as through a forwarded email, that their application was submitted prior to the deadline, such record can be sent to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu for review.

Notifications of award status for a given term are typically sent within one month of the application deadline for the term.

These notifications are sent to the email address of the student requesting assistance, not the employee. If an applicant is a dependent or spouse requesting assistance, they should check the email address on file in their student record for their award notification.

If the notification has not been received and the deadline was greater than one month ago, please contact TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu. 

At the time of application, the employee (and the spouse or dependent, as applicable) will receive an email confirmation to the email addresses submitted on the application. The confirmation will advise whether a completed application was successful, and the student will be advised of their preliminary approval status.

Formal notification of award status for a given term is made by email to the student for whom the award has been requested. This is typically sent within one month after the application deadline for the term. If it is not currently one month past the deadline, please understand that applications are being processed. If the notification has not been received and the deadline was greater than one month ago, please contact TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu. 

All confirmations of application receipt and preliminary approval status are sent to the email address(es) provided on the application.  Before submitting, ensure that all email addresses are spelled correctly.

Notification of award status is sent to the student's email address on file as a student. For employees requesting tuition assistance for their own coursework, this may or may not be their @wichita.edu email address. If an applicant is a dependent or spouse requesting assistance, they should check the email address on file in their student record for their award notification. If the notification has not been received to the student's email address associated with their student file, and the deadline was greater than one month ago, please contact TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu. 

The HR Total Rewards team is not able to release information related to student records, including tuition assistance awards granted as part of the employee benefit program. The student for whom the award has been requested should contact TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu directly.

At this time, courses at WSU Tech or through the CMD programs are not eligible for tuition assistance, as the tuition is neither charged by nor paid to Wichita State University.

While the benefit of continuing education and professional development for employees is recognized, the goal of the tuition assistance program is to assist employees and their spouse/dependent(s) in the pursuit of an accredited degree, certificate, or badge from WSU. For this reason, non-credit continuing education courses that are not a part of degree-bound or non-degree-bound admission are not eligible for tuition assistance.

Tuition assistance does not cover fees. Student support fees for employees are waived per the Comprehensive Fee Schedule which is unrelated to the tuition assistance benefit. Other course fees, including but not limited to online, lab, and materials fees, are the responsibility of the student.

No. Each application is for either graduate or undergraduate assistance, based on the student's enrolled program.

Tuition assistance is limited to the cost of resident tuition. Additional costs related to non-resident tuition rates are waived for employees, as well as their spouse and dependent(s), per the Comprehensive Fee Schedule. This is unrelated to the tuition assistance benefit.

The tuition assistance program is written to reflect the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Foresight 2020 10-year strategic agenda for the state's public higher education system. One of the goals of this agenda is to "Increase to 60 percent the number of Kansas adults who have earned a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree by 2020."

In keeping with the aim of Foresight 2020, the tuition assistance program at WSU is aimed toward increasing the number of first-level degree holders in the state of Kansas. As tuition assistance funds are finite, and most instructors hold an advanced or terminal degree in their field, it was determined that teaching staff and members of faculty would not be eligible for employee tuition assistance.

Yes. Each student's eligibility and lifetime maximums, if applicable, will stand alone when determining their eligibility for tuition assistance. A single employee can use the tuition assistance benefit for themselves, their spouse, and any dependent(s) concurrently, so long as the employee meets eligibility requirements to request tuition assistance, and each student maintains their individual eligibility.

Yes. Dependents are eligible for assistance during a given semester as long as they meet the eligibility requirements on the first day of the semester for which assistance is being requested.

There is no wait period for participation in the tuition assistance program. However, only those employed in an eligible position at the time of application may be awarded tuition assistance funds. No exceptions will be made to the application deadline for employees hired after the application deadline for a given academic term.

For spouses and dependents receiving assistance, courses must be officially dropped through the Registrar's office prior to the deadline to drop courses with a 100% tuition refund. If the course is dropped after the deadline for 100% tuition refund, the credit hours awarded will still be counted against the student's lifetime maximum. The student will still be eligible to apply for tuition assistance in future semesters, if they have not yet reached their maximum lifetime award amount.

For employees receiving tuition assistance, it is requested as a courtesy to University departments and other students to officially drop the course(s) through the Registrar's office before the beginning of the term, or as soon as possible. For courses dropped prior to the 100% tuition refund deadline, the student will still be eligible to apply for tuition assistance in future semesters.

Any students awarded tuition assistance who need to drop their course(s) are asked to do so as soon as possible and contact the Total Rewards team at TutionAssistance@wichita.edu. This will allow the funds to be reallocated to other students who may have been wait-listed for funds. This does not affect the student's eligibility for future tuition assistance awards or count toward lifetime credit maximums, if applicable.

Each applicant can apply as only one category of eligibility and in one program type. "Double-dipping" is not allowed. If the applicant is a benefits-eligible employee, they should apply for the employee tuition assistance award.