Program Policies
Tuition assistance is available for eligible Wichita State University employees and their dependents and/or spouses who wish to further their education through classes in an eligible program at the University. Eligibility requirements and tuition assistance policies vary by applicant type. Please see below for additional information on the tuition assistance program.
Additional Program Information
Program Timelines
Applications are accepted during set intervals for each academic term. All applications are reviewed in full before a final decision is made, and the official notification of award status will be sent to applicants within 30 days of the deadline for each academic term.
Due to the volume of applications received each semester, applications received after the deadline will be automatically denied. There will be no exceptions.
| Term | Applications Accepted | Application Deadline | Notification of Award |
| Fall | May 1 | July 1* | July 31 |
| Spring | October 1 | December 1* | December 31 |
| Summer | February 15 | April 15* | May 15 |
*When the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted through the end of the following University business day.
Tuition Assistance Program for Employees
Eligibility
To be eligible for tuition assistance as an employee of WSU, applicants must meet ALL of the following requirements:
- Active appointment status as an Unclassified Professional (UP) or University Support Staff (USS); employees on unpaid leave are not eligible.
- Benefits-eligible (i.e. accrue sick/vacation leave)
- FTE status 0.5 or greater
- Primary job function is not teaching
- Current performance evaluation of "satisfactory," "meets expectations," or an equivalent rating, or be pursuing training or education directly related to a specific performance deficiency.
- Admitted into any undergraduate or graduate degree-seeking program offered by WSU, or admitted with non-degree seeking status for badge/certificate courses
Award
The maximum award per academic term is limited to the cost of resident tuition plus associated infrastructure fees up to a maximum of ONE of the following options:
- Seven (7) hours of undergraduate-level credit
- Six (6) hours of graduate-level credit
- Two (2) courses for badge credit
There is no lifetime award limit for employees.
Tuition Assistance Program for Spouses and Dependent Children
Eligibility
To be eligible for tuition assistance as the dependent child of an employee of WSU, applicants (i.e., the student taking courses) must meet ALL of the following requirements as of the first day of the term for which assistance is requested:
- Child, stepchild, or adopted child of the employee
- Under age 26
- Unmarried
- Admitted into any undergraduate, degree-seeking program offered by WSU
To be eligible for tuition assistance as the spouse of an employee of WSU, applicants (i.e., the student taking courses) must meet ALL of the following requirements as of the first day of the term for which assistance is requested:
- Legal spouse of the employee, as recognized under Kansas state law, including commonlaw
- Admitted into any undergraduate, degree-seeking program offered by WSU
In addition, the employee spouse or parent of the applicant must meet ALL of the following requirements as of the first day of the term for which assistance is requested:
- Active appointment status as an Unclassified Professional (UP), University Support Staff (USS), or member of Faculty (FA)
- Benefits-eligible (i.e. accrue sick/vacation leave)
- FTE status 0.5 or greater
Award
The amount of tuition assistance provided for undergraduate courses will be limited to 50% of the cost of resident tuition, plus associated infrastructure fees, up to a maximum of fifteen (15) credit hours of courses per semester
The lifetime maximum award amount per individual is 60 credit hours.
Additional Program Information
Award Amounts
Tuition assistance will be paid at the base cost of graduate or undergraduate tuition rates plus the infrastructure fee. Students are responsible for any other course fees, including, but not limited to, fees for online and lab courses.
Any balance owed must be paid by the last day to drop a class at 100% to avoid late fees. Unpaid fees will result in a financial hold placed on the student’s record which will prevent viewing grades, transcripts, and future enrollment.
Enrollment
Students must register for classes on-line. Tuition assistance will be reflected on the student's tuition bill only once the student has enrolled in courses. To ensure proper application of tuition assistance awards, students should be enrolled in their courses no later than the first day of the academic term.
Students must officially withdraw from a class for payments to be refunded.
Academic Eligibility
Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or greater for Undergraduate Programs and 3.0 or greater for Graduate Programs to maintain eligibility for tuition assistance.
Employees receiving tuition assistance for their own coursework must pass all courses with a "C" or better for undergraduate courses or a "B" or better for graduate courses to maintain eligibility for tuition assistance.
Who to Contact
HR Total Rewards Team
TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu