Tuition Resources
Tuition Exemption
Credits by Employee Type
Full-Time Employee
Up to 12 credit hours during the academic year
Not to exceed 6 credit hours in any semester per academic year
Non-Student Wage
Non-student wage employees may not waive tuition for degree programs. Non-student wage employees that begin a degree-seeking program will be reclassified as student wage and will not be eligible for this benefit.
For non-degree programs, up to 8 credit hours may be waived per academic year; not to exceed 4 credit hours per semester.
Adjunct Faculty or Part-Time Employee
Up to 8 credit hours may be waived per academic year
Not to exceed 4 credit hours per semester
Adjunct faculty who are also enrolled in degree programs, including certificate programs, are considered students first; therefore, they will be reclassified as graduate lecturers and will not be eligible for tuition exemption benefits.
*Academic year runs from mid-August to mid-August
*An exemption year includes the fall, spring, and summer semester
*Graduate Certificate programs are considered degree-seeking programs.
Apply
- The employee completes and submits the electronic Employee Tuition Exemption Request form after registering for class.
- The employee must include the names and email addresses of their supervisor and department head.
- The entire form must be completed.
- The electronic form will route to the employee’s supervisor for electronic signature based on the email address provided by the employee.
- After the supervisor signs the form, the electronic form will route to the department head for electronic signature based on the email address provided by the employee.
- After the department head signs the form, the form will route to Student Accounts for processing.
The Employee must ensure appropriate supervisory signatures are added and that the form is received by Student Accounts by the semester payment due date. Forms received by Student Accounts after the drop period for the employee’s course will not be processed. Refer to the university calendar for semester deadlines. https://studentaccounts.gmu.edu/calendars.
- Complete an online application.
- Applications are available at the admissions website
- On the payment screen (the last screen of the application process), be sure to select the tuition exemption option to have the application fee waived.
- Will be required to submit:
- College transcripts
- Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates
- Other documentation as requested
- Admissions will follow up to verify employment.
- Admissions recommend applying online Monday through Saturday to ensure the payment options will appear.
- Applications are available at the admissions website
- Check the status of your application through Patriot Web and forward all outstanding required documentation (transcripts, etc.).
- Once your application has been processed, your will receive an email with a link to check your application status online (indicates missing documentation, outstanding fees, etc.)
- You will receive another email notification when you have been admitted to the program and approved to register for courses.
- Register for classes.
- Complete an Employee Tuition Exemption Request form for each course in which you are registered.
- Submit your Tuition Exemption Request/s to your supervisor/manager for his/her signature.
- Submit your signed Employee Tuition Exemption Request/s to Student Accounts after you have registered, but prior to the payment due date.
- Register for classes.
- Complete an Employee Tuition Exemption Request form for the courses in which you are registered and would like reviewed for exemption.
- Submit your Tuition Exemption Request to your supervisor/department head for signature with enough time that the form can be signed by all parties and submitted to Student Accounts prior to the deadline (payment due date for the semester).
- After you have submitted your form, check in with your supervisor to ensure the form has been received and moved along in the process. Also check your account in TouchNet to view the exemption. If you do not see the exemption, follow up with your supervisor and Student Accounts prior to the payment due date.
- If you make a registration change, submit a new form within 5 days of the registration change.
The electronic Tuition Exemption Request form must be received by Student Accounts prior to the payment deadline for the semester, within 5 days of registration thereafter, and prior to the drop deadline for your courses. This allows the Student Accounts Office time to review your eligibility and contact you if there is an issue prior to the drop deadline. Always follow up with your supervisors to ensure they have received and signed the form. The university calendar can be reviewed for payment due dates and drop deadlines here: https://studentaccounts.gmu.edu/calendars.
Eligibility
| Eligible | Not eligible |
|---|---|
| • Full-time faculty • Part-time faculty working at least 0.5 FTE • Full-time administrative and professional faculty • Part-time administrative and professional faculty working at least 0.5 FTE • Full-time classified staff • Part-time classified staff working at least 0.5 FTE | • Student Wage employees • Adjunct faculty who are enrolled in degree programs (including Graduate Certificate programs). • Graduate Lecturers* • Graduate Professional Assistants* • Graduate Research Assistants* • Graduate Teaching Assistants* • No pay affiliates* • Mason temps *Check with your department if your contract references tuition waiver. |
| • Non-Student Wage employees: may take courses but cannot enroll in a degree program. | Continuing Professional Education programs are also ineligible as well as programs to which payment is due directly rather than posting to the student account. |
| • Adjunct faculty: may use earned benefits during the academic term they are employed OR a future semester or summer term in the same academic year. (Note: Adjunct faculty who are also enrolled in degree seeking programs are considered students first; therefore, they will be reclassified as graduate lecturers and will not be eligible for tuition exemption benefits.) |
Source: University Policy Number 2209
Eligible employees may apply for tuition exemption upon employment.
The tuition exemption is available on your first day of employment as long as the form is submitted to Student Accounts prior to the payment due date and according to the semester deadlines. Please see the "What Happens If I Separate from Mason?" FAQ tab for more information on what happens if you separate from Mason. Tuition exemptions will not be granted in anticipation of future work.
- If an employee terminates prior to the first day of the semester and elects to remain in the class, the employee is responsible for all costs. There is no tuition exemption benefit available to the employee. The employee can drop the class or continue in the class and will be responsible for the full tuition amount.
- If the employee terminates on or after the first day of the semester, they can finish the class without repayment of tuition. However, if enrolled in graduate-level of study, the amount of tuition that is waived will still count towards the IRS limits.
If accepted into a degree program, your employment classification will be changed from Non-Student Wage to Student Wage. As a Student Wage employee, you will not be eligible for tuition exemption.
Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Lecturers are considered students and therefore do not receive tuition exemption under this policy. If your contract mentions tuition waiver, please contact your department for assistance.
Adjuncts may only use their earned benefits in non-degree programs. Certificate programs are considered degree programs. Adjuncts may use their earned benefits in the academic term during which they are employed, or during a future semester or summer term in the same academic year.
For example: An adjunct faculty teaching in the fall semester may use tuition exemption in the spring or summer semester even if they are not teaching during the those semesters. If the adjunct faculty only teaches in the spring semester, they may not use tuition exemption in the fall semester before they teach. Adjuncts enrolled in a Graduate Certificate program will not be eligible to use tuition benefits as these programs are considered degree-seeking.
Eligibility for the benefit is not affected by out-of-state domicile status. However, given the taxable IRS limit, they have a higher chance of exceeding the limit since their out-of-state tuition is higher. Degree-seeking employees should complete the Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates pursuant to Section 23-7-4 of the Code of Virginia.
Policy
The tuition exemption is based upon the Policy #2209, Employee Tuition Exemption Benefit policy; please review the policy prior to initiating a tuition exemption.
FAQs
| What is covered under Tuition Exemption | What is not covered under Tuition Exemption |
|---|---|
| • Tuition for classes and labs • Other course fees | • Course fees for private music instruction courses • Course fees for MATH 006 or 008 • Course fees for SYST 462 or 463 • Textbooks/supplies, including course materials fee • Orientation • New Student Fee • Enrollment deposit • Study Abroad Courses • Flights/accommodations for classes that include traveling • Continuing education programs • Tuition for consortium class(es) with a profit-sharing agreement at another institution • Late Payment Fees • Late Registration Fees |
Source: University Policy Number 2209
Per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), employees who currently utilize a tuition exemption for graduate study will have amounts in excess of $5,250 in a calendar year reported as taxable earnings. This means that your tax withholding will increase in the pay period in which the excess amount is reported. Human Resources receives enrollment data each October and will determine if the value of the graduate tuition exemption exceeds the IRS threshold. If the tuition exemption amount exceeds the annual limit of $5250, the excess will be reported as taxable income and you will be notified by Human Resources each October. Anything less than or equal to $5,250 is not reportable.
Tuition exemptions for employees in undergraduate programs are not impacted.
If you have any questions, please contact the Payroll Department at payroll@gmu.edu
The following restrictions apply to employees using the tuition exemption:
- No special priority for registration
- Accepted into class sections on a "space available" basis
- Exemptions earned in one employment category will not transfer if the employee moves to another employment category (e.g. non-student wage employee moving to a classified position)
Please also note the following:
- Non-student wage employees that begin a degree-seeking program will be reclassified as student wage and will no longer be eligible for tuition exemption.
- Graduate assistants and student wage employees are not eligible for tuition exemption.
- Adjuncts in a degree program or graduate certificate program are not eligible for tuition exemption.
Tuition exemption classes should be taken during non-working hours; however, supervisors may adjust work schedules as far as practical to permit attendance as long as operational service effectiveness will not be jeopardized. See the Flexible Work website for potential options.
Time missed from work as a result of class attendance must be made up by the employee or charged to an appropriate leave balance so that the employee continues to meet the requirement for a 40 hour work week.
Employees should contact Student Accounts at saccount@gmu.edu or 703-993-2000 for questions about their tuition bills and charges.
GRAs/GTAs are considered students and therefore do not receive tuition exemption under this policy. If their contract mentions tuition exemption this is done completely with their department and they should reach out to their department for help.
Failing a course does not impact tuition exemption benefits. However, it can impact your academic standing and eligibility for continued enrollment in your desired program.
Withdrawing from a course during the tuition liability period will not disqualify you from using the tuition exemption in the future, nor will you be required to pay back the tuition amount. However, the course cost and credit hours will count toward semester and annual limits AND is included in graduate coursework taxable reporting.
Auditing a course does not remove the cost of the course so the employee should still ensure they meet the deadlines to submit their tuition exemption form. Employees should check with the Registrar for additional paperwork that may be needed and work closely with their professor on the details of auditing a course.
No, eligible employees may use tuition exemption for online, hybrid, and in-person classes.
Tuition exemption may not be used for the following:
- Continuing & Professional Education program
- Global Education Office (Study Abroad) courses, including Global Gateway, and trip fees
Employees are encouraged to contact the relevant school or department to confirm that a course qualifies for tuition exemption.
If your employment ends prior to the first day of the semester and you remain in the class, you are responsible for all tuition costs.
If the employee terminates on or after the first day of the semester, they can finish the class without repayment of tuition. However, if enrolled in graduate level of study, the amount of tuition that is exempted will still count towards the IRS limits.
Contact Student Accounts for add/drop deadlines (it may vary semester-to-semester).
Benefitted employees who are on official leave or leave without still qualify for tuition exemption. Any employee on ‘leave without benefits’ would not qualify.
You should pay your tuition charges for this semester and if you decide to take courses next semester, make sure that you submit your form on time.
Review your form in the dynamic forms portal to ensure that you entered your supervisor’s email address correctly. If you cannot access your form, email saccount@gmu.edu to have an account specialist review your form and provide you with this information. If you submitted an erroneous email address and the submission deadline has not passed, fill out a new tuition exemption form with the correct information for your supervisor.
Your exemption form should not come to you for signature. This means that you submitted your own email address for the supervisor or department head. You should fill out a new form and submit it prior to the submission deadline ensuring you enter the correct supervisory email addresses.
Follow up with your supervisor and department head to confirm they have signed it. If it has been longer than 7 days since the last signature, reach out to saccount@gmu.edu and an account specialist can check on the status of your form. Student Accounts makes every effort to process forms in a timely manner but volume can be high in the weeks before the semester begins. Do not wait to contact us after the drop deadline.
Exemption forms are due before the drop deadline for your course so that Student Accounts has time to review your eligibility and notify you of any outstanding charges. This notification must occur before the 100% drop deadline for your course, so that you have time to drop any courses that you do not wish to pay for should you not have eligibility. Further, Student Accounts must submit exemption data to the Payroll Department each semester related to graduate tuition exemption and the IRS threshold.
Your employment status must be listed in our system so that it can be verified by Student Accounts as part of your tuition exemption eligibility review. Please reach out to Human Resources to update your status and then submit your Tuition Exemption Request form. If the deadline for submission is approaching, you may submit your form and then make the request to HR, CC’ing Student Accounts on your email.
Yes, full-time faculty and staff at the Mason Korea campus are eligible.
No, there is no hours requirement for non-student wage employees.
These programs do not charge to Student Accounts, so there are no charges to waive. Employees may be eligible to receive a 50% discount on fees and are encouraged to inquire if their department can cover any of the cost.
Yes, certificate programs are covered. However, adjunct faculty will not be eligible for the tuition exemption since these programs are considered degree-seeking programs.
If the class is listed in the course catalogue under the specific college (e.g., College of Science) then it is covered. If the class is listed as continuing education or professional education (CPE) then it is not covered.
Contact Information
- For questions about the tuition exemption request form, application deadlines, the approval process, or tuition exemption payments, contact Student Accounts at saccount@gmu.edu.
- For questions about the tuition exemption benefit policy, contact the Benefits department at benefits@gmu.edu.
- For questions about the taxation of graduate courses paid with tuition exemption benefits, contact the Payroll department at payroll@gmu.edu.