University of Maryland Policy on Tuition Remission for Spouses and Dependent Children of Faculty, Staff, and Retired Employees

In order to better support its current and former employees and advance its commitment to providing exceptional educational opportunities to residents of the state of Maryland, the University of Maryland (the University) provides tuition remission for the spouses and dependent children of current and retired faculty and staff.

1. “Dependent Child” means the child, stepchild, or legally adopted child of a University Employee or Retiree who:
   1. Is under the age of twenty-six prior to an institution’s course registration deadline for the semester or term for which Tuition Remission has been requested; or
   2. Is twenty-six or older and claimed as a dependent on the Employee or Retiree’s federal income tax return for the year(s) in which Tuition Remission is granted. 
2. “Differential Tuition” means an additional amount charged on top of base tuition for specific undergraduate academic programs. 
3. “Employee” means a regular status faculty or staff member who occupies a position at the University that is intended to last at least six months and is at least 50% FTE. 
4. “Retiree” means a person who has previously held a regular status faculty or staff position at the University and who is receiving a periodic distribution from the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and/or a Maryland Optional Retirement Plan. Retirees who enrolled in a retirement plan prior to July 1, 2011, must have earned at least five years FTE of University System of Maryland (USM) service credit in order to be eligible for Tuition Remission. Retirees who enrolled in a retirement plan on or after July 1, 2011, must have earned at least ten years FTE of USM service credit.
5. “Spouse” means a person in a marriage recognized by the state of Maryland, with an Employee or Retiree.
6. “Tuition Remission” means the waiver of tuition, including Differential Tuition, charged for undergraduate academic courses, and the waiver of the standard graduate credit hour for graduate courses.

Spouses and Dependent Children of Employees and Retirees may receive Tuition Remission subject to the following provisions. 

1. Eligibility for Tuition Remission 
   1. Spouses and Dependent Children of full-time Employees or Retirees hired before January 1, 1990, are entitled to receive 100% Tuition Remission for undergraduate or graduate courses taken at any USM institution. Tuition remission for undergraduate and graduate courses taken at the University is granted as follows: 
      1. Unlimited Tuition Remission for fall and spring semesters;
      2. 4 credits for the standard winter term and 6 credits for a twelve-week winter term; and 
      3. 8 credits total for both Summer I and Summer II sessions. 
   2. Spouses and Dependent Children of full-time Employees or Retirees hired on or after January 1, 1990, are entitled to receive Tuition Remission under the following conditions: 
      1. The student will receive 100% Tuition Remission for courses taken toward a first undergraduate degree as follows:
         1. Unlimited Tuition Remission for fall and spring semesters; 
         2. 4 credits for the standard winter term and 6 credits for a twelve-week winter term; and
         3. 8 credits total for both Summer I and Summer II sessions. 
      2. The student will receive 50% Tuition Remission for undergraduate courses taken toward a first undergraduate degree at another USM institution to which the student has been accepted. The remaining 50% of tuition costs are the responsibility of the student.
      3. Employees hired on or after July 1, 1992, are not eligible for Tuition Remission for their Spouses or Dependent Children until they have been employed by the University for at least two years. 
   3. Spouses and Dependent Children of Employees and Retirees of the University of Maryland Extension, the Agricultural Experimental Station, and the former University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute will receive 100% Tuition Remission for courses taken toward a first undergraduate degree at any USM institution.
   4. If a former USM Employee is rehired by the University within three years of separation from prior USM employment, the Spouse and Dependent Children of the rehired Employee will be eligible for Tuition Remission according to the Employee’s original USM hire date under the terms provided for in Section III.A.1-2 above. 
   5. For Spouses and Dependent Children of University Employees and Retirees who are employed in, or retired from, a position at 50% or more time, the percentage of tuition remitted will be proportional to the percentage of employment service. 
2. Admissibility 
   1. Tuition Remission is subject to the Spouse or Dependent Child’s admissibility to the University or USM institution and to the program in which the courses are offered, and to other academic regulations governing student enrollment. 
3. Tuition Remission and Deceased University Employees and Retirees 
   1. Subject to the requirements and limitations of this policy, Spouses and Dependent Children of full-time Employees or Retirees who die while employed or after retirement will be permitted to register for courses with Tuition Remission. 
   2. The number of years of allowable Tuition Remission is dependent on the Employee or Retiree’s years of USM service. Spouses and Dependent Children will receive Tuition Remission for: 
      1. One academic year, if the Employee or Retiree was employed with the USM for less than three years; 
      2. Two academic years, if the length of employment was at least three but less than five years; 
      3. Three academic years, if the length of employment was at least five but less than seven years; 
      4. Four academic years, if the length of employment was at least seven but less than nine years; and
      5. Five academic years, if the length of employment was nine years or more. 
   3. For Spouses, eligibility for Tuition Remission will continue for a maximum period of seven years after the Employee or Retiree’s death. 
   4. For children, eligibility will continue as long as the child of the deceased Employee or Retiree qualifies as a “Dependent Child” under Section II.A.
   5. For Spouses and Dependent Children of part-time Employees or Retirees who were employed at 50% time or more and who die while employed or after retirement, the percentage of Tuition Remission will be proportional to the percentage of employment service averaged for the three years immediately preceding the Employee’s retirement or death. 
4. Fees & Costs 
   1. Individual students are responsible for the payment of all mandatory fees for courses taken at the University or elsewhere under the terms of this policy. 
   2. For the Spouses and Dependent Children of Employees and Retirees identified in III.A.1., individual students will be responsible for the differential cost between each credit hour and the amount currently charged for a graduate credit hour at the University. 
   3. If an Employee who has received Tuition Remission in a given term for a Spouse or Dependent Child leaves the University prior to the end of the drop/add period for that term for any reason other than those addressed in III.C., the Employee will be financially responsible for the full cost of the tuition.