This policy ensures alignment between University System of Georgia (USG) requirements for and Georgia Tech’s administration of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
Georgia Tech adheres to USG’s policy on the established assistance program, called TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), for eligible employees to develop and grow through education. Refer to the USG Human Resource Administrative Manual regarding Employee Continuing Education and Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
Eligible employees are required to submit a new TAP application to the Tuition Assistance Coordinator by the deadline each semester in order to be eligible for reimbursement. TAP application deadline dates can be found here.
TAP applications received after the TAP application deadline will be denied. There is no exception or appeal to this requirement.
When extenuating circumstances such as hospitalization, death of an immediate family member, or other catastrophic events occur a one-time exception may be granted when documentation is provided to the Tuition Assistance Program Coordinator.
Employees that register for classes prior to the TAP registration period for the teaching institution that they are attending will not be eligible for TAP for that semester.
This policy applies to all regular, benefits-eligible, full-time (1.0 FTE) employees that have satisfactorily completed their six (6) month provisional period as of the date of the Tuition Assistance Application deadline.
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Academic Certificate Program |
A program where a student takes academic courses and received academic credit and a letter grade towards an academic certificate program which does not include a professional certification or continuing education certification. |
| Acceptable (Academic) Coursework | Certificates, diploma, or degree programs taken for academic credit. Must be related to a career field at Georgia Tech. Non-credit continuing education courses, non-credit certificate programs, and Executive Programs are not eligible for reimbursement. |
| Staff Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Program (STRAP) | Program offered by the Georgia Institute of Technology. Provides reimbursement to eligible employees taking academic coursework at an accredited private (nonUSG) educational institution or Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) vocational/technical college. |
| Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) | Program offered through the University System of Georgia. Provides a waiver of tuition for eligible employees taking academic coursework at a USG institution. |
Employees
Each employee must:
- meet the admission requirements of the educational institution,
- acquire approval from their immediate supervisor and department head,
- submit the TAP application by the deadline date,
- and receive approval from GTHR each semester for each course to be reimbursed.
Supervisors
Supervisors are encouraged to make a reasonable effort to find appropriate work schedule accommodations; however, alternate work arrangements are within the sole discretion of the immediate supervisor. The supervisor should ensure that the employee’s participation in TAP will not adversely affect departmental services or result in undue hardship for other employees.
Supervisors’ approval is needed on TAP applications and tax waivers (if applicable). Please visit the TAP website for information on tax implications for TAP.
Employees and Supervisors should consult with their HR Business Partner or Coordinators for questions or concerns about alternative work arrangements.
Tuition Assistance Coordinator
The TAP Coordinator is responsible for processing TAP applications, approves participation, reviews documentation for extenuating/catastrophic events exception, and makes the final tax determination for evaluating tax treatment of tuition reimbursement.
Georgia Tech Chief HR Officer
The Chief HR Officer is responsible for supporting compliance to this Policy and reviewing appeal requests.
| Revision Date | Author | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3-2016 | Human Resources | Editorial Changes |
| 3-2024 | Human Resources | Updated to remove procedures, update verbiage, and outline exceptions for late applications. |