Staff Fee: Policies and Procedures

Eligibility

Faculty & Staff

• OSU employees appointed at half-time or more on the first day of the term may register for classes at staff rates. 
• The employee's .50 FTE appointment must be for at least 90 days.
• Excludes part-time employees at less than .50 FTE, temporary service employees (TS), graduate assistants, and other student employees. 
• An eligible employee may register for a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours per term at the staff rate. 

Summer Breaks

• Academic year employees (Classified and Unclassified) - FTE immediately prior to the scheduled summer break will be used to determine eligibility.
• Employees not returning in the fall will not be eligible for staff rates during the summer session.
• Employees working only during the summer are not eligible for for staff rates. 

Retirees

• Retired employees are eligible for staff rates for tuition if the last FTE on record prior to retirement was at least .50 FTE. 
• Retirees are not eligible to transfer the benefit to family members.

Other Oregon Public Universities

• The staff rate for tuition generally applies to all seven Oregon Public Universities, which includes: Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Portland State University, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University, and Oregon Institute of Technology. As of winter term 2023, the staff rate for tuition for OSU Ecampus online and distance courses, applies to employees (and their qualified dependents) from all seven of the Oregon Public Universities, unless the Ecampus or distance course is noted as excluded. Eligible employees may use the staff rate for tuition at the institution of their choice. Employees that use the staff rates for tuition for courses away from their home institution are subject to the policies and procedures of the instructing institution. 

Transferring the benefit 

Transfer Policy

• Eligible employees may transfer their staff fee privileges to one family member per term.
• The benefit cannot be subdivided among family members during the term.
• Family members may register for up to 12 hours of credit each term.
• Family members must pay all mandatory fees at the University of attendance.
• If your family member is receiving financial aid, contact the financial aid office to determine the effect of staff fee privileges on the student's financial aid.
• The term "family" includes spouse and dependents in accordance with IRS Code and domestic partner and domestic partner's children as defined per Section One of the Staff Fee Affidavit of Domestic Partnership.

Transfer Process

• The employee is required to complete the Staff Fee Form each term.
• Please submit your completed Staff Fee forms to the appropriate HR Service Center team representative by the deadline indicated for that term. A list of HR Service Center team representatives is available on the Tuition Reduction (Staff Fee Privileges) webpage.
• If you transfer this benefit to your domestic partner, you must also complete an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership form to be kept on file in Human Resources.
• The HR Service Center team representatives will forward the Staff Fee form to the institution where your family member is taking classes after it has been approved.
• Your family member must register for classes separately.

Excluded Programs

OSU programs excluded from staff fee privilege:

1. Veterinary medicine
2. Pharmacy 
3. Study Abroad Programs 
4. OSU Ecampus online and distance courses for non-Oregon State University employees and their qualifying family members until winter of 2023. Beginning winter of 2023 these Ecampus and online distance courses will be available unless a specific Ecampus online or distance course is noted as excluded. 
5. “INTO OSU” courses and Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) courses
6. Doctor of Physical Therapy

If attending another State of Oregon public university (PSU, UO, WOU, EOU, OIT, SOU):  Each campus individually determines which courses qualify for the staff rate.  Please reference the website of the institution you are attending for excluded program information.  Each institution’s internally published list applies. 

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU):  Oregon University System employees are not eligible for reduced tuition on programs offered by OHSU at Oregon Public University campuses. 
 

Tuition Rates

• Staff rate is 30 percent of the resident per credit hour undergraduate tuition at the teaching institution. 
• Up to 12 credits per term may be taken at this rate.
  • If an individual is enrolled in a mixture of on-campus and online Ecampus courses, the staff rate will apply to the on-campus credits first.
• Employees are not required to pay the mandatory fees (including building, health, and incidental fees) but must pay any applicable course and resource fee(s) at 100 percent. Access is limited to instructional and library privileges only.
• Family members must pay all mandatory enrollment fees (including building, health and incidental fees) and any applicable course or resource fees.
• The universities reserve the right to deny staff fee rates for late submission of approval forms. Denials may be appealed to the university where classes are taken.
• Questions concerning billing for the Staff Fee Tuition Rates for undergraduate and graduate classes can be sent to Business Affairs- Student Accounts at [email protected] or 541-737-3775.

Tuition Schedule

• Tuition and Fee Information
  • OSU Tuition & Fee Schedules

Billing Policies and Questions

For billing questions related to the staff fee privilege program, contact the appropriate billing agency at the university of attendance.

• Billing questions for classes taken at Oregon State University, can be directed to Business Affairs - Student Accounts at 541-737-3645 or at accounts.receivable@oregonstate.edu.

Each campus dictates policy related to dropping classes and possible refunds. Contact the University of attendance for clarification of their policy.

Taxation of Staff Tuition Benefits

• Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 117 permits undergraduate level tuition reduction as a non-taxable benefit to employees and dependents (does not include domestic partners and domestic partner’s dependents).
• IRC Section 127 allows up to $5,250 in tuition reduction in a calendar year for graduate level or advanced degree programs as a non-taxable benefit for the employee, but not for family members.
  • An employee whose graduate tuition reduction benefit exceeds $5,250 in a calendar year will be notified by the payroll department.
  • If the employee does not receive notification, they are required to contact their payroll department.
  • The remaining tuition balance after the reduction benefit is assessed will be subject to applicable taxes.
  • Taxable tuition benefits may be spread over a maximum of three months and are processed by the employee's campus for tax withholding.
• Staff Tuition Benefits that are taxable to the employee include benefits:
  • Transferred to a family member taking graduate level or advanced degree programs; 
  • Transferred to a domestic partner or dependents of domestic partner - includes both undergraduate and graduate level courses; 
  • Exceed $5,250 for employee taking graduate level courses. 
• For taxable benefits: state and federal income taxes, plus Social Security withholding is taken on the value of the benefit (difference between the reduced tuition benefit received and the full-cost of tuition).
• Consult an Oregon tax professional if you have any questions regarding whether or not your dependent meets the IRS qualifications.

Deadlines for Submitting

A Staff Fee Privilege form is required to be submitted each term.

Refer to Staff Fee Privilege Deadline. Different deadlines apply depending on whether you or your dependent are enrolling and whether you are enrolling at OSU or another Oregon public university.

If you are transferring the staff fee privilege to your dependent, and they are intending to enroll for coursework at another Oregon public university (EOU, OIT, PSU, SOU, UO or WOU), the deadline to submit the staff fee privileges form to the HR representatives is two weeks prior to the first day of the term.

If you are intending to enroll for coursework at another Oregon Public University, submit the staff fee privileges form to [email protected] no later than two days prior to the first day of the term.

For classes taken at OSU, the submission deadline is four (4) weeks after the first day of the term. All forms must be submitted by the deadlines located here. Submit all completed and signed forms to  [email protected].

• Staff Tuition Form - Employee (fillable PDF)
• Staff Tuition Form - Employee (printable PDF)
• Staff Tuition Form - Family Transfer (fillable PDF)
• Staff Tuition Form - Family Transfer (printable PDF)

The universities reserve the right to deny staff fee rates for late submission of approval forms. Denials may be appealed to the university where classes are taken.

Graduate Degree Approval

Employees holding faculty rank (instructor, senior instructor, research assistant, research associate, lecturer, assistant professor, professor) and seeking admission into a Masters or Doctoral program at a campus where employed are required to obtain approval from the Graduate School Dean before submitting the signed approval form to the Human Resources office. Exceptions to may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School. For further details, review the Faculty as Graduate Student Policy or contact:

Graduate School
Heckart Lodge
2900 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR 97331
Phone: 541-737-4881 Fax: 541-737-3313
E-mail: [email protected]

Other Helpful Resource Links

• OSU Frequently Asked Question
• Remote Staff Discount offered through Ecampus
• Affidavit of Domestic Partnership