Tuition reimbursement provides financial assistance to employees who wish to improve or supplement their knowledge and skills by attending classes at accredited colleges, junior colleges, or universities while pursuing a degree plan.
  (1) Employee Eligibility. An employee must be a regular, full-time employee and have been employed at the Commission for at least six (6) months to be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Any courses completed before the six-month anniversary of an individual's employment date will not be considered eligible. An employee who has received a formal disciplinary action is not eligible for tuition reimbursement for six months following the date of the action.
  (2) Relevancy of Degrees/Courses. Tuition reimbursement is available for required courses taken as part of a degree plan at an accredited institution of higher learning. Degree plans may include either undergraduate or graduate programs. Degree plans should be directly or substantially related to an employee's current or prospective responsibilities, as referenced in career ladder requirements or educational requirements stipulated in applicable job descriptions for the employee's division. Degree plans beyond the scope of an employee's current division assignment must be relevant to the overall needs of the Commission and applicable to a specific function within a Commission division.
  (3) Procedure for Applying. An employee who anticipates applying for tuition reimbursement during a fiscal year must complete and forward to their immediate supervisor an Application for Tuition Reimbursement form by June 30th of the preceding fiscal year. This form is required so that appropriate budget planning and requests may be made. If tuition reimbursement applications received exceed the budgeted amount, refunds will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis.
    (A) The Application For Tuition Reimbursement form must be approved by the employee's immediate supervisor, division director and the Human Resources Director. A copy of the employee's degree plan should be attached to the form.
    (B) Once approved, the Human Resources Division will forward the application to the Executive Director, who has the final decision-making authority to approve or deny. After approval or denial, the Executive Director will return the application to the Human Resources Division for tracking purposes. The application and attachments thereto will be maintained in the Human Resources Division. The Human Resources Division will notify the employee and the division director of whether the application is approved or denied.
  (4) Reimbursement Amounts and Requirements. Employees may be reimbursed up to $750.00 per semester (semester includes traditional semester, quarter, summer session, intersession or Internet course) for up to three (3) semesters per fiscal year, after completing pre-approved coursework with a grade of C or equivalent for undergraduate level work, or B or equivalent for graduate level work. An official grade report, payment receipt and a signed Tuition Reimbursement Payment Request form are required before any reimbursement will be approved. This documentation must be routed through, and approved by, the employee's immediate supervisor, division director, the Human Resources Director, and the Executive Director. After approval, the Human Resources Director will forward the documentation to the Office of the Controller for payment processing. Reimbursement will be made only for tuition and required and compulsory fees. The cost of books, supplies, deposits, travel, late fees, parking fees and any optional fees are the responsibility of the employee and will not be reimbursed.
  (5) Employees must apply any grant, scholarship, or other financial aid paid to them specifically for tuition and required fees before requesting reimbursement from the Commission for the same purposes.
  (6) Hours of Attendance. Employees are expected to retain their regular work hours schedule, or may apply for an alternative work schedule with approval from their supervisor and division director.

Source Note: The provisions of this §403.700 adopted to be effective December 31, 2015, 40 TexReg 9638