Educational Assistance
Radford University is committed to supporting the personal and professional development of University employees. The University offers Educational Assistance by provided eligible employees with the Employee Tuition Waiver, Tuition Reimbursement and Educational Leave to assist in furthering their education and professional growth. Click on the topic below for more information. Questions? Contact the contact HR.
Employee Tuition Waiver
Eligible employees working in a full/part-time position wishing to further their education may register for up to 7 credit hours of undergraduate or graduate-level course work offered through Radford University or RUC for each Fall and Spring semester and 7 total credit hours for all intersession terms (Wintermester, Maymester, Summer I, II, III) combined. Once the Employee Tuition Waiver Request form is completed and approved (for each course), tuition and fees for the course(s) are waived. Application and registration for course work are subject to conditions involving eligibility and other participation requirements as stated in the Employee Tuition Waiver Policy | PDF.
- Employee Tuition Waiver Request Form | PDF must be completed by the employee and approved by their supervisor prior to submission. Employees should ensure that the form is completed in its entirety, with the certification and approval sections signed and dated before submitting the form to HR. Incomplete forms will not be processed and returned for completion.
- Completed forms should be submitted by email to hr@radford.edu. Review the "Submission Windows & Important Dates" below for details on when to submit your form to HR for approval and on when to register. Requests received early will be returned for resubmission at the appropriate time, requests received late will be returned without action. Full details for a term can be found on the Academic Calendar.
- Employees will be notified by email of the status of their request prior to the start of the Academic Term. Typically the status notification occurs within the month leading up to the term.
- Employees may register for classes on the first day of classes, registering before classes start will void the tuition waiver.
- Classes can be changed until the Add/Drop Date for a term.
Undergraduate Level - Submission Windows & Important Dates
Employee Tuition Waiver Request forms for each term are due to Human Resources during the window listed below but no later than the add/drop date for the term Tuition waiver requests received in Human Resources after the add/drop date the term will be returned and not approved.
Employees planning to enroll in a class using a tuition waiver may not register until the first day of classes and must register through the Office of the Registrar. This policy ensures tuition-paying students have access to classes before those who are receiving fee waivers. See the complete Academic Calendar on the Office of the Registrar's Website.
2022-2023 Academic Year
| Term | Submission Window | First Day of Class | Last Day for Add/Drop |
| Fall 2022 | July 1 - Aug. 28 (5pm) | Aug. 22 | Aug. 28 |
| Wintermester 2022 | Nov. 1 - Dec. 14 (5pm) | Dec. 13 | Dec. 14 |
| Spring 2023 | Dec. 1 - Jan. 23 (5pm) | Jan. 17 | Jan. 23 |
| Maymester 2023 | April 1 - May 15 (5pm) | May 15 | May 15 |
| Summer I 2023 | April 1 - May 16 (5pm) | May 15 | May 16 |
| Summer II 2023 | April 1 - June 27 (5pm) | June 26 | June 27 |
| Summer III 2023 | April 1 - May 19 (5pm) | May 15 | May 19
|
Graduate Level - Submission Windows & Important Dates
Employee Tuition Waiver Request forms for each term are due to Human Resources during the window listed below but no later than the add/drop date for the term Tuition waiver requests received in Human Resources after the add/drop date the term will be returned and not approved.
Employees planning to enroll in a class using a tuition waiver may not register until the first day of classes and must register through the Office of the Registrar. This policy ensures tuition-paying students have access to classes before those who are receiving fee waivers. See the complete Academic Calendar on the Office of the Registrar's Website.
2022-2023 Academic Year
| Term | Submission Window | First Day of Class | Last Day for Add/Drop |
| Fall 2022 | July 1 - Aug. 28 (5pm) | Aug. 22 | Sept. 5 |
| Wintermester 2022 | Nov. 1 - Dec. 14 (5pm) | Dec. 13 | Dec. 14 |
| Spring 2023 | Dec. 1 - Jan. 23 (5pm) | Jan. 17 | Jan. 31 |
| Maymester 2023 | April 1 - May 15 (5pm) | May 15 | May 17 |
| Summer I 2023 | April 1 - May 16 (5pm) | May 15 | May 19 |
| Summer II 2023 | April 1 - June 27 (5pm) | June 26 | June 30 |
| Summer III 2023 | April 1 - May 19 (5pm) | May 15 | May 19
|
Useful Links
Questions?
- Admission as an undergraduate student- Contact Radford University Undergraduate Admissions Office.
- Admission as a graduate student- Contact Radford University Graduate Admissions Office.
- Admission as a non-degree-seeking student - Contact the Radford University Registrar's Office.
- Course Registration & Information - Contact the Radford University Registrar's Office.
- Student Fees & Accounts - Contact the Radford University Office of the Bursar.
- Employee Tuition Waiver Policy, Eligibility & Process - Contact the Benefits Office.
Employee Tuition Reimbursement
Employees choosing to further their education at another educational institution in a part-time or full-time educational program may apply for tuition reimbursement. To qualify for tuition reimbursement funds must be available from the employee’s department budget and all approvals obtained prior to enrollment in full-time or part-time educational programs.
Educational Programs
Part-TIme Educational Programs
- An educational program is considered part-time if only one class is taken during work hours. If authorized by their department head, full-time, salaried faculty and staff are eligible to take classes at institutions of higher education other than Radford University.
Full-Time Educational Programs (including resident study)
- An employee cannot take more than one class within an academic session during working hours without having his/her employment reduced to part-time. A department head may agree to reduce an employee's hours of work without agreeing to the payment of tuition and fees for job-related courses. Educational leave can be granted with partial or no pay.
Educational Leave
Educational leave may be granted, at the discretion of the agency, to allow employees time to further their education through study related to their work or that of their agencies. At an agency's discretion, employees may be allowed to take educational leave with full, partial, or no pay. (The provisions of Policy 4.45, Leave Without Pay, Conditional and Unconditional, apply to an educational leave without pay.) Educational leave is limited to 12 months. Extensions to this leave, up to an additional 12 months, may be granted by the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM), or by agencies that have decentralization agreements regarding extensions of educational leave.
As a higher educational institution, it is our goal to promote educational growth and opportunities for our employees.
Questions? Contact the Benefits Department.