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. Questions? Contact HR.
Employee Tuition Waiver
Eligible employees working in a full-time, adjunct or 1500 hour wage positions 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 combined intersession terms (Wintermester, Maymester, Summer I, II, III). 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 will be returned for completion. Each requested course should be submitted on a seperate form.
- Completed forms should be submitted by email to benefits@radford.edu. Review the the submission windows below for details on when to submit your form to HR for approval. Requests received early will be returned for resubmission at the appropriate time, requests received late will be returned without action.
- 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 their approved class(e)s during the designated add/drop period at the beginning of each term, registering early will void the tuition waiver.
- Classes can be changed during the add/drop Date for a term. The exact add/drop period for a term can be found on the Academic Calendar found on the Registrar's Office website.
Tuition Waiver Submission Windows
| Term | Submission Window |
| Fall | July 1 until the last day to add/drop for Fall |
| Wintermester | Nov. 1 until the last day to add/drop for Wintermester |
| Spring | Dec. 1 until the last day to add/drop for Spring |
| Maymester | April 1 until the last day to add/drop for Maymester |
| Summer I, II & III | April 1 until the last day to add/drop for Summer Sessions |
Please visit the Office of the Registrar's website to view the the add/drop dates and Academic Calendar for each term.
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.