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 Benefits Department.  

Eligible employees working in a full/part-time position wishing to further their education may register for up to 7 credit hours of course work (graduate or undergraduate) at Radford University for each semester (Fall and Spring) 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. Incomplete forms will be returned without processing.

• Completed forms should be submitted to Ethan Jones by email, mail (PO Box 6889),  in-person (2nd Floor Tyler Place), or by fax (540-831-6278).  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 and will not be processed. Full details for a term can be found on the Academic Calendar.  
• Employees will be notified by email upon receipt of their form and will be notified 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., the Office of the Bursar is copied on this notification.  
  
• 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. 

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.

Tuition Reimbursement Agreement | PDF

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.