Please read the following documents to understand UMBC’s  policies surrounding tuition remission. Questions? Please contact the Benefits Staff.

Policy for Faculty & Staff

Policy for Spouses and Dependent Children of Faculty & Staff

Tax Chart – USM Tuition Remission

Tuition Remission Application Form

Tuition Reimbursement Application Form 

Tuition Remission Deadlines/Restrictions Chart (Spring 2019)

Tuition Remission Deadlines/Restrictions Chart (Summer 2019)

Applications for tuition remission are being accepted in the Human Resources Department, which is located on the 5th floor of the Administration Building. Please note that there is a deadline for the receipt of applications each semester. The deadlines for courses being taken at UMBC are as follows:

The deadlines for courses being taken at other campuses are set by each campus, and may differ from UMBC’s deadlines. Please link to the appropriate USM Tuition Remission Chart above to determine the start date and last date that applications may be submitted to each campus.UMBC employees/retirees requesting remission either here or at other campuses should submit application forms to the UMBC HR Department by the deadline for the applicable campus. Applications received after the deadline must be accompanied by a letter of explanation, and will only be processed with compelling justification. For courses being taken at other campuses, UMBC’s HR Department will review the application first and then forward it to the other campus if valid and timely.

Full-time regular faculty/staff and retirees from full-time positions are permitted tuition remission at any University System campus, at the undergraduate or graduate level, for up to eight credits per semester. Part-time regular faculty/staff and retirees from part-time positions may receive tuition remission proportional to their percentage of service. Contingent II employees are only eligible for tuition remission at their home institution, with benefits also proportional to percentage of service.Faculty/staff and retirees may be eligible for spouse/dependent tuition remission benefits as well.  The level of benefit depends on the start date of the employee/retiree with the University System:

(1) Spouses/dependents of employees and retirees hired prior to 1/1/90 may register for courses at any USM institution, with 100% of tuition remitted at the undergraduate or graduate level.

(2) Spouses/dependents of employees and retirees hired on or after 1/1/90 may receive tuition remission of 100% on courses toward a first undergraduate degree at the institution where the spouse or parent is employed. The spouse/dependent may enroll in courses at another USM institution and receive 50% of tuition remitted toward a first undergraduate degree.  (See Policy, updated 9.2014)

(3) Employees hired on or after 7/1/92 must also accrue two years of USM service time before being eligible for the spouse/dependent benefits described in (2) above.

Please check the Policy for Spouses and Dependent Children of Faculty & Staff for more information, or contact the Benefits Staff.  As an additional benefit, mandatory fees associated with course registration will be remitted for UMBC faculty/staff taking courses at UMBC. This additional benefit does not extend to spouses/dependents taking courses at UMBC, nor does it extend to faculty/staff attending classes at other universities; in these cases, registration fees still apply.

Universities in the System retain the right to exclude certain courses/programs from tuition remission. UMBC excludes all noncredit programs and Computer Certificate Programs offered through Continuing and Professional Studies or the UMBC Training Centers. If you are considering registering for classes elsewhere in the System, please review the chart above for any restrictions set by each campus.The University System has established a reciprocal agreement with three colleges/universities outside the System for tuition remission benefits: Morgan State University, Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, and Baltimore City Community College. USM faculty/staff and their dependent children (but not spouses) can receive the same tuition remission benefits from these schools that are applicable to USM schools.

Please be aware that some tuition remission benefits for graduate-level courses will have tax implications. Any amount of benefit over $5,250 in a calendar year for an employee’s own graduate-level courses will be subject to taxes, and the full amount of benefit for graduate-level courses taken by an employee’s spouse/dependent will be taxed. Tuition remission benefits for Graduate Assistants are not subject to taxes, nor are any benefits related to undergraduate classes.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the Benefits Staff.

The information on this web page is intended to be consistent with the information in BOR polices 4.10 and 4.20 in the links above; however, in the case of any inconsistencies, the BOR policies will be the ultimate authority.