Educational benefits are available to faculty, staff and their spouse/partner and dependents. Please refer to the NDSU Policy Manual regarding tuition waivers.

NDSU Policy 133 - Educational Policy (Tuition Waivers)
NDSU Policy 133.1 - Tuition Discount - Spouse/Partner and Dependents

*NOTICE: Deadlines are the Monday prior to the start of the semester, regardless of when your classes start for the semester. Applications submitted for semesters outside of the open period will not be accepted.

Employee Tuition Waivers

Full-time, benefitted employees are eligible for a tuition waiver for a maximum of three classes per calendar year (January – December). To apply for the employee tuition waiver for NDSU, you must complete the Electronic Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver Request during the open application period for the waiver you are applying for.

*Employees applying from other institutions

Employees of other institutions wishing to submit employee tuition waivers may submit them through the electronic document above or request a paper form via email at ndsu.tuition.waivers@ndsu.edu. NOTE: GT forms submitted via PeopleSoft HCM may not be received by NDSU and will be denied.

Spouse/Partner and Dependent Tuition Waivers

Eligible spouses/partners and dependents of full-time, benefitted employees may receive tuition waiver of 50% of their tuition. To apply for the Spouse/Partner/Dependent tuition waiver, you must complete the Electronic Spouse/Partner/Dependent Tuition Waiver Application during the open application period for the waiver you are applying for.

Q: What is the difference between a tuition waiver - faculty/staff and a tuition waiver - spouse/partner/dependent?
A: Faculty/staff waiver is for employees who wish to utilize the waiver for themselves. Spouse/partner/dependent waiver is for a spouse/partner/dependent of an eligible employee.

Q: I have a “balances past due” on my account, will my tuition waiver application be processed?
A: Human Resources will process the waiver as “approved/eligible employee”, however, if account services determine you have a past due account, the application will be denied and they will notify you on this decision. Employees/Students must contact One Stop or Customer Account Services to resolve any disputes prior to the end of the semester for waiver reconsideration. 

Q: I am starting my employment after the tuition deadline. Am I still eligible?  
A: Employees must start on or before the first day of the semester and must remain employed on the first day to be eligible. Please use the DocuSign link and email HR at ndsu.tuition.waivers@ndsu.edu as soon as possible. If link is no longer available, please contact us on or before your first day.

Q:  Can an employee use the tuition waiver - faculty/staff for classes offered through the Great Plains Interactive Distance Alliance (GPIDEA) program?
A:  No, courses offered through GPIDEA are not eligible for the tuition waiver - faculty/staff.

Q: Can I apply the waiver for a class I “test out of” or not for credit class?
A: No.  Waivers apply to classes taken, and must be for credit classes.

Q: Will Human Resources enroll me in the classes I put on the tuition waiver application?
A: No, all students must enroll through normal admission/course enrollment methods.

Q: What happens if I miss the deadline for submitting a tuition waiver application?
A: If an employee fails to submit the application on time, they can submit an appeal to ndsu.tuition.waivers@ndsu.edu Appeals will be reviewed by the department and you will receive an email notifying you of a final decision.

Q: How many classes can an employee take per year?
A: An employee can apply for a tuition waiver of up to 3 academic classes per calendar year. Credit hours per class does not make any difference and there is no limit on the # of credits the class is take for. 

Q: Can an employee be released from work to attend a class?
A: Per NDSU Policy 133, an employee may be released from work for regular class sessions for one academic class per semester with approval of the employee's immediate supervisor and/or department head.  Approval is granted only if the course time does not interfere with completion of the employee’s essential job duties and the essential work of the institution.

Q: If a non-exempt employee is granted release time to attend a class using the employee tuition waiver, but the workload requires them to work a few additional hours on some weeks, how should that be handled?
A: If a non-exempt employee is allowed release time to attend a class, but on occasion based on workload, is required to put in additional hours during a work week, they should not be compensated until the release time was made up. For example, if given three hours of release time and the workload requires the employee to put in five extra hours for a specific week, the first three hours would not be compensated as the employee had not actually worked those release hours. The next two hours would be compensated at time and a half since it would put the employee over 40 hours for the week.

Q: Can an employee take more than one class per semester and still get the tuition waiver?
A: Yes, however per NDSU Policy 133, the employee can only be released from work for 1 class.  Any additional classes must be taken during non-work time, or through special arrangements with their supervisor/department head.

Q: What does the signature by Human Resources mean?
A: The signature by Human Resources means that the employee is eligible to use the tuition waiver. Supervisors and Department Heads are responsible for enforcing the policy’s absenteeism guidelines for classes.

Q: Can my spouse/partner/dependent take a class at another North Dakota institution and receive the tuition waiver?
A: No, the tuition waiver - spouse/partner/dependent only applies to courses at NDSU.

Q: Will the student be billed as a ND resident?  
A: Yes, individuals utilizing the employee or spouse/partner/dependent tuition waivers will automatically be assigned the ND resident rate.  Please be aware that the relationship and eligibility for spouse/partner/dependents will be confirmed by HR before the waiver is approved or residency updated.

Q: Are there age restrictions for dependents?
A: Yes, if a dependent has reached the age of 26 on or before the first day of classes for the semester, they will no longer qualify as a dependent for the tuition waiver.

Q: Is proof of dependency/partnership required?  
A: Yes, employees will be responsible for providing HR proof dependency or relationship status. Things such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, adoption papers, etc may be used.

For questions or further information, please contact our office at (701) 231-8961 or email ndsu.tuition.waivers@ndsu.edu.