(1) Full-time permanent faculty/staff member
(a) Eligibility. For the purposes of this
policy, a permanent full-time faculty/staff member is employed on a full-time
basis for a minimum of nine months per year (including an individual employed
full-time at the university but compensated by another agency such as ROTC or a
granting agency). The employee's dependent is eligible to utilize the fee
waiver the first semester following the full-time date of hire.
(b) Benefit. Dependents are eligible to
utilize this benefit the first semester following the employee's full-time date
of hire. Dependents may either complete a course on an audit or grade basis.
The fee waiver applies to courses that are eligible for credit hour(s) only at
BGSU. The dependent fee waiver will waive the in-state instructional fees only,
as defined in this policy.
(i) Dependent
children. The fee waiver is limited to one hundred per cent of the in-state
instructional fee through the end of the calendar year in which the dependent
child turns twenty-four whichever comes first.
(ii) Dependent cohabitant spouse. The fee
waiver is limited to one hundred per cent of the in-state instructional
fee.
(c) Definition of
eligible dependent. The employee's cohabitant spouse is defined as a person to
whom you are legally married, as defined by the state of Ohio, and a marriage
certificate must be on file with the office of human resources. An employee's
dependent child is defined as unmarried, a stepchild, a legally adopted child,
and/or a child for whom either the employee or the employee's spouse is the
legal guardian or custodian and is considered an eligible dependent by IRS
section 152. A birth certificate or other court documentation must be on file
with the office of human resources. Note: If an employee does not claim the
dependent child on their income taxes for the year in which they are requesting
the dependent fee waiver, the application will be denied.
(d) Procedure
(i) The employee completes the online
dependent fee waiver application, which is located in the
my.bgsu.edu portal.
(ii) The supervisor is notified
electronically for approval. The application is then electronically forwarded
to the office of human resources for processing. A dependent fee waiver
application must be completed for every semester in which the dependent is
registered for courses.
(iii) An
incomplete dependent fee waiver application will not be processed by the office
of human resources. It will be pushed back to the employee for
completion.
(iv) No applications
will be processed for retroactive semesters and therefore it must be received
in the office of human resources by the last date of the semester applied for.
Anyone submitting a dependent fee waiver application after the semester begins
will be responsible for any late fees.
(v) The dependent enrolls in coursework
through the office of registration and records.
(vi) A dependent may not receive fee waiver
benefits as both an employee and as a dependent in any academic year.
(vii) Dependents seeking accommodations for
reasons related to equal employment opportunity regulations should have the
member of their family who is receiving the benefit contact the office of human
resources.
(e)
Responsibility for fees
(i) A dependent child
is responsible for all fees, except the in-state instructional fees.
(ii) A dependent is responsible for all
applicable fees that are incurred as a result of adding and/or dropping
courses, regardless of the reason.
(iii) BGSU will pay for each class only once.
If a dependent enrolls in a class and fails the class, or wishes to retake it,
any cost to retake the class will be covered by the dependent.
(f) Payroll taxes
(i) Undergraduate fee waiver benefits are not
subject to taxation as long as the dependent child is considered an eligible
dependent under IRS section 152.
(ii) Graduate-level dependent fee waiver
benefits are subject to taxation to the employee.
(g) Reciprocity
There is no reciprocity benefit for benefits.
(2) Part-time employees
There is no dependent fee waiver benefit for part-time
employees.
(3)
Post-doctoral employees
There is no dependent fee waiver benefit for post-doctoral
employees.
(4)
Widow/widower or child of a deceased permanent full-time staff member
(a) Eligibility. The child of a deceased
permanent full-time staff member (deceased while actively employed at BGSU) is
eligible to receive the fee waiver benefit. The dependent(s) must be the
dependent(s) of the staff member at the time of death. The spouse of a deceased
staff member is eligible for the same fee waiver benefits available for spouses
of active employees at the time the benefit is accessed. This benefit is
available until
the spouse remarries.
(b) Benefit. The child of a deceased staff
member will receive the same benefit being offered to dependent children of
active employees at the time the benefit is accessed, as long as the child is
considered an eligible dependent by IRS Section 152. The student may attend
classes at main campus or at any branch campus or center.
(c) Procedure.
Contact the office of human resources.
(d)
Responsibility
for fees. Refer to paragraphs (C)(1) to (C)(1)(e) of this
policy.
(5)
Cohabitant spouse/child of a retired staff member.
(a) Eligibility. An employee who has retired
with ten years of continuous full-time service from the university. Retirement
is defined by the retirement program in which the employee is enrolled. The
cohabitant spouse or child(ren) must have been dependents at the time of
retirement.
In addition, a permanent full-time
staff member who has left or will leave their university employment due to
their own incapacitating injury or illness may be treated as if they were a
retiree for purposes of this policy only. Eligibility will be determined by the
president or the chief human resources officer in their sole
discretion.
(b)
Benefit.
Child. The child and/or children of a permanent full-time
retired staff member who has completed ten years of continuous full-time
service at BGSU and retires from BGSU and were the dependents of the staff
member at the time of retirement are eligible for the dependent fee waiver. The
benefit will be the same benefit as being offered to dependent children of
active employees at the time the benefit is accessed, as long as they are an
eligible dependent child under IRS section 152.
(c) Please note that when a dependent fee
waiver is requested, the policy in force at the time of submission will be
adhered to.
(d) Procedure. Refer to
paragraph (C)(1) to (C)(1)(e) of this policy.
(e) Responsibility for fees. Refer to
paragraph (C)(1)(e)of this policy.
(6)
Collective
bargaining agreement
This policy does not apply to any
employee who is a member of a BGSU-recognized bargaining unit. Instead, the fee
waiver provisions of the relevant collective bargaining agreement will
apply.
(7)
Courses/programs provided undera contract with a
third-party
BGSU will provide a fixed amount for
tuition for courses/programs provided under a contract with a third party. Any
tuition or fees in excess of the fixed amount will not be covered. This section
does not apply to courses/programs delivered pursuant to the reciprocity
agreement with another Ohio public institution of higher education or if the
employee or retiree was actively enrolled in the course or program before fall
semester 2023.
