Tuition Benefits

Taking Courses at Hamilton

Hamilton Horizons Program

Hamilton invites employees, spouses/partners and retirees who have been away from a formal college education for two years or more to return via the Hamilton Horizons Program. Participants must take at least one course in each of two semesters as a part-time student. After two semesters, each student has the option of applying to the College as a candidate for the baccalaureate degree. Hamilton Horizons students may take courses for credit or audit them without formal matriculation. Employees may take one course per semester and they are not required to be job-related. Please contact the Employment Manager, Human Resources if you have questions regarding eligibility.

 

Part-time Study

Employees who are not interested in or eligible for the Hamilton Horizons Program will be considered part-time students. These courses do not need to be job-related and the benefit is limited to one course per semester. Credit cannot be applied toward a Hamilton degree if you already have a bachelors' degree.

 

Scholarship Plan for Spouses/Partners

The spouse/partner of a full-time employee may take courses at the College without charge on a full-time or part-time basis and may qualify for a degree from the College. All candidates for a degree must meet the regular admission requirements of the College. This benefit is also available on a pro-rated basis to half-time-or-more employees. No tuition scholarship is provided to study elsewhere. Application to participate in the Hamilton Horizons Program should be made through the Director of Human Resources. Tuition assistance for domestic partners is considered taxable earnings to the employee.

 

Employee Tuition Assistance for Off-Campus Study

The College encourages full-time employees to enroll in educational programs that will strengthen or extend the skills they apply to their work at the College. Employees should discuss their educational goals with their supervisor prior to registering for the first class. Upon successful completion of a course, approved in advance by an individual’s supervisor and Director of Human Resources as being reasonably related to the individual's work at the College, the College will reimburse the employee one-half of the tuition paid for the course. Such reimbursement is limited to tuition only for up to six classes in a calendar year. This benefit is also available on a pro-rated basis to half-time-or-more employees.

 

If the College specifically requests that an employee take a course at another institution that would enhance his or her performance on the job, the College will pay the full tuition for such a course. Any such arrangement should be based on the recommendation of the supervisor and must be approved by the Division Officer and the Director of Human Resources.

Procedures

Prior to registering for your first class, participants must complete and submit the following forms to the Director of Human Resources. Links to these forms can be found below.

The first four forms should be completed and submitted to Human Resources by August 1 (for the fall semester) or December 1 (for the spring semester). The Director of Human Resources will review and approve the application and forward a copy to the Registrar’s office. The participant should complete the Course Change Form and have it signed by the Advisor (Associate Dean of Students for Academics) and by the Instructor. Enrollment in classes is on a space-available basis after matriculated Hamilton students have registered.

Once all of these forms are submitted and approved for the first course, you need only submit the Tuition Waiver Request in subsequent semesters.

 

Off-Campus Classes (Employees only)

After discussing educational goals/plans with his/her supervisor, the employee should complete the Supervisor Approval of Program/Course form, obtain his/her supervisor’s signature and submit to Human Resources. This form is submitted once at the beginning of the course of study. As courses are satisfactorily completed (minimum grade of “C”), the employee should complete the Tuition Reimbursement Request form, obtain his/her supervisor’s signature, and submit to Human Resources along with a copy of the invoice showing tuition as a separate line item and a transcript of the grade(s). One-half of the tuition paid by the employee will be reimbursed upon review/approval of the documents submitted. The reimbursement will be pro-rated based on an employee’s work schedule. Reimbursement for graduate level courses that exceeds $5,250 in a calendar year will be considered taxable earnings to the employee. There is no taxable earnings limit for undergraduate courses. This benefit is limited to six classes in a calendar year.