With the start of the school semester and the change of seasons upon us, you may be considering taking a course at UBC using the popular Tuition Waiver benefit.
Depending on your employee group, you or your dependents may be eligible to waive part or all of the cost of tuition for up to 12 credits of UBC undergraduate courses. If you are part of an eligible employee group, you can apply the tuition waiver for the dollar equivalent in UBC Extended Learning non-credit courses or approved Sauder School of Business Continuing Business Studies non-credit courses.
However, the Tuition Waiver process can be complex. To help you apply successfully, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions and gathered some helpful links, fact sheets, and contact information to complete the process.
Tuition Waiver – FAQs
| Question | Answers |
|---|---|
| How do I know if the course I want to do is eligible for Tuition Waivers? |
First, check your employee group to learn more about the eligibility requirements. If you are applying for credit courses, most employee groups can apply for courses starting with 100-400 (undergraduate). Some employee groups are also eligible to use their Tuition Waivers for the 500-600 level courses (graduate). For non-credit courses (through UBC Extended Learning or Sauder School of Business Continuing Business Studies) you will be asked to search for the course in the system and apply – if it isn’t in the system, that course is not eligible for a Tuition Waiver. |
| How do I submit the Tuition Waiver? |
For step-by-step instructions, see the following guides in the Workday Knowledge Base: |
| How do I check the status of my Tuition Waiver? | See View, Edit or Cancel a Tuition Waiver in the Workday Knowledge Base for help. By following these instructions, you will be able to see the current status, make changes or cancel your tuition waiver application. |
| How do I transfer or apply tuition waivers for a dependent? |
All eligible staff are able to transfer their undergraduate tuition waiver credits to their dependents. Faculty are now eligible to transfer their undergraduate and graduate credit tuition waivers to their spouses only. Dependent children of faculty have their own tuition waiver benefit. Follow the same process you would for creating your own Tuition Waiver, during the step "Choose Student" you will choose "Dependent". (If your eligible dependent is not listed, ensure your dependent has been added to your Workday profile.) |
| What is my tuition waiver anniversary date? |
The start of your 12-month tuition year begins on your Tuition Waiver anniversary date. This is the date of the first course or program that you apply your Tuition Waiver towards. If your first course is an undergraduate course: Your Tuition Waiver anniversary date is the first day of the term in which the course/program falls. If your course starts on September 7, but the first day of term is September 1, then your Tuition Waiver anniversary starts on September 1. If your first course/program is a non-credit course/program: Your Tuition Waiver anniversary date is the first day of the course/program. If your course started on July 5, you have 12 months (until July 4 the following year) to use your remaining Tuition Waiver amounts. This Tuition Waiver anniversary date is fixed for the remainder of your UBC career. |
| I wanted to submit multiple tuition waiver applications, but I got an error message: what do I do? |
All credit courses for the same term must be submitted under a single Tuition Waiver. The system will not accept multiple waiver submissions for the same term and will give you an error message if you attempt to submit a new waiver when a waiver already exists for that term. To add or correct course registration, cancel the existing Tuition Waiver and submit a new one. |
| What is the difference between Tuition Waivers and Professional Development (PD)? | Tuition waivers can only be used towards eligible UBC courses; they do not need to be directly related to your work at UBC. PD funding can be used for a variety of activities and resources that are directly related to the work you are doing at the university. |
| Can Tuition Waivers and PD funds be used together? | If you are taking a course at UBC that is eligible for the tuition waiver benefit and also related to work you are doing at the university, please submit a tuition waiver first. You can then submit any remaining balance through your PD funding for further reimbursement. PD funding does not cover student fees. |
For Additional Information
To learn more about the Tuition Waiver eligibility, what courses are covered, and how to apply, please click on your employee group, below:
- Faculty and Academic Executive
- Administrative Executive, Management & Professional, and Non-Union Technicians and Research Assistants
- BCGEU Okanagan, CUPE 116, CUPE 2278, CUPE 2950, Executive Administrative, Farm Workers and IUOE 115
Please refer to the Faculty Tuition Waiver Fact Sheet or Staff Tuition Waiver Fact Sheet for a summary of position eligibility requirements, a summary of eligible courses and steps on submitting a Tuition Waiver.
Need assistance?
If you have questions regarding the processing of a Tuition Waiver or need assistance with submitting, editing or cancelling a Tuition Waiver, submit a Workday support request through the UBC Self Service Portal.
If you have questions regarding eligibility for you or your dependents (based on your position or eligibility to use the Tuition Waiver towards a course or program) please contact the Benefits Team.
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