Faculty and Unclassified Staff Handbook
Chapter 4 -- Faculty: Benefits, Responsibilities, and Specific Requirements
University Support of FHSU Faculty Seeking Terminal Degrees: A Faculty Development Initiative
It is the policy of Fort Hays State University that no tuition assistance will be provided to any employee seeking baccalaureate, graduate or post-graduate degrees except in accordance with the provisions of this policy and the tuition assistance policies of the University. Should a department determine that faculty members with a Ph.D. or other degree are highly desirable but very difficult to attract and retain to FHSU, the department, through the dean of the college may submit proposals for providing tuition assistance for faculty to obtain a terminal or related degree. Such claims should be submitted no later than September 30 for a course of study beginning the next fall term. No plan will be considered that merely seeks to provide tuition assistance benefits for individual career advancement and development that does not achieve the goal of filling a need within the department or college that has been difficult if not impossible to fill with qualified faculty.
Money will be paid directly to the University of attendance.
Any tuition assistance to be provided to faculty pursuant to this policy will come from the department, the college and the University. The University will match no more than the total combined financial assistance provided by the department or college. Total tuition assistance is capped at $25,000 per individual.
Faculty who receive tuition assistance pursuant to this policy should be aware of the possibility that tuition assistance benefits provided will be considered taxable income to the employee. Faculty who receive tuition assistance pursuant to this policy should also understand that they will be required to sign a loan agreement with FHSU. A sample copy of such loan agreement is shown below and generally will require the faculty member to work for FHSU for one year following successful completion of the Ph.D. or other course of study, for every year in which tuition assistance benefits are provided. By way of example, if a faculty member receives tuition assistance benefits for three years from FHSU, they are then expected to work for FHSU for three years following successful completion of the Ph.D. program. Faculty who fail to fulfill this term will be required to repay the amount of tuition assistance provided. Faculty who fulfill the agreement by remaining employed at FHSU for the requisite period of time following successful completion of the course of study will not be required to repay the tuition assistance benefits. Faculty who for some reason do not successfully complete the course of study but remain employed at FHSU for the requisite period of time will owe one-half of the tuition assistance benefits to FHSU.
Adopted by President's Cabinet (12/12/06)
Revision approved by President's Cabinet (04/02/12)
Revision adopted by Executive Leadership Team (09/02/16)
Loan Agreement for Fiscal Year 20__
Now on this _____ day of ___________________________, 20___, _____________
_________________________, hereinafter referred to as employee, and Fort Hays State University, hereinafter referred to as FHSU, enter into this Loan Agreement. The terms of this Agreement are as follows:
1. FHSU, on behalf of itself and through its ____________________________ and its _______________________________________ agrees to loan _____________ (to be divided as follows: __________ department, _________ college, _________ university) to the employee so that the employee can pursue a doctoral program in _________________________________ at __________________________, hereinafter referred to as ____________________________. The amount loaned pursuant to this Agreement will only be used for tuition and fees, unless use of the funds for related educational expenses is approved by FHSU. No part of the funds loaned to the employee by FHSU will be used for unrelated purposes.
2. This loan is only for one academic year, and should the employee request financial assistance from FHSU for subsequent years of study in the doctoral program at ____________________________________, an agreement must be signed for each such year.
3. The parties recognize that the loan by FHSU to the employee is in consideration for, and contingent upon, the employee remaining in the employ of FHSU during the employee's course of study at ____________________________, successfully completing the doctoral program at ____________________________, and thereafter remaining in the employ of FHSU for at least one year following successful completion of the doctoral course of study at ______________________________. The parties will reach mutually acceptable terms for any required reductions in hours or leaves of absences allowing employee the time to pursue the course of study at ____________________________________.
4. Following graduation from the course of study at __________________________, employee agrees to work for FHSU in its ______________________________________, or in any other capacity mutually agreed to by the employee and FHSU for a period of one year. Should the employee: 1) Not remain employed at FHSU for one year following graduation from _______________________________, or; 2) not remain employed at FHSU during the employee's course of study at _______________________, or; 3) not successfully complete the doctoral program in __________________________ course of study at __________________________ and not remain employed at FHSU for one year following the last date of attendance at ___________________________, employee will be obligated to repay the full amount of money loaned by FHSU to the employee pursuant to this Agreement. Should the employee not successfully complete the doctoral program in _________________________ at ___________________, but remain employed at FHSU for one year following the last date of attendance at ______________________________________, then the amount to be repaid to FHSU will be one-half the amount loaned by FHSU to the employee. The terms of repayment shall be as follows:
i. Repayment shall begin on the 91st day after the employee's obligation to repay this loan arises (i.e. 91 days after ceasing employment with FHSU if such occurs within one year of completion of the ________________________ course of study, or 91 days after the last date of study at _____________________, if the student did not successfully complete the course of study at _________________________________.)
ii. Employee will be responsible for paying the total amount loaned under this Agreement along with interest at the rate of 12% per annum from the date of termination of employee's terminal degree support program. The employee's obligation for repayment does not include amounts provided to employee for reimbursement of reasonable and necessary travel expenses in furtherance of the course of study referenced in this Agreement. If employee repays the entire balance within 30 days of termination of employee’s terminal degree support program, interest will be waived.
iii. Repayment may be made in installments, the terms of which may be mutually agreed between employee and FHSU, so long as the number of installments made pursuant to this agreement do not exceed 12. Should repayment of loans made by FHSU to the employee be required under other agreements, each repayment term will run consecutively so that all repayment terms may equal more than 12 payments, so long as no single repayment term under any individual agreement exceeds 12 (e.g. Assuming three separate loan agreements are entered into between FHSU and the employee, 36 installment payments may be made, which are the total of three, 12-installment terms).
5. Should the employee successfully serve one year of employment at FHSU following successful completion of the doctoral program at _________________________, then this Agreement will be fulfilled and employee will owe nothing to FHSU pursuant to this Agreement. The proceeds of this loan will become W-2 reportable income for the employee by the University after the employee has served one year of employment at the University and the University forgives the loan. However, if the employee has entered into other agreements with FHSU for the purpose of obtaining loans to pursue the doctoral program at __________________, then employee shall comply fully with the terms of those agreements, and should the employee not fulfill the terms of any such agreements, the employee will be liable for repayment to FHSU pursuant to the terms of such agreements. In order to determine which agreement(s) is/are fulfilled, earlier agreements will be satisfied before later agreements (e.g. Assuming FHSU and the employee enter into three separate loan agreements, the employee will be obligated to serve three years for FHSU. If the employee serves more than two but less than three years, the employee will be liable for repayment under the latest of the three agreements).
6. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as binding FHSU to employ the employee for the term of this agreement, should dismissal of employee be appropriate under policies of the Kansas Board of Regents and FHSU. Should the employee be terminated for good cause, and should such termination occur prior to the fulfillment of this agreement, then employee will be liable for repayment according to the terms of this agreement. Should employee be terminated under policies of the Kansas Board of Regents and FHSU regarding program discontinuance and reduction-in-force, then employee will not be liable for repayment under this agreement.
____________________________ _____________________________
Employee Date
____________________________ _____________________________
Chair, Fort Hays State University Date
____________________________ _____________________________
Dean, Fort Hays State University Date
____________________________ _____________________________
Provost, Fort Hays State University Date
____________________________ _____________________________
VP Administration and Finance Date