Tuition Assistance Program
To support our employees' professional growth and development, Shields Health is pleased to offer tuition assistance for graduate, undergraduate, and adult education courses relevant to employees’ career paths and Shields Health’s business needs. Please note that this assistance is subject to specific policy requirements.
Eligibility
- Employees regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week with at least six months of continued employment are eligible for up to $5,000.00 per year in tuition assistance.
- Employees regularly scheduled to work 24–39 hours per week with at least six months of continued employment are eligible for up to $2,500.00 per year in tuition assistance.
Please note:
Employees who voluntarily reduce their hours below 24 per week prior to completing a course will be ineligible for the tuition assistance benefit.
If an employee reduces their weekly hours to under 40 but remains at 24 hours or above per week between course approval and completion, tuition assistance eligibility will be changed from $5,000.00 to $2,500.00 per year.
Post-Course Service Requirement
Employees receiving tuition assistance are required to remain employed with Shields Health for at least one year following the completion of the course, working at a weekly schedule equal to or greater than the average number of hours for which tuition was approved and reimbursed.
For example, if an employee received tuition assistance based on working 40 hours per week, they must continue working 40 hours per week for one year following the course completion.
Failure to meet this post-course employment requirement may result in the employee being required to repay a prorated portion of the tuition assistance received.
Tuition Assistance/Reimbursement Procedure
Prior to starting a course, employees are required to complete the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form (located on the InfoHub) and submit it to the Human Resources department for approval. Reimbursement will not be made if the course is not approved in advance.
Upon successful course completion, employees must furnish proof of their grade to Human Resources. This must be done within 30 days of completing the course to receive reimbursement.
Human Resources will initiate payment of tuition reimbursement upon confirmation that the specified grade requirements are met.
Guidelines
Shields Health will reimburse eligible employees who meet the following criteria:
- The course must be job-related, a requirement for a degree program, or a business necessity.
- Approved courses must be through an accredited educational institution. Some exceptions for professional organizations apply and will be reviewed by HR after receiving the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form.
- Employees must achieve at least a B- grade or Pass (for pass/fail courses). If the grade is lower, the employee is responsible for the course cost.
Additional Eligible Expenses
In addition to tuition, other related expenses eligible for reimbursement include:
- Lab fees
- Certain required school fees (excluding books, activity fees, library fees, student union fees, and parking)
Shields reserves the right to substitute or change this policy at any time without notice.
Tuition Assistance Form
Shields is proud to offer eligible employees the Fidelity Student Debt Program, to help you pay off your loan(s) faster and save money. Employees will be able to apply a maximum of forty (40) hours of accrued and unused PTO to be applied to active student loan debt. Enrollment information will be sent to employees via email annually.
Why are we doing this?
Because you asked and we listened. We know that student debt is a very real obstacle to everything from making ends meet to reaching your retirement goals. We worked with Fidelity to find a way to help you pay off your loan(s) faster so that you can focus on more important things.
HOW IT WORKS
