Employee Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP)

About ETAP

The Employee Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP) is an excellent opportunity for qualifying College of Charleston employees. The program covers basic tuition and certain fees for up to six credit hours per academic term (see policy for details and definition of "academic term") at the undergraduate or graduate level at the College of Charleston for a maximum of 18 credit hours each academic year. The ETAP does not include course audits.

In order to qualify, you must:

Hold a permanent position (full or part-time of at least 30 hours per week) or be employed in a temporary grant-funded position, or time-limited project position.
Have at least six months of state employment service on or before the course start date.
Be eligible for admission to the College of Charleston (degree, non-degree or graduate admission).

*Certain restrictions and requirements apply. Details can be found on the application form and in the College's ETAP policy.

ETAP Application

Eligibility

Faculty: To be eligible to receive tuition assistance, faculty must be employed in a permanent FTE, time-limited, or temporary grant position and have successfully completed one semester of employment with the College.
Staff: To be eligible to receive tuition assistance, staff must be employed at least thirty hours per week in a permanent FTE, time-limited, or temporary grant position, and have satisfactorily completed six (6) months of employment with the College.
Scholarship recipients: If an employee is receiving other assistance that does not require repayment, i.e. scholarships, the College may reimburse the employee for eligible costs incurred while participating in the program as long as the reimbursement and other funds received does not exceed the total cost of the course(s) taken. Additionally, if the employee is receiving other assistance that must be repaid, i.e. student loans, the College may allow an employee to receive tuition assistance.

Application Process

Get approval from your supervisor. The course taken may not interfere with the number of work hours per week.
Apply for undergraduate admission to the College of Charleston, or apply for graduate admission to the Graduate School as a degree-seeking student or non-degree-seeking student. Prospective degree-seeking graduate students should read admission information for graduate programs.
- You must be admitted to the College of Charleston through the appropriate admissions process (degree, non-degree, or graduate admission) or be eligible to enroll as a continuing student. Please be aware that some graduate programs only accept degree-seeking students. Contact the Graduate School with questions about courses or your program of interest at gradstud@cofc.edu.
Apply for ETAP grant funds. Submit the ETAP application. Your supervisor will automatically receive a request through Microsoft Teams to approve your application, once submitted.
Register for the course via MyPortal. The ETAP does not include course audits.
If awarded, grant funds will become available after registration is complete.

For more information or questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources, humanresources@cofc.edu.

Links to College Programs

Finish Your Bachelor’s Degree Online

You can complete your degree online through the School of Business and earn a Bachelor of Professional Studies. Concentrations are available in four areas of study: applied communication, healthcare and medical services management, organizational management and development and project management.

Earn a Certificate in Project Management

The 18-hour (six courses) certificate in project management is a concise way to strengthen your skills in strategic planning, managerial insight and communication. Prospective students interested in the Project Management certificate must have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Earn a Certificate in Sustainability and 21st Century Business Solutions

Our interdisciplinary certificate program is 15 credit hours. You will learn how to design business-based solutions to 21st century problems that impact the triple bottom line. You will be able to one day lead businesses through economic decisions that generate revenue. You will also make society and the environment more equitable and sustainable.

Professional Education Opportunities

The Center for Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE) at the College of Charleston School of Business provides executive education, professional development, exam preparation and other education opportunities to serve the needs of non-degree seeking students. Please note that ETAP allows participants to take credit hours and does not apply to non-credit bearing coursework (CFP, PMP Test Prep and Bootcamp, SHRM Exam Preparation, SHRM Essentials of HR, etc.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to frequently asked questions regarding the College's Employee Tuition Assistance Program

May I drop/add courses or change course selections, if so what is the timeline?
Can I speak with the College's academic advisors for my ETAP course of study?
What is considered an "academic term" and how many hours can I take?
- Academic Term
  - For purposes of this policy, "academic term" is defined as the (1) fall semester, (2) spring semester, and (3) the summer term. There are a total of three (3) academic terms per year. The "summer term" is defined as the time between classes ending in May and beginning in August.
- Amount of Hours
  - Eligible faculty and staff may take up to six (6) credit hours (undergraduate or graduate) per academic term, at no charge, on a space available basis. The ETAP does not include course audits.
May I apply the ETAP benefit to graduate (including doctoral) programs at CofC?

ETAP covers tuition in graduate (including doctoral) programs up to $660 per credit hour, for up to six graduate credit hours per academic term (spring semester, fall semester, and the summer term). Tuition in excess of $660 per credit hour or in excess of 18 total graduate credit hours per academic year are not covered by ETAP and will be the responsibility of the ETAP-eligible employee.
For graduate courses, including doctoral programs, any amount of ETAP benefit over $5,250 per calendar year is considered taxable income and will be taxed accordingly by the College.
For all programs, generally, the regular application fee will be waived. However, note that special fees for admission in some graduate areas will not be waived. Additionally, ETAP does not pay for other expenses incurred or required by the course program, such as textbooks, field trips, laboratory fees, technology fees, etc. We advise interested employees contact the graduate school at gradstud@cofc.edu for program-specific admission requirements and fees.
What tuition fees does the ETAP benefit cover,does this include courses I audit?

The ETAP benefit covers basic tuition and certain fees. The regular application fee will be waived.
ETAP does not pay for other expenses incurred or required by the course such as textbooks, field trips, laboratory fees, technology fees, etc. Special fees for admission in some graduate areas will not be waived.
ETAP does not cover courses audits.
Will ETAP benefits result in taxable income to me?
Undergraduate Level Classes
- Undergraduate ETAP participants are not taxed on this benefit.
Graduate Level Classes (including CofC Masters or Doctoral courses)
- Per IRS publication 15-B, the Internal Revenue Service has ruled that the graduate tuition benefit is not excluded from the income of employees. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires the taxation, via your paycheck, of any tuition assistance which is provided to an employee enrolled in a graduate program and in excess of the $5,250 threshold per calendar year. Further, the IRS requires the College to establish payroll tax withholdings from your paychecks to offset any tax liability. If it becomes necessary to establish tax withholdings, the faculty or staff member will be notified by the College of the taxable income to be included in each paycheck and the subsequent tax impact. ETAP participants can modify the pace at which they approach a graduate program to remain within the permitted $5,250/calendar year tax-free educational assistance.
Will my one term approval for ETAP carry over for the next term?
Do I need approval from my supervisor to take courses?

Whenever possible, faculty and staff are asked to enroll in classes during hours which do not conflict with their College employment obligations; however, when an approved class cannot be scheduled during off hours, the department head or director may elect to adjust the work schedule. Department heads and directors may deny participation in ETAP if the scheduled time of the course would interfere with the academic or business needs of the department. Department heads and directors are encouraged to be supportive and flexible with employees in taking ETAP courses to the extent possible.
What if I can't schedule class around my work schedule?

When an approved class cannot be scheduled during non-work hours and it is not feasible to adjust work schedules, participants who earn annual leave may be allowed to take annual leave for the purpose of attending class. Authorized leave without pay may also be used to attend class. Both annual leave and authorized leave without pay must be approved in advance by the department head or director. Supervisors are responsible for accurately monitoring employee work and leave time for participating employees.
What happens if I do not pass the course or get an incomplete?

Participants must complete and pass the course(s) taken at the end of the approved term to remain eligible for tuition costs covered under this program. Participants will be ineligible to apply in subsequent academic term and will be required to reimburse the College for any course in which they fail to meet this criteria. A course status of "I" (incomplete) is not considered a passing grade and is not eligible for funding until a passing grade is received. As a reminder, the ETAP does not include course audits.