Education Benefits

[Transcript auto-generated.]

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:19:24
Unknown
Thank you all for attending. You are in the education benefits session of the open enrollment webinars for the 20/21 season. The education benefits are not changing specifically in 2024, but we thought we would give you an overview of what is available to you as a Cornell employee for your education benefits.

00:00:20:01 - 00:00:29:08
Unknown
My name is Michelle Faith. I'm an associate with the health and welfare group of the H.R. division of Cornell. And today I'm just going to give you a brief

00:00:29:08 - 00:00:32:21
Unknown
overview of four benefits, which we have available.

00:00:32:21 - 00:00:56:09
Unknown
the education benefits we're going to talk on today will be the part time study program that's for courses available at Cornell, the employee degree program, which is if you would like to earn a degree at Cornell, the tuition aid program, which is four degrees you may be doing outside of Cornell, and then the Cornell Children's Tuition Scholarship Benefit, which is a reimbursement program for your children.

00:00:56:11 - 00:00:59:03
Unknown
And you're eligible depending on your time here at Cornell.

00:00:59:03 - 00:01:04:03
Unknown
So with all the education benefits, there are some eligibility requirements

00:01:04:03 - 00:01:21:15
Unknown
You must be, excuse me, in a benefits eligible position in order to qualify for the education benefits. There's some type of requirement based on your eligibility and start date. So that information I will give to you and you can also reach out if you have any questions about your specific eligibility for all the programs.

00:01:21:15 - 00:01:34:23
Unknown
There's also an application process. So we'll get that information out to you as well. As supervisor approval is needed at some of the courses. Some of the programs may be done during wartime. And so you will need to speak with your supervisor for approval.

00:01:34:23 - 00:01:40:10
Unknown
Our first benefit is the part time study program. So this program was formerly known as extramural.

00:01:40:10 - 00:01:50:22
Unknown
There may not be many of you who are here who still remember that term, but putting it out there so that if you did hear it, you understand it is the benefit that's now called the part time study program.

00:01:50:22 - 00:02:00:12
Unknown
In order to be eligible, you must be in a benefits eligible position upon hire and you will be eligible for the program starting with your date of hire.

00:02:00:12 - 00:02:05:13
Unknown
So if there's courses you're planning to take in that semester, you can upon date of hire,

00:02:05:13 - 00:02:13:06
Unknown
you're allowed to take up to four credits a semester. They do not need to be job related. And again here your supervisor's approval is needed.

00:02:13:06 - 00:02:19:01
Unknown
Now class time can be considered as time worked, but this is the discussion you need to have with your supervisor.

00:02:19:01 - 00:02:27:01
Unknown
So please make sure if you're thinking about enrolling in a course at Cornell through the part time study program, you have that discussion with your supervisor.

00:02:27:01 - 00:02:28:05
Unknown
Here is the link

00:02:28:05 - 00:02:37:15
Unknown
to our Web site that gives you more information on the part time study. And as I said, the presentation will be available after as a recording. So you will be able to see this link again.

00:02:37:15 - 00:03:01:08
Unknown
Now the part time study program while we in the h.r. Department do have some oversight of the program. We do not administer the program. So in order to enroll in courses or get information on the courses that are available through part time study, you'll have to contact the school of continuing education, and they can give you better information on what is available and how to enroll here.

00:03:01:08 - 00:03:05:11
Unknown
Is there a website also that gives you information on the part time study program?

00:03:05:11 - 00:03:17:06
Unknown
The next benefit we're going to touch on is the employee degree program. So this program is the program that allows you to do a Cornell degree or enroll in and complete and earn Cornell degree as a Cornell employee.

00:03:17:06 - 00:03:27:21
Unknown
In order to qualify for this benefit, you have to be employed with the university for at least one year and a full time regular benefits eligible position.

00:03:27:23 - 00:03:28:15
Unknown
And this

00:03:28:15 - 00:03:52:07
Unknown
eligibility period must be met prior to the start of classes. So if you start with the university on September 1st, but classes of classes began begin a year later, on August 15th, you will not qualify until the following year. Again, you have to be here with the university employed in a full time regular benefits eligible position for at least one year prior to the start

00:03:52:07 - 00:03:53:16
Unknown
the employee degree program.

00:03:53:16 - 00:04:06:01
Unknown
We should be job related and or Cornell career related, and this is the discussion that you can have with your supervisor in terms of what may be related to the job and or can be Cornell career related.

00:04:06:01 - 00:04:20:02
Unknown
One of the great benefits of the employee degree program is it has an open ended graduation. So if you're taking one of the traditional degree programs, you are allowed to enroll in courses only in those semesters that you are available to take courses.

00:04:20:04 - 00:04:28:09
Unknown
And there's no restriction to completing the degree as a traditional student. So you would not have to complete it within four years. You do have an open ended graduation.

00:04:28:09 - 00:04:40:07
Unknown
You're allowed to enroll in up to eight credits a semester, and if you're enrolled in an A graduate level Sigma program, you are allowed to have two semesters where you're enrolled in more than eight credits.

00:04:40:07 - 00:04:52:10
Unknown
But in that program, at a graduate level, you will need to drop to a part time level as required by the graduate school. So that's a discussion you should have when you're thinking about enrolling in courses.

00:04:52:10 - 00:04:59:20
Unknown
The undergraduate courses are nontaxable, which means you're not taxed if you decide to take a non undergraduate course.

00:04:59:20 - 00:05:05:23
Unknown
The graduate level courses, though, are taxed and this is under Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code.

00:05:05:23 - 00:05:11:14
Unknown
So if you're thinking of doing a graduate level degree, you will be taxed. On the benefit

00:05:11:14 - 00:05:23:14
Unknown
note, though, the first $5,250 in a calendar year and that's January through December is not taxable. So that is taken into consideration when your tuition is assessed

00:05:23:14 - 00:05:32:05
Unknown
With this program. As with the others, you need to have your supervisor approval. So when you apply for the program, you need to make sure that you contact your supervisor.

00:05:32:10 - 00:05:35:22
Unknown
Let them know, and they're required to sign the form that's associated.

00:05:35:22 - 00:05:55:13
Unknown
When you enroll in courses each semester, you have to consider whether the time will be time worked or time away, maybe taking personal time, some type of time out of the office. And so you need to have the discussion with your supervisor here is our website and it will be available at the end and also on the recording.

00:05:55:13 - 00:05:58:15
Unknown
So you can access our website if you need more information.

00:05:58:15 - 00:06:21:02
Unknown
Now the programs that are available through the employer degree programs include a great number of programs in the Cornell Registrar's Information. You can take the undergraduate course courses excuse me, our traditional programs, which include the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelors of Science, or you may be considering doing a master's level program, which would be the matters of arts, masters of science.

00:06:21:02 - 00:06:49:19
Unknown
There's also the Masters of Professional Studies in ILR. There's the Masters of Industrial Labor Relations, and then there's Ph.D. programs. Now, in addition to these traditional programs, there are other programs that are considered executive programs. These programs are available under some stipulations with the employer degree program, but you please need to contact our office to make sure you get the accurate information on whether your desired program is a part of our degree program.

00:06:49:19 - 00:06:58:12
Unknown
One such program or one set of programs is the Executive Masters of Business Administration programs, which are available through the Johnson School.

00:06:58:12 - 00:07:07:07
Unknown
There are two programs under the MBA. There's the MBA Metro, the Executive Masters of Business Administration, Metro. And this is

00:07:07:07 - 00:07:14:21
Unknown
22 month program with four residential sessions, and it's held on Cornell campus. So there is some online component to it.

00:07:14:21 - 00:07:16:18
Unknown
And then there's the residential period.

00:07:16:18 - 00:07:26:23
Unknown
Similarly, there's the MBA Americas, which is a 17 month program, and it's a dual degree program in partnership with the Queen's University in Canada.

00:07:26:23 - 00:07:35:15
Unknown
The MBA Americas has three residential sessions and again is done both online and in person through those residential sessions.

00:07:35:15 - 00:07:43:07
Unknown
Now, one advantage or one thing that's associated with the MBA programs is there is a tax waiver available.

00:07:43:09 - 00:07:53:10
Unknown
There is a process also for this through the tax office. So if you are interested in enrolling in an MBA program, please contact our office or visit our website for more information.

00:07:53:10 - 00:08:04:02
Unknown
There are other programs available under ADP which are executive level programs, and I'm just listing a few here, but you can visit our website or contact our office to find out if there's more.

00:08:04:04 - 00:08:11:03
Unknown
There's the Executive Master's in Health Administration, which is an online and on campus session.

00:08:11:03 - 00:08:36:18
Unknown
The executive Master's in Public Administration, which is also an 18 month program, and that's has an online and on campus component for residential sessions. There's a master of science in legal studies, and this is done through the law school, and it's a 20 month program which is done online as well as a master's in professional studies, and it's done by LIRR in New York City.

00:08:36:18 - 00:08:46:07
Unknown
So it's a 21 month part time program for people who's been employed and just want to get focused on some other industrial relation topic.

00:08:46:07 - 00:08:48:07
Unknown
So if you have any questions on the

00:08:48:07 - 00:09:00:07
Unknown
employee degree program or any programs offered through the employee degree, please contact our office. Or you can also contact the graduate level office for information on graduate level courses.

00:09:00:07 - 00:09:14:11
Unknown
The next program we're going to talk about is the tuition aid program. Now, this program is a partial reimbursement program for anyone who is taking courses outside of Cornell and is taking or taking courses, certificates towards a degree

00:09:14:11 - 00:09:27:20
Unknown
to be eligible for the tuition aid program, you have to be enrolled, employed at Cornell for one year in a full time benefits eligible position or three year equivalent in a part time benefits eligible position.

00:09:27:20 - 00:09:41:07
Unknown
The tuition aid program reimburses for up to four credits per semester, with a total of eight credits for the academic year. The reimbursement rate for this year this academic year is

00:09:41:07 - 00:09:50:20
Unknown
$166.40 per credit. And that's applied to the four credits or up to the eight credits for academic year. With that

00:09:50:20 - 00:10:02:02
Unknown
reimbursement rate, you can get a reimbursement amount of up to $1,331 in $0.20 for the eight credits done in the academic year.

00:10:02:04 - 00:10:12:20
Unknown
And the academic year falls summer fall, winter, spring. So if you have done or will be doing any credits during the semesters, you're allowed to be reimbursed for up to eight.

00:10:12:20 - 00:10:22:09
Unknown
The tuition aid program requires that the degree program are enrolled in is job related and your supervisor approval is needed in order to enroll

00:10:22:09 - 00:10:24:09
Unknown
in the tuition aid program and

00:10:24:09 - 00:10:27:14
Unknown
to be reimbursed for those credits.

00:10:27:16 - 00:10:36:07
Unknown
If you have any questions about the tuition aid program or you need more information, our website is here and will be available on the recording after

00:10:36:07 - 00:10:41:10
Unknown
our last program we're going to look at today is the Cornell Children's Tuition Scholarship Program.

00:10:41:10 - 00:11:06:10
Unknown
This program is not specific to employees, but for children of employees who are earning a degree after high school graduation, the eligibility for the Cornell World Children's Tuition Scholarship, or CTS, as it's called, is four years of full time benefits, eligible employment with the university and there is also another component for part time eligibility.

00:11:06:10 - 00:11:36:04
Unknown
If you have the equivalent of up to four years, if you have been in part time positions or had part time positions with the university during your tenure, please contact your office and we can review to let you know if and when you are available for the benefit, the benefit for students who are attending. Cornell So if your child is attending Cornell and you're hired on or after July 1st of 1985, you will receive 50% of tuition and administrative fees.

00:11:36:05 - 00:12:02:14
Unknown
depending on whether your child goes to a statutory college or an endowed college, you get 50% of that college's tuition with employment after 1985. There is no graduate level study available. I want to reiterate that this program is a reimbursement program. So while Cornell does its best to provide funding upfront before the tuition bills are due, it is a reimbursement program.

00:12:02:14 - 00:12:07:24
Unknown
So we ask that you make the payment and then Cornell will reimburse through the school

00:12:07:24 - 00:12:26:06
Unknown
if you are hired before the July 1st, 1985 date, please visit our website for information on your eligibility and your benefit level. And if you have any questions in general about degrees at Cornell that your children may be obtaining, please visit our website.

00:12:26:06 - 00:12:56:20
Unknown
Now, if your child is doing a degree program outside of Cornell, you can still receive CTS benefits. So the amount is 30% of Cornell's ups of the tuition and fees for the school You're attending up to 30% of Cornell's endowed tuition. And for this academic year per semester, if your child is attending a school that has a pretty high tuition, that amount would be $9,780 and 60 SATs.

00:12:56:20 - 00:13:21:05
Unknown
So it will be assessed based on what the school's tuition may be and then up to a maximum of what Cornell's endowed tuition is. Now, if you are hired at Cornell, if on or after July 1st of 1985, you are able to receive up to ten semesters or the equivalent of undergraduate study for your child, whichever comes first.

00:13:21:05 - 00:13:57:06
Unknown
So if they obtain a bachelor's degree before the ten semesters are reach, then you've used your limit for the CT's benefit. If they go into ten semesters. A We can pay up to ten semesters for that degree completion. Again, here, no graduate study level is allowed and again, reimbursement is done for this program. If you're going to a school outside of Cornell, here's our website below for information on the CTS program and you can feel free to contact our office if you have any specific questions that aren't answered through our website.

00:13:57:06 - 00:14:05:03
Unknown
So here is our contact information, some resources for you if you have any questions. The website is posted here

00:14:05:03 - 00:14:21:21
Unknown
you can contact me Michelle Lafave in the benefits office and I can provide you with any information, whether it be for the part time study program, the employee degree program, the tuition aid program, or the six Cornell Children's tuition scholarship program.

00:14:21:23 - 00:14:44:00
Unknown
If you have questions that are specific to the Cornell Children's Tuition scholarship, you can contact us through the email here. And those will be routed to that inbox and can be answered specifically on that topic. But any other questions or even questions on the C sheets benefit? Please feel free to contact me and I will provide any information for you.

00:14:44:00 - 00:14:59:04
Unknown
so I really appreciate that you joined us today. I hope you've gotten the information you came for. And if there are any questions, please feel free to contact our office and we will point you in the right direction and answer those for you. Thank you and have a great afternoon.