State Employee Waiver

Spring 2025 State Employee Waiver Application

Overview

The State Employee Tuition Waiver provides full-time State of Florida employees the opportunity to take up to six hours of coursework per academic term at a significant discount. The program was established per F.S. 1009.265 State Employee Fee Waivers.

Student Eligibility

In order to qualify for the State Employee Tuition Waiver, employee students must meet certain eligibility criteria:

1. Employees must be currently employed by the State of Florida in a budgeted authorized position of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch. An individual compensated exclusively through Other Personal Services funds is not entitled to receive State fringe benefits and is not eligible to participate in the Program.
2. Employees must be in good academic standing (undergraduates - 2.0 FSU GPA and graduates - 3.0 FSU GPA)
3. Employees must be in good financial standing with the University and the US Department of Education
4. Employees participating in the Employee Tuition Scholarship Program are also eligible to receive financial aid. It is the employee's responsibility to notify the Office of Financial Aid each semester if you intend to use the FSU Employee Tuition Scholarship along with other forms of aid
5. An employee who resigns, terminates, or otherwise loses eligibility during an academic term will remain eligible for the remainder of such academic term.

Program Eligibility

1. The State Employee Tuition Waiver covers a maximum of two classes, up to 6 credit hours per semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Classes taken must be for a minimum of 1 credit hour.
2. The Scholarship does not cover the following additional fees:
   • Auxiliary Fees for C.P.D. and Distance Learning courses
   • Material and Supply Fees
   • Repeat Course Fees
   • Transportation Access Fees
   • Excess Credit Hour Fees
3. The waiver is limited to academic courses. The following courses are ineligible under the State Employee Tuition Scholarship:
   • Remedial math (i.e. MAT1033)
   • Applied music
   • Graduate courses in the Colleges of Law and Medicine
   • Physical Education Activity courses
   • Dissertation, thesis, directed individual study (DIS), internship, supervised research, supervised teaching, exam, portfolio, or other one-on-one courses
   • Audited courses
   • Center for Academic and Professional Development courses
   • All non-state funded courses or sections (including some distance learning courses that are funded solely by student tuition and fees)
4. The form must be submitted by the first Friday of classes to guarantee its application by the Fee Payment Deadline to avoid the $100 Late Payment Fee and potential schedule cancellation
5. The waiver will not be processed until after the drop/add period, which could delay the refunding of financial aid.
6. Under IRS Section 117(d), any qualified tuition reduction provided to a state employee enrolled in undergraduate level courses is not subject to income tax. However, under IRS Section 127, annual amounts exceeding $5,250 of qualified education assistance provided to a state employee enrolled in graduate level courses is subject to income and the appropriate taxes must be withheld.

Frequently Asked Questions