Graduate and undergraduate application fees will be waived for UT Martin regular employees eligible for a fee waiver. When applying for admission at the UT Martin Admissions Office or at the Graduate Studies Office, regular employees must identify themselves.

Any employee who is eligible for waiver of fees and wishes to take classes during normal working hours must prior to registration, obtain supervisory approval and arrange to make up any lost work time due to the classes.

An employee who is eligible for waiver of fees and has been employed a minimum of one semester needs only to identify themselves during the fee payment process to receive a waiver of fees for the appropriate number of hours.

A new employee or a retiree who is eligible for waiver of fees may obtain a Fee Waiver Form from the Office of Personnel Services. The employee should complete Part 1 of the form and submit it to his/her Department Head for approval.

The employee should forward the fee waiver form to the Office of Personnel Services. After verifying the employee's eligibility, the Chief Personnel Officer or his/her designee will approve the waiver. Retirees fee waiver forms require only the signature of the Chief Personnel Officer or his/her designee.

Regular employees working 50 percent time or more including those in flex-year positions are eligible for this benefit during all academic terms (see Personnel Policy 126). Regular personnel working 50 percent or more in the Department of Military Science are eligible for this benefit. Personnel Policy 330 lists the number of hours that may be waived.

Formulas for Assessing Fees for Employees

Assistantship Appointee

HOLDERS OF ASSISTANTSHIPS WHICH INCLUDE THE ACCOMPANYING FEE WAIVER AWARD ARE STUDENT EMPLOYEES (SEE DEFINITION IN UT PERSONNEL POLICY # 105). THE STANDARD ASSISTANTSHIP IS 50 PERCENT TIME (20 HOURS PER WEEK).

Prior to any appointment letters being sent for positions whose title begins with the word Graduate, the individual must be admitted to Graduate School through the UT Martin Graduate Office. Holders of part-time positions requiring more than 65 percent time (26 hours per week) cannot be classified as holders of assistantships. Employment requiring less than 30 percent time (12 hours per week) is considered less than a full assistantship and, therefore, will not carry the accompanying fee waiver award.

In order to receive a fee waiver, assistantship holders must be appointed for the entire semester, summer term, or special academic term in which the fee waiver is granted. In addition, assistantship holders must be appointed for a minimum of two (2) months in order to receive a waiver of fees for summer terms or any other special academic terms. No summer school fee waiver is awarded for having been an assistantship appointee for any previous term. In order for fees to be waived for a given term appointments must have been made prior to completion of registration. Assistantship appointees whose appointments do not commence at the beginning of the term cannot have fees or a portion of fees waived retroactively for that term.

Any assistantship position financed by gift, grant, or contract funds does not carry the fee waiver privilege unless the fee waiver privilege was included as being provided by University matching funds or as a part of employee fringe benefits in the agreement.

JOB RELATED ADVANCE DEGREE

When a UT Martin regular employee earns an advanced degree which compliments his/her job responsibilities, a salary increase may be appropriate if approved in accordance with the following eligibility requirements:

1. An advanced degree salary increase proposal must be approved in writing by the appropriate member of the Chancellor's cabinet. It is the responsibilities of the employee to initiate the proposal, and approval should be obtained before the employee begins the advanced degree.
2. The advanced degree must compliment the employee's current job responsibilities and have the support of all administrative levels up to the appropriate member of the Chancellor's cabinet.
3. The employee's job performance rating must be satisfactory at the time the plan is approved and when the degree is completed.
4. A salary increase of up to $1000 annually may be awarded for a master's degree.

ADDITIONAL FEE WAIVER AT ANY STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

In addition to the University of Tennessee's fee waiver benefit, State law provides full-time employees at the University of Tennessee with a fee waiver for one course per academic term at any State supported college, university, or area vocational-technical school. This waiver applies to tuition charges, maintenance fees, student activity fees, or registration fees. There is no waiting period to be eligible for this benefit. When enrolling, the employee must comply with that institution's requirements which may involve 1) presenting a valid University of Tennessee employee identification card and/or 2) completing the institution's approval form. The form, Application for Fee Waiver (SBR Form), is used by most institutions and may be obtained from the Office of Personnel Services.