Rider provides a generous tuition remission benefit to its employees to further their own education and, in many cases, their dependents' as well.
The tuition remission benefit covers the tuition charges only, either at 100% or 50% depending on the situation. Students shall be charged all other applicable fees including laboratory, books and supplies.
A few Rider programs are not eligible for remission, among them the Westminster Conservatory and the English Language Institute. Recipients must meet all admissions standards and academic progress requirements applicable to other students. Please direct all questions on tuition remission to the HR office, Linda Kerner at extension 7284.
Taxability
Undergraduate Tuition Remission
For work on the undergraduate level, the benefit is not taxable to the employee, unless it is being provided for a non-dependent child. The test is whether the child is claimed as a dependent on the employee's most recent Federal tax return. The University reserves the right to request copies of such tax returns for tax documentation.
Graduate Tuition Remission
Graduate level tuition remission is available tax-free up to $5,250 per year, if certain requirements are met. Graduate level benefits in excess of that amount are taxable to the employee.
Taxation Schedule
If the remission grant is taxable, additional non-cash income in the amount of the remission and related withholding will be applied to the employee's paycheck over one or two months during the semester of remission, as follows:
- Spring term, March and April
- Summer 1 term, June or July
- Summer 2 term, July or August
- Fall term, October and November
Rider’s tuition remission program also includes a tuition assistance policy under section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code, which covers graduate and undergraduate courses for certain employees, and a tuition remission policy under section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code, which covers undergraduate courses for certain employees and dependents. The section 117 tuition assistance policy provides tax-free benefits. The section 127 tuition assistance policy provides tax-free benefits up to $5,250 per year; benefits in excess of $5,250 are taxable to the employee. By using the policies together, eligible employees can have tax-free benefits with respect to undergraduate courses and tax-free benefits up to $5,250 per year for graduate courses, if the Internal Revenue Code requirements are met. The section 127 policy is required to be provided through a written plan. Click here to access the Employee Tuition Assistance Policy (PDF).
Please note that the additional taxes will probably result in a smaller take-home pay for the periods noted above. Contact HRIS at x7281 for further information on taxability of tuition remission.
How to Apply
Tuition Remission requests should be completed via the online Tuition Remission system, found on MyRider. Paper forms will no longer be accepted. The online system can be accessed on MyRider under the Employee tab, My Employee Information - Benefits and Deductions, Tuition Remission. For step by step instructions on how to access the site, please refer to the Tuition Remission Online System Guide. Please complete a request for each student for each semester. If you are requesting remission for study at Rider, please be sure to notify your supervisor prior to submission as they will be receiving a notification of your tuition remission request.
Effective January 1, 2015, tuition remission for all Rider employees and members of their households will no longer be approved for courses that involve individual rather than class instruction. Such courses include, but are not limited to, applied music (all instruments and voice, both campuses); applied dance lessons (DAN 100/DAN 300, taken through Princeton Ballet School); and Independent Study courses. Remission will be granted for classroom courses (non-individual study) that were canceled and subsequently permitted to run as Directed Study courses, provided that the individual is not the only enrolled student.
For study at Rider you must file the FAFSA form to the federal government if you are a matriculated student (enrolled in a degree program). The FAFSA may be submitted online. Paper forms are available only from the federal government.
For external remission, the following documents must be submitted to the Human Resources Office, LIB108, before your online request can be processed:
- Financial Aid Award Letter (you may need to file the FAFSA and any additional documents required by the outside school in order to generate a Financial Aid Award Letter -- requirements vary with different schools).
- Two copies of a billing for the term of the request from the outside school, showing separate detail of all charges including tuition, incidental fees, and financial aid. Please note that the billing must show the name of the student and the term of the billing.
When to Apply
In order for the Tuition Remission credit to appear on the initial semester billing at Rider, your request forms should be submitted by the following dates:
- for the Fall Semester - by July 1st
- for the Spring Semester - by November 15th
- for Summer 1 classes - by April 1st
- for Summer 2 classes - by May 1st
The deadline for tuition remission requests is June 1st of the fiscal year (July to June) containing the term for which the tuition is charged.
For external remission, please allow at least three weeks for the preparation of the check. The Human Resources Office will notify you when the check is available.
Please do not submit forms for several semesters ahead, as we cannot approve remission until approximately the dates shown above.