Tuition Waiver for Spouses, Dependents, Couples in Civil Unions and Domestic Partners
Procedure Administrator: Chief Human Resources Officer
Authority: N.J.S.A. 18A-64-8
Effective Date: June 7, 1977, January 5, 2009, January 5, 2011, July 1, 2017, August 15, 2019; September 3, 2021; June 25, 2024; September 15, 2025
Index Cross-References:
Procedure File Number: 6164
Approved By: Dr. Joe Bertolino, President
EMPLOYEES COVERED:
All full and part-time employees of Stockton University who are in permanent positions are covered by this procedure. Part-time employees of Stockton University who are in permanent positions are eligible under this procedure on a pro-rated basis. Adjunct faculty are eligible in conjunction with the Tuition Waiver Program for Adjunct Faculty and Their Dependents 2025 Memorandum of Agreement. Employees must have completed one year of employment at the University to be eligible for the tuition waiver under this procedure. Temporary (including adjuncts), seasonal or intermittent employees are not eligible under this Procedure.
Spouses, legally joined partners in a civil union or domestic partnership, and dependents as defined in New Jersey Statutes are eligible for a tuition waiver under this procedure, but such individuals must be a full-time, matriculated student enrolled in an undergraduate program of instruction at the University. Part-time students are not eligible for a tuition waiver under this procedure.
DEFINITIONS:
Spouse/Domestic/Civil Union Partner: A spouse, domestic or civil union partner is a person who has established eligibility as required by the State of New Jersey’s Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. In addition, the person is legally joined with an employee who is in a permanent position at the University by marriage, domestic partnership or civil union and continues to be a declared spouse, domestic or civil union partner for each year they are a student at the University. Dependent: The biological child, adopted child, stepchild, legal ward, joint custody child, child of a civil union partner or domestic partner of a permanent employee.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
1. The University requires that qualified students complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to the beginning of the academic year in which they are submitting a tuition waiver to maximize any potential resources available to the qualified student. Qualified students must complete the University’s financial aid process.
2. All employees must submit a completed Tuition Reimbursement/Waiver Form each semester to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for each individual they
seek to enroll. All waiver forms must be submitted by the conclusion of the drop/add period for the semester in which the employee is seeking a waiver. Forms received after this timeframe may result in denial of funds. OHR will verify the status of the dependent at the time of application.
3. The Bursar's Office will notify the Financial Aid Office of the amount of the tuition waiver each semester. If a student is a financial aid recipient, a review will be
done to ensure that the student's financial aid package is not “over cost” or “over need.” Tuition specific grants and scholarships will be applied to the student’s
account before the tuition waiver, where it is explicitly stated in the terms and conditions of application of payments. An institutional merit scholarship may be used for fees, housing, and a meal plan. Upon request, merit scholarship surplus balances can be utilized for the books and supply cost components within the
annually established student budget. Any surplus of institutional dollars will not result in a credit or refund to the student. Adjustments to the tuition waiver and
any financial aid may be made to ensure compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations.
4. The Financial Aid Office will notify the Bursar's Office each semester after review of the student’s financial aid package so the Bursar's Office can post the appropriate tuition waiver amount to the student's account.
5. Once the Bursar's Office verifies compliance with all eligibility requirements, it will post the tuition waiver to the student's account. The amount applied may not exceed the remaining tuition balance on the student account after scholarship funds are applied.
ELIGIBILITY:
A student's eligibility for tuition waiver is limited to eight semesters within five years from the time the student becomes a full-time undergraduate student at the University. Each student is eligible for only one undergraduate degree and the waiver is limited to a cap of 20 credits per semester. The student must be a full-time student for each semester they receive a waiver. This tuition waiver benefit does not apply to High School Dual Credit coursework.
A dependent child will be eligible for Tuition Waiver until the age of twenty-six (determined at the beginning of the semester for which the student seeks a waiver). Please note that there is no age restriction for a spouse, person in a civil union or domestic partnership.
A dependent, spouse, or person in a civil union or domestic partnership shall not be eligible for tuition waiver during the summer and winter sessions. Students eligible for participation in this tuition waiver program must meet all academic requirements established by the University for initial admission and maintain a 2.0 or better cumulative GPA. Students with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 are not eligible for tuition waiver.
LIMITATIONS:
DROPPED CLASSES and WITHDRAWALS: If a student receiving a waiver fully withdraws from their registered courses or drops below 12 credits in any semester, the following applies:
• Prior to the end of the drop/add period: the waiver will be cancelled
• After the drop/add period ends: the waiver will remain in place and the semester will continue to count against the eight-semester limit
INCOMPLETES: If a student receiving a waiver receives an incomplete for a course, a portion of the waiver will be nullified unless the incomplete is resolved. If the incomplete is resolved and a grade is assigned for the course, the waiver may be reapplied.
FAILURE TO PAY FEES: Failure to make payment to the University for assessed fees renders the student ineligible for future waivers until full payment is received.
EMPLOYEE LEAVE OF ABSENCE: Tuition waiver benefits may cease during a leave of absence that is one month or longer in duration, unless prohibited by law. If an employee is placed on unpaid leave for failure to comply with University policies or procedures, tuition waiver benefits will immediately be suspended, and the employee will be responsible for pro-rated tuition costs.
EMPLOYEE SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT: In the event of the resignation, retirement, or death of an employee who has a dependent, spouse, domestic or civil
partner enrolled in the University, the enrolled student shall remain eligible for the tuition waiver for the current semester in which the employee separates from
employment, but not subsequent semesters, so long as the employee was not on unpaid leave referenced above. In the event of termination for cause, the University reserves the right to immediately terminate the tuition waiver of the terminated employee’s dependent(s), spouse, or domestic or civil partner.
Review History:
Procedure Administrator 07/11/2025
Divisional Executive 08/05/2025
General Counsel 08/25/2025
Cabinet 09/11/2025
President 09/15/2025
