{"id":13615,"date":"2026-02-12T09:19:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/staffsenate\/?p=13615"},"modified":"2026-02-20T15:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T20:53:41","slug":"updates-to-the-wcu-tuition-waiver-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/staffsenate\/2026\/02\/12\/updates-to-the-wcu-tuition-waiver-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Updates to the WCU Tuition Waiver Form"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updates to the WCU Tuition Waiver<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Western Carolina University continues to invest in making employee benefits more accessible and user friendly. One of the most valuable benefits available to eligible faculty and staff is the\u00a0<\/span>WCU Tuition Waiver<\/span><\/b>, which allows employees to pursue educational goals while contributing to a stronger university community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of ongoing modernization efforts,\u00a0<\/span>Human Resources and Payroll<\/span><\/b>, in partnership with\u00a0<\/span>Information Technology<\/span><\/b>, have begun transitioning select HR business processes to the cloud. These updates are designed to simplify form completion, improve workflows, and increase efficiency across HR operations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What the Tuition Waiver Program Offers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the university\u2019s official Tuition Assistance information, eligible fulltime faculty and staff who\u00a0participate\u00a0in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System or Optional Retirement Program may enroll in\u00a0<\/span>up to three courses per academic year<\/span><\/b>\u2014only one waiver may be used during the summer\u2014on a <\/span>tuition free, space available basis<\/span><\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tuition and mandatory fees are waived,\u00a0with the exception of\u00a0the undergraduate book rental fee and applicable health insurance fees.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Employees may take courses at\u00a0<\/span>any of the 17 constituent UNC campuses<\/span><\/b>, provided participation does not interfere with normal employment obligations and receives approval from both the employee\u2019s supervisor and HR.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New Cloud Based Enhancements to the Tuition Waiver Process<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HR and IT have introduced system improvements that make the Tuition Waiver request process significantly smoother and less time consuming:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2705<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Automatic Course Population in the Tuition Waiver Form<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Employees taking classes at WCU will now see their registered courses\u00a0<\/span>automatically populate within the\u00a0Tuition Waiver\u00a0form<\/span><\/b>. Rather than manually entering course numbers, titles, and details, employees simply select which registered courses they wish to waive.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2705<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Simplified Supervisor Approval<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Supervisors can now approve Tuition Waiver submissions directly through:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n