Penn is supportive of faculty and staff in their academic pursuits and strives to make improvements to the Tuition Benefit program to best serve their development needs. The University recently approved an amendment to the Tuition Assistance for Faculty and Staff policy, changing the timeframe in which newly-hired faculty and staff can begin using the tuition benefit. 

Effective July 2, 2020, Penn will institute a six-month waiting period for newly-hired faculty and staff to use the tuition benefit for themselves. Rather than becoming eligible for the benefit immediately upon hire, new faculty and staff will qualify for tuition assistance six months after their start dates. 

This policy update is intended to give faculty and staff a better balance of work and academic pursuits, as well as adequate time to focus on their new position, get acclimated to their role and to complete their introductory period. It also brings Penn’s tuition assistance for faculty and staff in greater alignment with peer institutions’ tuition benefit programs, and with the University’s tuition benefit plans for dependents and spouses. 

Under the revised policy, the end date of the waiting period is the staff member’s tuition eligibility date. The tuition eligibility date determines the term for which the staff member can begin requesting tuition benefits. Keep in mind that if the tuition eligibility date comes after the first day of classes for a term, you cannot receive tuition benefits until the start of the following term. 

For examples of how the waiting period will work, see the chart below: 

If you have questions about the policy, please call the Penn Employee Solution Center at
(215) 898-7372 or email tuition@hr.upenn.edu

—Division of Human Resources