- STATE OF CONNECTICUT TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM

Accredited Institution	An institution of learning that has been granted approval by an appropriate regional or national accrediting agency after the school has met specific requirements and has been certified as meeting those standards Suggested websites: CHEA Website; US Department of Education Database
Applied Healthcare Fee	See "Laboratory Fee"
Auditing a Course	A situation in which a student enrolls in a course and completes it but does not receive a grade or academic credit; an audited course is converted to a credit system on the same basis as a non-credit course and a certificate of successful completion from the institution or a letter from the instructor stating participation in at least eighty percent (80%) of the classes is required.
Application for Tuition Reimbursement (Form CO-101)	The form that an employee completes and submits once s/he decides to take a course and obtains information on costs and course description from an educational institution. This form includes the employee's name, home address, employing agency's name and location, job title, bargaining unit code, name and address of educational institution, title of the course, number of credits and cost. Instructions appear on the application. Supplies of this form are maintained by the agency tuition reimbursement staff and are available on-line.
Certificate Programs	Specialized skills programs that may involve several courses that result in a certificate rather than a full degree. For example, a certificate in Web Page design requiring five courses over several months. These programs are usually non-degree programs.
Collective Bargaining Unit Codes	Codes that are used to identify the various bargaining units. See OSC Manual for this information. Refer to Addendum B.
College Grade Report	See "Transcript" Also refer to Addendum D.
College without Walls	Specialized degree-granting institutions designed for working adults. These programs utilize a combination of distance learning, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing, DANTES exams, and other ways of awarding college credit and allowing completion of degree requirements sometimes without the need to return to a college classroom. Charter Oak College is a good example of these types of institutions.
Community College Service Fee	One of the regularly scheduled fees that students pay at Connecticut Community Colleges.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)	A measured unit in a recognized continuing education program. Often these are courses offered by colleges or others that are not for degree credit. Many professions require those licensed in the profession to take a certain number of continuing education hours each year. Some recognized programs can be found on the State of CT Department of Consumer Protection Continuing Education for Occupational and Professional Licenses website.
Correspondence Course	A course taken at an institution that sends the materials to the student's home. Instruction may involve reading, practice of skills, review of video or audio tapes, review of study materials, and completion of test material.
Credit Courses	Credit courses refer to courses that carry college credit and can lead to a degree in various fields of study. Typically, courses are awarded three credits which represents a semester of work. Lab courses are often four credits to recognize the extra lab time. In this type of system, a Bachelor's degree usually requires a minimum of 120 college credits. Some colleges have alternate systems where courses receive only one credit and only 36 credits are required for a Bachelor's degree. Tuition reimbursement is based on the normal three credit/120-credit system. Alternate systems will require review and conversion.
Educational Leave of Absence	Leave from regular duties and responsibilities to enable an employee to receive technical training that should increase his/her proficiency in his/her position or be for other purposes that are in the best interest of the State; may be with pay, with partial pay, or without pay; may be granted to: gain advanced knowledge into new trends or techniques, increase the professional capacity of the employee and agency, keep abreast of new developments in a rapidly-changing professional or technical field, provide needed refresher study, or permit special training in key occupations for which personnel are in short supply. See collective bargaining agreements for specific language and General Letter No. 28 for more information.
Elective Courses	Courses considered as optional to a degree program. These courses are reimbursable if they are taken as part of a degree program.
Enrollment Fee	An initial fee paid to external degree program institutions such as Charter Oak College that covers such items as first year academic advisement services, evaluation and recording of transfer credits.
Examination Fee	A fee paid to a testing agency providing an examination administered for External Degree Programs such as Charter Oak College. This exam is in lieu of coursework and a passing score results in college credit.
External Degree Program	See "College without Walls"
Financial Aid	A broad term incorporating all types of assistance a student might receive from an educational institution or foundation. The aid may take the form of grants, scholarships, tuition waivers or other tuition reductions which do not need to be repaid OR may take the form of student or other types of loans, which do need to be repaid. Financial aid that does not need to be repaid reduces the cost of the course charges it is intended to cover.
Graduate	A level of coursework usually offered by institutions of higher education beyond the Bachelor's degree level.
Incomplete Course	Course in which a student is not granted a grade because he/she did not complete the course within the original semester in which he/she enrolled; an incomplete course will not be reimbursed until all course work is completed and a grade is given; work not completed by the end of the fiscal year will be carried over into the new fiscal year with a maximum of 12 months from original start date of the course to complete coursework.
Infrastructure Fee	A fee charged by an educational institution to students for enhancements and improvements in infrastructure which benefit the students. An example of an improvement might be the addition of Internet access in classrooms.
Job Related Courses	Courses that result in increased knowledge and skill, aimed primarily at improving job performance, or enabling employees to keep up with developments in their occupational field. See IRS Guidelines to determine reportability. www.irs.gov
Laboratory Fee or Applied Healthcare Fee	A fee paid for using equipment in certain classes.
Library Fee	A fee charged by an educational institution to students that allows use of library resources for academic work.
Matriculated	When a student is enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution of higher education.
Non-Accredited Institution	An institution of learning that has not been granted approval by an official review board to indicate the school has met specific requirements and has been certified as meeting those standards. Employees completing coursework at a non-accredited institution may not be eligible for reimbursement. Agencies should consult with DAS for approval on a case-by-case basis.
Non-Credit Courses	Non-credit courses may be given at colleges or at other educational providers but are not designed or accredited to allow the awarding of college credit. These courses are equated to credit course reimbursement rates by determining the number of course hours and applying an approved conversion formula to determine the credits for payment. See Guidelines for conversion chart. Reimbursement may or may not be approved depending upon the provider.
Non-Matriculated	When a student is not enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution of higher education.
Non-Reportable	A course or program of study that is exempt under IRS guidelines and need not be reported as income by the employer nor claimed as income by the employee when filing tax returns. (See IRS Website for complete criteria to designate "reportableï¿½ or "non-reportableï¿½ www.irs.gov.)
Non-Traditional Courses	Courses given by specialized educational providers who often prepare students for special career exams such as paralegal, accounting, or engineering. The coursework is highly relevant to the work of the student but does not result in college credit. Non-traditional courses at non-traditional institutions, may be eligible for payment but must receive approval from the agency and/or the State Tuition Reimbursement Coordinator prior to registration.
On-Line Course (distance learning)	A course taken over the Internet that may be provided by a college or other educational provider. Consult collective bargaining agreements for eligibility.
Preparation Course	A course that prepares a student to take an examination for a professional license such as the Certified Public Accountant or Professional Engineer license or professional certification; this type of course must receive prior approval from the State Tuition Reimbursement Program Coordinators and include an explanation or documentation of the program.
Priority List	A compilation of priority logs submitted by agencies arranged by approval date within the collective bargaining group, used by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) to determine eligibility for reimbursement in selected bargaining units.
Priority Log (Form CO-102)	A form completed by TRO for Tuition Reimbursement Program applicants by bargaining unit, semester, date application approved by TRO, number of courses, credits, and the amount anticipated for reimbursement that is sent by agencies to OSC when an application is received. The form is submitted electronically.
Proof of Payment (Addendum C)	A receipt or verifying document or documents that prove that the applicant paid for course(s) or course fees on a particular date. The best types of documents will provide a detailed description of the itemized charges and the form of payment. Please refer to Addendum C
Registration Fee	A fee paid to External Degree Program institutions such as Charter Oak College in order to register to take an exam for course credit.
Reportable	A course or program of study that is not exempt under IRS guidelines and must be reported as income by the employer and claimed as income by the employee when filing tax returns. (See IRS Website for complete criteria to designate "reportableï¿½ or "non-reportableï¿½ www.irs.gov
Self-Development Course	A personal development course that must be pre-approved by the State Tuition Reimbursement Program Coordinator; the application must include an explanation or documentation of the program and its relevance to the employee's State job.
Transcript	Various forms of reporting that colleges use to notify students of the grades they have received in their courses. The grade report is rarely an official transcript and is used to report the grade to the student. The student can request a copy of their unofficial transcript showing the completion of all work up to the present time. The transcript records all work which the school is crediting toward the degree program the student is matriculating in. See "Evidence Required for Paymentï¿½.
Tuition Reimbursement Officer (TRO) (Addendum A)	The staff person in each agency who manages the tuition reimbursement program for employees. See listing of current TROs found in Addendum A.
Tuition Reimbursement Program Acknowledgment (Form PERT-2)	A form or letter notifying the employee that the agency tuition reimbursement officer has received his/her application, that the application is properly filed, and that in order to complete the process, a number of documents or pieces of information will need to be submitted. The acknowledgement is not a decision that the cost of the course will be paid. It indicates that the employee appears to be eligible for reimbursement and that if funds are available and paperwork is submitted properly, the employee may be paid.
Tuition Waiver	A form of financial aid offered by many educational institutions to selected students in need. The waiver of tuition always reduces or eliminates the need for tuition reimbursement because the school is covering the cost of the course (or partially covering the cost of the course, as in a veteran's waiver).
Undergraduate	A level of college coursework usually offered by institutions of higher education at the Associate's or Bachelor's degree level.
University Fee	A fee paid by full-time students at UCONN and CSU institutions. This fee is reimbursable under the tuition reimbursement program, for certain bargaining units.
Upward Mobility	Course that will prepare an employee for promotional opportunities with State (of Connecticut) service.
Vocational Training	Trade instruction or special occupational training approved by the State Department of Higher Education; may be offered by public or private schools. Check the Office of Higher Education List of Approved Private Occupational Schools.
Vocational-Technical School Courses	Adult Education courses offered by the State Department of Education vocational-technical school system to provide training to students in specific trades or occupations (for example, mechanics). Refer to the Connecticut Department of Education website for information pertaining to adult education courses.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS