Academic Assistance Program

Description

The Academic Assistance Program (AAP) provides a tool for managers and employees to support academic activities that directly relate to the organization’s identified knowledge, skills and behaviors (organizational competencies), which support the mission, vision and values of the organization. The academic assistance program is not an employee benefit, right or entitlement; it is a management program for workforce development.

The Academic Assistance program provides reimbursement of approved academic costs if funds are available at the agency level, and/or time off the job if the course is available only during working hours. Each State agency is delegated responsibility for, and authority to, administer the academic assistance program within the provisions of the state-wide policy in a fair, consistent, and equitable manner. Each agency should have an agency coordinator to ensure consistent implementation of this policy. 

View the policy

Target Audience

Full-time and part-time (half time or more) permanent, probationary and time-limited employees are eligible to apply for Academic Assistance. 

Enrollment/Application

Requests for academic assistance may be initiated by the employee or management. Please see “Origination of Request” in the policy document linked below.

To apply for academic assistance, an employee shall:

  • Complete the application and forward it to the immediate supervisor
  • Submit the form prior to enrollment or in accordance with agency schedules to allow time for review, approval and notification to the employee.

Please see the “Procedures” section of the policy in the document linked below for more information.

To learn more about your agency’s participation in the Academic Assistance Program and their processes, please contact your agency’s AAP coordinator or HR department. 

Documents

Frequently Asked Questions

Tab/Accordion Items

Please see your agency’s Academic Assistance Program Coordinator or HR Department to learn about your agency’s participation in AAP and their application process. Each agency manages its own program and reimbursement funding, if available, for their own employees. 

According to the AAP Policy and the sections, “Academic Sources” and “Approved Courses”, academic courses from accredited community colleges, colleges, and universities are eligible for approval. Accreditation must be via an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education.

Academic courses must meet the basic principle, “deemed beneficial to both the agency and the employee” and should have a direct benefit to the organization. Academic assistance shall not be approved for courses where management has determined that neither the course nor degree is of benefit to the agency. 

Eligible employees with an approved application for academic assistance may be reimbursed academic costs charged by the academic source where enrolled. For UNC and North Carolina Community College System institutions, 100% of academic costs for up to 20 credit hours per fiscal year can be reimbursed when funding is available. For all other academic institutions, reimbursement is made up to a maximum academic cost charged by UNC institutions up to 20 credit hours or 32 quarter hours per fiscal year. Please see the “Tuition Ceiling Rate Memo” for the current fiscal year linked above. 

If funds are available, the applicant shall receive reimbursement of approved academic costs upon submitting evidence of satisfactory completion of a pre-approved course. Completion is defined as “Satisfactory”, “Pass”, or a grade of “C” or better for undergraduate course and a “B” or better for graduate courses.

Please review the section for “Reimbursement” in the AAP policy document linked above.

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