EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES' CHILDREN Update Delete



  1. Christian Education: Employees are encouraged to support the church’s philosophy of Christian education by enrolling their children in Seventh-day Adventist schools for the purpose of assisting youth in making a decision for and commitment to Christ thus perpetuating the practice of Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and teachings, enlarging the reservoir of future church employees and lay church leaders, providing a positive example, and reducing the possibility that children adopt a lifestyle that is not in harmony with the teachings of the church.
  2. Eligible Employees: Southern Adventist University full-time salaried employees are expected to send their children to Seventh-day Adventist denominationally owned and operated schools. Assistance on the tuition expense is provided for children who are enrolled in denominationally owned and operated K-12 schools or liberal arts college levels, or technical or professional schools on the undergraduate levels, a fifth year of college, or additional course study required to secure necessary credentials/certification.
  3. Students Eligible for Tuition Assistance: To be eligible for tuition assistance the student must be:
    1. An unmarried dependent of the employee.
    2. Less than 24 years of age unless the student has given compulsory military service, volunteer service for the church, or has a documented medical consideration.
    3. Eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the employee’s income tax return.
    4. Born to, or legally adopted by, the employee and/or spouse or is a stepchild by marriage receiving more than 50 percent of support from the new family unit.
    5. As designated by an Order of the Court, Child Custody, or Parenting Plan regarding educational benefits for employee’s stepchildren.
  4. Students Eligible in Divorce and Remarriage Situations: To be eligible for tuition assistance the student must be:
    1. Under the custody of a divorced employee and eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the employee’s tax return.
    2. Under the custody of the ex-spouse and eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the employee’s tax return.
  5. Students Not Eligible for Tuition Assistance: An unmarried child not under the custody of the employee and not eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the employee’s tax return is not eligible for assistance. The Human Resources Committee may make an exception to the paragraph above if the employee has assumed full responsibility for a child’s educational expenses in a denominational school.

  6. Assistance: Southern Adventist University shall provide assistance, of up to 70 percent of the tuition and all required fees for dormitory students, and up to 35 percent for those not in the dormitory. The assistance on the academy or college level should be calculated on the gross charges for tuition and required fees, according to the current bulletin, before family or other discounts granted by the school. In cases where an employee’s church provides a subsidy to cover the differential between constituent and non-constituent tuition rates, the tuition assistance from the employer shall be based on the net tuition expense to the employee. This shall not include charges for private music lessons except where such lessons are required for credit toward music majors or minors, in which case the above percentages may be applied on the basis of the tuition ordinarily charged for equivalent number of credit hours. Community non-resident hall students attending Southern Adventist University shall receive a subsidy of 45 percent of tuition and required fees.

  7. Professional Programs: Assistance provided for professional programs not requiring an undergraduate degree before beginning graduate study shall be based on, and shall not exceed, the standard tuition costs for a maximum number of semesters or quarters as listed in paragraph 8.

  8. Limitation on Assistance: Assistance shall be provided for a maximum of 10 semesters or 15 quarters (or a combined equivalent).

  9. Summer Sessions: Students who attend summer sessions shall be eligible for tuition assistance based on where they are residing at the time the class is taken i.e., 70 percent for student living in the dormitory, 35 percent for students living in the community and 45 percent for Southern Adventist University community students. Such attendance shall not count against the maximum semesters or quarters referred to in paragraph 8.

  10. Griggs International Academy: Tuition assistance shall be provided for studies through Griggs International Academy as per regular policy. Tuition assistance is provided on credits that are earned through College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and for enrollment in the online high school completion curriculum (9-12th grade coursework), including credits earned during summer semesters. The assistance on both is 35 percent whether or not the student is residing in a school dormitory.

  11. Attending Schools Outside of the NAD: Children attending denominationally owned and operated colleges and universities located outside North America may be granted assistance amounting to 70 percent of the actual tuition provided the amount of the assistance is not greater than the amount they would receive if attending Southern Adventist University.

    Adventist Colleges Abroad Students receive assistance based on the cost of tuition at Southern Adventist University.

  12. Method of Payment: Assistance for students enrolled in an elementary or intermediate school, academy or college shall be made directly to the school.

  13. Division of Assistance: When the employee’s spouse is denominationally employed by a separate organization that provides tuition assistance, each organization shall be responsible for one-half of the assistance. The method of paying the assistance and dividing the cost may be mutually agreed on by the organizations concerned. Only one tuition assistance benefit shall be provided per student, regardless of the number of parents in denominational employment.

    1. Attendance at privately operated Seventh-day Adventist schools if approved by the local conference in which the institution resides and/or the Georgia-Cumberland Conference’s K- 12 Board of Education. Self-supporting, Adventist institutions may be included based on information provided at the time of request. Continuation of exception approvals must be requested at the start of each academic school year.
    2. In cases where an undergraduate-level program of study or a trade/vocational program is not offered in a denominational school in the North American Division, the total assistance shall not exceed the standard amount that would be granted for attendance at Southern Adventist University.
    3. Assistance for Home Schooling - For grades K-12: Beginning at age 5, assistance at 100% is given for books, teaching materials and supplemental instruction up to a maximum of 50 % of the subsidy that would be received for attendance at Collegedale Academy - Elementary, Collegedale Academy - Middle, or Collegedale Academy. This assistance does not include entrance, registration, or application fees.

      Exceptions: This policy is intended to apply only to employees’ children who attend Seventh-day Adventist denominational schools. Exceptions may be made as follows if approved by the Human Resources Committee and additional criteria may be requested, as deemed appropriate.

      Also specifically excluded from this assistance are field trips; the purchase and repair of computers, other electronic devices and equipment and musical instruments; and the cost of league sports. To be eligible for this benefit, at least 51% of the child’s instruction should be provided at home by the parent(s). Reimbursement of dual-enrollment classes to be covered only during the four standard years of the high school term; to end approximately May of the senior year. Application for the subsidy, proof of registration, and applicable receipts must be submitted to the Human Resource Department for processing.