Understanding the tuition reduction rule change

Changes are being made to the tuition reduction eligibility rules for University of Utah employees (including academic campus, U Health academics, and hospitals/clinics employees, as well as eligible retirees).

Effective August 29, 2023, children of employees who have met the three-year service requirement remain eligible for the reduced tuition benefit until age 26, regardless of marital status.

The second change has to deal with differential tuition — an additional tuition cost added to base tuition in some university degree programs. Effective Fall semester 2024 the differential tuition costs for graduate programs will no longer qualify for tuition reduction; however, the base graduate tuition will still be eligible for the reduction. For students enrolled in a graduate program during Spring or Summer semester 2024, the University will provide a legacy benefit to allow them to continue receiving a reduction on graduate-level differential tuition. Additional rules apply to receive the legacy benefit. See HR’s tuition reduction web page for details.

While differential tuition for graduate programs will no longer be reduced after Summer 2024, tuition reduction will continue to be available for the following:

As a reminder, applications for tuition reduction must be submitted for each semester through UBenefits prior to the first day of the semester. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications for Continuing Education classes must be submitted prior to the first day of the class.

The reduced tuition policy and rule do not apply to the tuition benefit program (TBP) offered through the Graduate School (which covers teaching and research assistants, graduate assistants, and graduate fellows). You can find more information on the TBP here.