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Resolution would give employees
break on cost of textbooks
NC State employees who take classes through the university’s tuition waiver program could get a break on the cost of textbooks and other course materials if a proposed voucher program is adopted.
Staff Senate unanimously passed a resolution calling for the implementation of a textbook voucher program for NC State employees at the organization’s October meeting. If adopted, the program would allow university employees to receive partial reimbursement of textbooks four courses taken in conjunction with the tuition waiver policy. NC State employees who contribute to the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System are eligible to enroll in one course, tuition free, each semester.
The resolution will now be sent to the Faculty Senate for approval. The resolution needs approval from the Faculty Senate and the Provost’s Office before it becomes policy. If approved at each level, officials plan to solicit funds for the program from corporate sponsors. A special account would be established to administer the program.
Potential contributors have expressed support for the textbook voucher program based on preliminary discussions with various corporations, according to Patty Routh, co-chair of the Staff Senate Human Relations committee. Although there have been no projections of how much sponsors might be willing to contribute or how much it would cost to fund the program, Routh said contributors “would probably come on board fairly quickly.” Routh said the program would be funded through interest revenue generated by corporate sponsorships.
“The reimbursement amount available to each employee will be determined by the amount of funds solicited from participating sponsors,” Routh said. “We know that we’re not going to be able to pay all the costs for everyone’s books. What we may be able to do is pay a percentage of the costs for books and other course materials.”
Initially the voucher program would apply to courses taken at NC State,
but officials hope the program could be expanded to include reimbursement
for course materials for classes taken at other schools in the University
of North Carolina System.
Posted October 15, 2004
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