The up
to $500 tuition or training reimbursement that was made available to employees
in bargaining units E and G in Fiscal Year 2018 has been extended through
December 31, 2020. As a result, employees in these bargaining
units will receive up to a $500 tuition or training reimbursement for
job-related classes or training. The $500.reimbursement may be used in smaller
increments for classes or training until the $500 maximum is reached. Any
costs in excess of the $500 must be paid by the employee or the agency if a
prior agreement exists in conjunction with the agency’s existing tuition
reimbursement program. This opportunity is in addition to any other
tuition reimbursement program that may be in effect in an agency.
In
order to be entitled to receive reimbursement, an eligible employee must submit
a request for approval to take the training, along with a copy of the course
description to the employee’s Human Resources (HR) Director no later than 15
days prior to the training.
The HR
Director or his or her designee will determine whether the class or training is
deemed job-related, and therefore, eligible for reimbursement. If the HR
Director or designee determines that the class or training is not job related,
the employee may seek reconsideration of this decision by submitting the
request to Cynthia Kollner, Executive Director of the Office of Personnel
Services and Benefits, Department of Budget and Management, via email at cindy.kollner@maryland.gov.
Once
the employee receives approval to take the class or training, in order to
receive reimbursement, the employee must submit documentation showing:
1) the
satisfactory completion of the course or training, which must have occurred
during the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020;
and
2) an
original receipt from the entity providing the training clearly showing the
cost for the class or training and establishing that the cost for the class or
training was paid in full.
Satisfactory
completion is deemed a C or better for graded classes or a “pass” for pass/fail
classes.
Requests
for reimbursement must be submitted to the appropriate agency fiscal officers
no later than 30 days after the completion of the class. Unless your agency has a specific form for
reimbursements of this nature, it is recommended that an eligible employee
submit a State of Maryland Expense
Account form, along with the pertinent documentation. Should you have questions concerning the
program, please direct those questions or concerns to your HR Director.