Iowa Admin. Code r. 11-64.10 - Education financial assistance
Education financial assistance may be granted for the purpose of assisting employees in developing skills that will improve their ability to perform job responsibilities. Assistance may be in the form of direct payment to the organization or institution or by reimbursement to the employee as provided for in subrule 64.10(4).
(1)
Employee eligibility. Any nontemporary employee may be
considered for education financial assistance.
(2)
Workshop, seminar, or conference
attendance. The appointing authority may approve education financial
assistance for an employee attending a workshop, seminar, or conference
conducted by a professional, educational, or governmental organization or
institution when attendance by the employee would not require a reduction in
job responsibilities.
a. Assistance for
meeting continuing education requirements may be approved when the assistance
is applied toward maintaining a professional registration, certification, or
license and the workshop, seminar, or conference is related to the duties and
responsibilities of the employee's position.
b. Payment of registration fees and other
costs, such as lodging, meals, and travel, shall be in accordance with the
policies and procedures of the department of administrative services .
c. If attendance is outside the state of
Iowa, travel must be authorized pursuant to Iowa Code section
8A.512A(2)
"a."
(3)
Educational institution
coursework. Education financial assistance to an employee taking
academic courses at an educational institution, with or without educational
leave, shall require the preapproval of the appointing authority and the
director . Requests for reimbursement shall be on forms prescribed by the
director .
a. An employee may take academic
courses at any accredited educational institution (university, college, area
community college) within the state. Attendance at an out-of-state institution
may be approved provided that there are geographical or educational
considerations which make attendance within the state impractical.
b. Reimbursement requests shall be made to
the director before the employee takes the courses. If the director does not
approve the request, the employee shall not be reimbursed.
c. Reimbursement may be approved for courses
taken to meet continuing education requirements when necessary to maintain a
professional registration, certification, or license when the courses relate to
the duties and responsibilities of the employee's position.
d. An employee receiving other financial
assistance, such as scholarship aid or Veterans Administration assistance,
shall be eligible to receive education financial assistance only to the extent
that the total of all methods of reimbursement does not exceed 100 percent of
the payment of expenses.
e. In
order for the employee to be reimbursed, the employee's department shall submit
to the department of administrative services the employee's original paid
receipt from the educational institution, the approved education financial
assistance form, and proof of the employee's successful completion of the
courses as follows:
(1) Undergraduate courses
shall require at least a "C-" grade.
(2) Graduate courses shall require at least a
"B-" grade.
(3) Successful
completion of vocational or correspondence courses or continuing education
courses shall require an official certificate, diploma or notice.
(4)
Repayment. As a condition of applying for reimbursement for
education expenses, the recipient must sign an agreement to continue employment
with the appointing authority. The agreement must be signed prior to approval
and will stipulate the period of time deemed by the appointing authority to be
commensurate with the amount of reimbursement received. The period of time
commences upon successful completion of the course. In the event that the
recipient leaves the department of the appointing authority for any reason, the
recipient will repay to the appointing authority an appropriate fraction of the
amount received for each month remaining in the period provided for in the
agreement. If the recipient continues employment with the state, then the
repayment will be subject to a repayment schedule approved by the director . If
the recipient leaves state government, then the repayment will be recouped out
of the final paycheck. Recoupment must be coordinated with the accounting
enterprise of the department of administrative services to ensure proper tax
reporting.
(5)
Annual
report. Rescinded IAB 11/21/18, effective
12/26/18.
Notes
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