Tuition Benefits for Faculty and Staff

Penn’s generous tuition benefits are just one of the many perks that make the University a great place to work. You can pursue your academic goals and get an Ivy League education for a discount.

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Eligibility

Regular, full-time faculty and staff and limited service staff are eligible for tuition assistance for credit courses at the University of Pennsylvania after they have worked for 6 months in their eligible role. The completion of their waiting period must be on or before the first date of classes in order to receive tuition assistance for that term. If the completion of their 6 month waiting period is after the first day of classes, they will be eligible to begin using their tuition benefit the following semester. 

Retired Penn faculty and staff are also eligible to take advantage of Penn’s tuition benefit.

Coverage

The tuition benefit for faculty and staff covers 100% of the tuition, general, and technology fees at Penn for up to two course units each term (2 course units per fall and spring semester, and two course units over the entire summer) as long as the courses are credit courses. Note that the benefit doesn’t cover non-credit courses.

Most courses at the University are one course unit, but some are more than one. Be sure to check before signing up with the academic program.

The benefit does not cover fees beyond the tuition, general, and technology fees. These are specifically named fees on your bill, and not all academic programs charge each fee. You're responsible for any additional fees associated with your program or courses such as online course fees, lab fees, material fees, program fees, etc., as well as any late fees that could accrue due to a failure to request the benefit in a timely matter.

Finding and Registering for Programs

You must formally apply and be admitted to your academic program of interest in order to take courses. The only exception is the Summer Session program through Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies. You can receive detailed academic advice from the advisors in the school/center in which you’re interested.

In order to be covered by Penn’s tuition benefit, the course must be a credit course and you cannot exceed two course units per term (and two over the entire Summer). Otherwise, you are limited in the type of courses you can take only by factors such as the time the course is offered, restrictions set by your course of study, or pre-requisites or limitations set by the school/center offering the course.

If you’ve been accepted into a program and are ready to register for your courses, you can use Path@Penn to review and register for courses, monitor your student billing account and skip to our section of the Using Your Tuition Benefit page.

Undergraduate

If you don’t have an undergraduate degree, you can apply to earn a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree, enroll in individual courses, or earn a certificate through Penn LPS Online. Consult the Using Your Tuition Benefit page for additional information this process.

Graduate

If you have an undergraduate degree, you can apply to any of the University’s graduate programs. Penn has 12 graduate schools and offers over 100 graduate programs (including full-time and part-time). You must apply directly through the school. Some schools/centers at Penn require full-time participation in a graduate degree program and don’t allow part-time study. This may limit what degree you can seek.

Graduate programs at Penn are subject to withholding based upon government IRS regulations. Find out how our office handles the taxability of graduate benefits and what this can mean for your out-of-pocket costs.

Personal Enrichment

If you have an undergraduate degree and would like to expand your knowledge or pursue other academic interests, you can apply to one of Penn’s post-baccalaureate programs. These and other programs are also listed at www.upenn.edu/programs. Consult the Taxability-Employee page for information on the potential taxability of your benefits.

Using Your Tuition Benefit

If you’re eligible to take advantage of Penn’s tuition benefit, you’ll need to take the following steps to apply for the benefit:

  • Apply to a program.
  • Once you’re accepted, register for courses.
  • Request the tuition benefit by visiting the online tuition management system. Click on “Tuition Benefits for Myself” and choose the term for which you’re requesting payment. Keep in mind you must request tuition benefits each term.

Visit the Using Your Tuition Benefit for more information, including when to request payment and what happens if you drop a course.