To be eligible for a child of employee tuition waiver, the child must attend and the parent must be employed at one of the Illinois senior public universities. Additional eligibility requirements are as follows.
Child Eligibility
To be eligible for the interinstitutional 50 percent tuition waiver for children of Illinois senior public university employees, the child must be both:
- Under age 25 at the beginning of any academic year (defined as the first day of instruction) in which the waiver will be effective.
- The natural child, adopted child, stepchild, or ward of an eligible employee.
Employee Eligibility
For an employee's child to be eligible for the interinstitutional 50 percent tuition waiver, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be a current employee at an Illinois senior public university and employed at 50 percent time or more.
- Be eligible to participate in the State Universities Retirement System (SURS). Employees are eligible to participate in SURS if they are employed at least 1 percent time and continuously for at least four months. Individuals whose employment is irregular, intermittent, or temporary are excluded from SURS eligibility. This affects staff (Civil Service) employees whose only employment is Extra Help or a temporary appointment. It also affects academic employees whose only appointments are for zero-percent time or are expected to continue for less than four months, and all academic hourly employees. By law non-U.S. citizens with a J-1 or F-1 visa employed on or after July 1, 1991, are not eligible to participate in SURS. If a non-U.S. citizen with a J-1 visa has been designated as a resident alien for tax purposes, then they become eligible for SURS participation. Students, including graduate assistants, are also ineligible.
- Be in active employment status as of the first day of the child's academic term. Active status includes employees on approved leaves of absence, but not those on permanent layoff status. Changes in status after the first day of class will only affect future academic terms.
- Have completed at least seven years of eligible employment cumulatively at one of the eligible institutions, by the first day of the academic term where the child is enrolled. The seven years do not have to be consecutive. The seven years can be a combination of employment among the eligible Illinois Senior Public Universities.
Ineligible Employees
Ineligible employees include SURS annuitants (retirees), State Survey employees covered under the personnel policies of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, employees of University-related organizations (i.e. Foundation, Alumni Association), academic hourly, Civil Service temporary and Extra Help, graduate and undergraduate assistants, and students.