Child Eligibility
To be eligible for the tuition waiver for children of 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; and
- A natural child, adopted child, or stepchild. The University of Illinois also extends the tuition waiver to wards. A University of Illinois student who has a court-appointed guardian is eligible for the tuition waiver benefit if the guardian is an eligible employee of the University of Illinois (and only if the natural parents are deceased or have been declared unfit by court action).
Employee Eligibility
For an employee's child to be eligible for the tuition waiver for children of University employees, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
- A current employee in active status of the University of Illinois employed at 50 percent time or more as of the first day of the 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.
- Eligible to participate in the State Universities Retirement System (SURS). 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. ·
- An employee must have 50 percent or greater employment over a minimum of seven academic years at any one or more of the Illinois senior public universities in a capacity that is eligible for participation in the State Universities Retirement System. The seven years do not have to be consecutive.
Ineligible Employees
Ineligible employment categories include SURS annuitants (retirees), employees of University-related organizations (i.e. Foundation, Alumni Association), academic hourly, Civil Service temporary and Extra Help, graduate and undergraduate assistants, and students.