Reminder regarding education benefits

Higher education can truly be a transformative experience.  With this in mind, the USA Education Benefit helps make this experience a reality by offsetting much of the tuition costs for employees, eligible spouses and children who attend classes at the University of South Alabama.

The benefit has actually improved in recent years.  Now the tuition payment through the educational benefit is made at the start of classes rather than a reimbursement at the end of the semester, eliminating the need for employees to pay the benefit portion upfront.

To take advantage of this benefit for employee spouses and dependents, employees must submit a certification form to Human Resources annually at the start of the academic year -- as early as the first day of registration and no later than the first day of classes to be eligible for benefits.

Tina Stalmach, director of human resources, benefits, stressed that employees must select the correct Educational Benefit Certification form according to their specific type of employment.  The forms can be found online here:

University employees (includes clinic/hospital employees participating in Teachers’ Retirement System)

USA HealthCare Management employees

USA Health Care Authority employees 

Employees who wish to take classes using the benefit do not have to submit a form, Stalmach said.

To qualify for educational benefits, employees must be regular, full-time employees who have completed six months of employment on the first day of classes on the academic calendar.

Benefits also are available to eligible spouses as recognized by the state of Alabama and to unmarried children, including the biological, legally-adopted, step-children, foster children or any other legally dependent children, of the employee who are under age 25 on the first day of classes.

For more information, visit the Educational Benefit Plan page.