UBC Tuition Waiver from current job?

[HongHongHong]

As a non-unionized lab-technician, I'm currently eligible for a tuition waiver of up to 12 credits / year. That being said, the linked page does note that you're not eligible for a tuition waiver if the start date of the course is after your termination date. That same page also mentions that you're eligible for a tuition waiver for specialised courses (e.g. Medicine). 

So..... does this mean that I need to have my resignation letter fall after the start date of classes (i.e. Aug 25)? Is this something people have done before? Thank you for all your help!

[frenchpress]

45 minutes ago, HongHongHong said:

As a non-unionized lab-technician, I'm currently eligible for a tuition waiver of up to 12 credits / year. That being said, the linked page does note that you're not eligible for a tuition waiver if the start date of the course is after your termination date. That same page also mentions that you're eligible for a tuition waiver for specialised courses (e.g. Medicine). 

So..... does this mean that I need to have my resignation letter fall after the start date of classes (i.e. Aug 25)? Is this something people have done before? Thank you for all your help!

I was faculty before I started, and was not able to apply my remaining tuition waivers because of the clause you stated - My contract happened to be up just before the start date of classes, and I couldn’t really extend it for a week to attempt to be eligible. 

I think the spirit of the waivers is to allow for study for current employees (or their families) not to subsidize them after they leave the job. But I suppose if you found a way to keep working for a bit after you started classes then you could try to technically apply. I recall that it was an easy process to apply the tuition waiver online once you are in enrolled in an undergrad course, and they may not notice if you then resign after the fact. But if you never work after your start date in Med, they may argue that you had effectively resigned or taken an ‘unpaid leave’, which would make you ineligible for it and they could ask you to repay it. 

[HongHongHong]

Thank you, @frenchpress! Do tuition waivers cost my lab anything? I'd definitely need to speak to my supervisor about making this a possibility...

[frenchpress]

1 hour ago, HongHongHong said:

Thank you, @frenchpress! Do tuition waivers cost my lab anything? I'd definitely need to speak to my supervisor about making this a possibility...

That’s a good question. I assume it’s a central UBC cost, but I honestly don’t know how the funding works! 

[blue23]

@HongHongHong Have you learned anything more about this? I'm currently working full-time as a Research Assistant, and thinking about continuing to work a few hours a week during first year. I hadn't considered the tuition waiver before, but after reading your post I'm thinking maybe I should look into it?

[HongHongHong]

@blue23 I’ve heard conflicting reports about who pays, but I do truly believe  that it’s UBC who ultimately waives it. I know someone who was a department manager and got charged for the course he took, but it sounds like there was something different happening there, as multiple people have mentioned getting tuition waivers (in direct messages to me or on other forums) and their supervisors were none the wiser when they received the ~$7k waivers. Make sure your termination date is after the start of classes, though. 
 

other people have applied their waivers to their own med school education, so it definitely can be done!