Staff Professional and Personal Development
Berklee’s staff professional development programs and tuition benefits can help you obtain, maintain, and improve job-related knowledge and skills, and explore other areas of professional or personal interest. Popular programs include the off-campus tuition reimbursement and the on-campus tuition discount/waiver.
Benefits include:
- External reimbursement: Tuition for non-Berklee and non-ProArts Consortium courses
- Internal: Tuition discount or waiver on courses at Berklee (undergraduate only), Berklee Online, ProArts Consortium colleges, and Southern New Hampshire University
Tuition waivers and discounts are not available for Berklee graduate courses.
External: Tuition Reimbursement
Berklee offers reimbursement for job-related, non-Berklee, and non-ProArts Consortium courses from an accredited college or university, or from an organization widely respected for the high quality of its instruction in a specific discipline. This includes distance learning.
Eligibility
Full-time staff, including directors, chairs, and members of the President's Advisory Council, are eligible after six months of full-time service. Employees in probationary periods and temporary employees are not eligible.
Eligible Expenses
Only tuition expenses may be reimbursed, up to the annual maximums outlined below. Short-term workshops, seminars, and non-tuition expenses such as, but not limited to, the following are not reimbursable: cost of books, lab fees, registration fees, taxes, late fees, exam fees, licensing courses, certification fees, dissertation fees, supplies, and travel. In addition, any tuition amounts paid for by grants and/or scholarships are not reimbursable. Coursework must be directly and specifically job-related. See the "Supervisor Approval" section below for more information.
For letter-graded courses, a grade of B- or higher is required. For pass/fail courses, a grade of Pass is required. For ungraded courses, proof of satisfactory completion, such as a certificate, is required.
Maximum Reimbursement
Your maximum annual reimbursable amount is based on your years of continuous, full-time staff service.
- Up to three years of service: $2,500 maximum per year
- Three years of service or more: $4,000 maximum per year
Service is measured from the first day you are eligible for this benefit to the course start date.
The annual reimbursement maximum is administered on a calendar-year basis. The course start date determines the calendar year against which reimbursement will be counted for purposes of tracking the annual reimbursement maximum. In no case will total reimbursement paid in a calendar year exceed the applicable limit in Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code for that year (currently $5,250).
How It Works
Step 1: Before your course begins, confirm that your educational institution is accredited. Verify that the educational institution you are attending is on the list of accredited institutions. If the institution is not listed, the course is not eligible for reimbursement.
Please note: If you are submitting a reimbursement request for a certificate program, this step does not apply.
Step 2: Complete and send the External Course Preapproval Request form (with supervisor approval) and your course description to Voya at least 45 days prior to the start of your course. See the form for detailed instructions.
Please note: Preapproval is required for, but does not guarantee, actual reimbursement.
Step 3: After your course ends, submit your application for External Course Tuition Reimbursement. Attach a copy of your final grade and an itemized/detailed, paid Office of Student Accounts receipt. After pressing the Submit button on your application, there will be a link that you must click in order to view and print your completed application. This will be the only opportunity to print the form. Please print a copy for your records.
Step 4: Voya will process your application within two weeks of submission. If you did not provide all the required documentation with your initial request, you will be sent a request for more information, indicating what pieces of information are missing. At this point, you may log in to your consumer portal to upload these documents by going to https://myhealthaccount.voya.com.
Instructions for logging in to the Voya Consumer Portal and uploading documentation can be found at EBRC - Health Account Solutions Resource Hub (voya.com). All documentation must be submitted to Voya no later than 60 days from the course end date. See the form for detailed submission instructions.
Additional Requirements
- Supervisor approval: Attending a course during work hours requires your supervisor's approval, even if you intend to use PTO for this purpose.
- Job-related requirement: For your reimbursement request to be approved, one of the following conditions must be met:
- Your supervisor certifies that the course content is directly related to your current job duties or duties to be associated with an imminent change in your job (for example, an accounting course for a budget analyst).
or - The course is a required element of a degree or certificate that is directly related to your current job. Your supervisor must certify the job-relatedness of the degree or certificate (for example, a required English composition course for a budget analyst's business management degree).
Internal: Tuition Discount or Waiver
Berklee provides eligible staff with discounted or free tuition to attend Berklee academic courses (excluding ensembles and private lessons), Berklee Online courses, academic courses offered by member institutions of the ProArts Consortium, and courses at Southern New Hampshire University.
Eligibility
Full-time staff, including directors, chairs, and members of the President's Advisory Council, are eligible after six months of full-time service. Employees in probationary periods and temporary employees are not eligible.
Your enrollment in a course is subject to availability. Berklee and ProArts member institutions reserve the right to give preference to their regular, degree-candidate students.
A. Berklee Academic Courses
Tuition Waiver/Discount
- Full tuition waiver for one course per term
- Undergraduate courses only
How It Works
Step 1: Identify your desired course.
Step 2: Complete and submit the Internal Tuition Discount and Waiver form (login required), obtaining all required signatures.
Step 3: Contact the Berklee Office of the Registrar to complete your registration.
B. Berklee Online Courses
Tuition Waiver/Discount
Undergraduate Courses (a la carte)
- Option 1: Pay 80 percent of the normal Berklee Online tuition rate. The normal course registration process applies. A seat is guaranteed in the class.
- Option 2: Receive a full-tuition waiver. Enter the course at the beginning of week two if space is available.*
Graduate Courses (a la carte)
- Option 1: Receive a 20-percent tuition discount. A seat is guaranteed in the class.
- Option 2: Receive a 50-percent tuition discount for all other faculty and staff, as space allows and beginning in week two of the semester.*
Courses Through a Degree Program
To take Berklee Online courses through a degree program, you must first apply and be accepted into the degree program. After that, you will receive the tuition discount for undergraduate or graduate courses as outlined above.
*Note: The second and third options do not apply to spouses or children of faculty and staff, nor to the M.B.A. in music business offered in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University.
Under federal law, tuition waivers granted for graduate level courses are subject to taxation when the annual (calendar year) waiver amount exceeds $5,250.
How It Works
Supervisor approval is required for those seeking to take courses that meet during work hours. Below, you will find the steps involved in taking a course while using your tuition benefit.
Step 1: Identify your desired Berklee Online course(s)/degree program.
Step 2: Complete the Berklee Online Course Request form.
Step 3: Two options are available:
Option 1:
- Individual courses: Create an account/log in to online.berklee.edu. Select the course you wish to participate in, and check out using our Tuition Assistance option. Berklee Online will set up the course order minus the applicable discount and let you know when you can make your payment.
- Certificate program: Create an account/log in to online.berklee.edu. Select the course you wish to participate in, and pay the certificate program registration fee. Berklee Online will set up the course order minus the applicable discount and let you know when you can make your payment.
- Undergraduate or graduate degree program: Once you have applied and been accepted into a degree program, log in to online.berklee.edu and register for your courses. Once we receive your form, we will apply your discount and let you know when you can make your payment.
Option 2:
- Individual courses/certificate program: Berklee Online will put you on the list of students to enroll. You will receive notification by Tuesday of week two as to your enrollment status in the course of your choice.
- Undergraduate degree program: Once you have applied and been accepted into an undergraduate degree program, log in to online.berklee.edu and register for your courses. You will receive notification by Tuesday of week two as to your enrollment status.
C. ProArts Consortium Courses
Tuition Waiver/Discount
You may receive one full-tuition waiver for one course per term.
How It Works
Step 1: Read the rules and deadlines (they may differ from Berklee's), and identify your desired course by going to the ProArts website.
Step 2: Complete the Internal Tuition Discount and Waiver form (login required), obtaining signatures from your supervisor and the director of employee benefits in the Office of Human Resources.
Step 3: Contact the Berklee Office of the Registrar to complete your registration.
D. Southern New Hampshire University Online (SNHU)
Tuition Waiver/Discount
- 10 percent tuition discount for online courses.
- All full-time faculty, full-time staff and their families are eligible, after six months of full-time service. SNHU defines family members as spouse/domestic partner, children, and stepchildren, as well as all of their spouses.
- Normal course registration processes will apply.
- There are no limits on the number of classes per student per term.
- There is no discount for doctoral programs or on-campus tuition.
How It Works
· Online Program Finder – Peruse and choose from more than 200 online programs through our Program Finder here: snhu.edu/program-finder or visit our online degrees page: snhu.edu/online-degrees
· Student Facing Landing Page (<Ready by 10/10/23>) - As an SNHU partner, you will be added to the company dropdown list on our self-service partner landing page, which can be shared with employees and their family members. This is a great place for learners to read about the benefits of attending SNHU, compare various degree programs, request additional information, or speak with a member of our Admissions team. The link to our partner landing page can be found here: SNHU.edu/join
***Anyone wishing to enroll and access the discount before the landing page is updated can reach out to either 888.327.SNHU or enroll@snhu.edu and make their affiliation with you known. If you run into any issues or have a question, you can connect with partnerships@snhu.edu. ***
· Existing Student Discount Application form (<Ready by 09/07/23>) - Employees or family members who are currently enrolled at SNH can apply for a partner discount by visiting the following link: snhuweb.snhu.edu/SNHUTuitionDiscount/DiscountRequest/Create.
Dependent Tuition Waivers and Discounts
Berklee offers partial or full waivers and significant discounts for tuition for your spouse or eligible children. For study at Berklee, your spouse or eligible children must satisfy all applicable degree, program, or course acceptance requirements or prerequisites. Fees, housing costs, and other non-tuition expenses are not covered by this benefit plan.
Tuition waivers and discounts are not available for Berklee's master’s degree program tuition at the Boston campus.
Tuition waivers and discounts may be based on your length of service and may be subject to limits.
Eligibility
Your spouse and eligible children are eligible for a tuition waiver or discount for full-time, regular staff, including directors, chairs, and members of the President's Advisory Council, after six months of full-time service.
Your “spouse” is the person to whom you are legally married. “Eligible children” for staff means your children who are eligible for Berklee medical insurance. Generally, this means your children must be under age 26.
Tuition Waiver/Discount
Category I: Boston Campus–Based Undergraduate Degree or Certificate
Tuition waivers or discounts apply to fall and spring terms, as well as to 12-week and five-week summer sessions.
| Completed Years of Full-Time Service as Time Class Begins | Tuition Waiver/Discount |
|---|
| One year | 10 percent |
|---|
| Two years | 20 percent |
|---|
| Three years | 30 percent |
|---|
| Four years | 40 percent |
|---|
| Five or more years | 100 percent; full-tuition waiver |
|---|
Category II: Berklee Online
Undergraduate Courses/Degree
- Option 1 is a tuition discount. Your spouse or eligible child pays 80 percent of the normal Berklee Online tuition rate. The normal course registration process applies. A seat is guaranteed in the class.
- Option 2 is a 100-percent tuition waiver. Your spouse or eligible child enters the course at the beginning of week two, if space is available.
Graduate Courses/Degree
- There is a 20 percent tuition discount. A seat is guaranteed in the class. However, you must first apply and be accepted into the degree program.
- Under federal law, tuition waivers granted for graduate-level courses are subject to taxation when the annual (calendar year) waiver amount exceeds $5,250.
Category III: Southern New Hampshire University Online Courses
Your spouse or eligible child pays 90% of the normal tuition rate. The normal course registration process applies. A seat is guaranteed in the class.
- There are no limits on the number of classes per student per term.
- There is no discount for doctoral program tuition.
How It Works
Boston Campus–Based or Berklee Online Courses
Complete the appropriate Course Request Form.
Southern New Hampshire University Online Courses
Contact SNHU Student Financial Services at snhu.edu or 877-455-7648 and request an employer tuition discount form. Once you have completed the form, please send it back to SNHU Student Financial Services and the 10% tuition discount will be applied to your account.
