All of the employee educational opportunities as defined in the NAPE/AFSCME Bargaining Agreement (Article 12) and the NDE Personnel Rules (Chapter 15) are now available to Nebraska VR employees to request. Approval will be subject to the provisions of each educational opportunity and the discretion of management with respect to fiscal considerations, workload, and employee performance.

Reimbursement When Employee Elects to Take Postsecondary Coursework On Non-Work Time

• Limited to no more than seven (7) credit hours each calendar year of tuition reimbursement for coursework at postsecondary institutions on the semester schedule or nine (9) credit hours each calendar year of tuition reimbursement for coursework at postsecondary institutions on the quarter schedule for job-related courses. Summer sessions combined are considered equivalent to one semester.
• Job relatedness shall be determined by the VR Director and Deputy Commissioner, whose decision shall be final.
• Reimbursement will be based on the postsecondary training-college and technical rates in Rule 72 that NE VR uses with clients. Eligibility for reimbursement requires a course grade of "C" or better for undergraduate courses, or a pass for pass/fail courses, or a course grade of "B" or better for graduate courses.
• Initial requests shall be directed to your office director/supervisor using the College Coursework Request Form with a cover memo describing the job relatedness of the course. The request must be received and approved prior to the start of the course.
• Employees who receive tuition reimbursement will be required to reimburse Nebraska VR if they voluntarily leave their employment with the Department of Education within one year of the course completion date.

Postsecondary Coursework During Work Time

• Limited to taking seven (7) credit hours each calendar year from postsecondary institutions on the semester schedule or nine (9) credit hours each calendar year from postsecondary institutions on the quarter schedule.
• No more than four (4) credit hours may be taken in any one (1) semester or 4.5 credit hours in any quarter during work time without loss of pay. Summer sessions combined are considered equivalent to one semester.
• Work release time is intended for classes that have a regular meeting schedule as opposed to self-paced, online courses, or credits for activities such as thesis or doctoral work.
• Depending on the distance and location, travel time may also be considered regular work time.
• Initial requests shall be directed to your office director/supervisor using the College Coursework Request Form.
• Prior approval for coursework and related travel on work time must be obtained from the VR Director and Deputy Commissioner.

Employee Directed to Take Postsecondary Coursework

• If directed by Nebraska VR to take a job-related course at a postsecondary institution, Nebraska VR shall pay for all costs of said course including tuition, books, other required instructional materials, and fees.
• The College Coursework Request Form will be used to request and document when employee is being directed to take postsecondary coursework.
• The job relatedness of the course shall be determined by the VR Director and the Deputy Commissioner whose decision shall be final.
• When directed to take a course, the employee shall be considered to be working during classroom time and any travel incurred to attend such courses shall be treated as work related travel.
• Written documentation to verify enrollment, course completion and the grade earned is required.

Online Courses (Paid or non-paid)

• Employees may use Nebraska VR computers for online courses or homework if an employee has been directed to take a job-related course.

INACTIVE FORM: College Coursework Request