New Tuition Fee Waiver Application Process
As of October 21, 2026, the online Tuition Fee Waiver application process will be available in Optimize, our new system designed to make submitting and managing tuition fee waiver requests easier for you and your eligible dependents.
Resources and Step-by-Step Guides
- Requesting a Tuition Fee Waiver
- Tuition Fee Waiver Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- For Managers - Approving a Tuition Fee Waiver
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The California State University (CSU) Fee Waiver and Reduction Program (Fee Waiver) was established in 1975 to provide eligible CSU employees with the opportunity to enroll in work-related courses necessary for improving skills applicable to existing employment with the CSU or necessary for advancement in the CSU in accordance with an approved individual career development plan as a career employee in the CSU. Additionally, the Fee Waiver and Reduction Program provides eligible dependents of CSU employees the opportunity to attend classes at CSU campuses at reduced rates.
Employee Fee Waiver Eligibility
- Full-time permanent staff;
- Full-time probationary staff;
- Part-time permanent staff;
- Full-time Management Personnel Plan (MPP) employees;
- Temporary full-time staff, if the duration of the temporary appointment or continuous temporary appointments, continue beyond the midpoint of the applicable term; (temporary employees in Unit 8, C99, E99 or M98 are not eligible for a fee waiver)
- Tenured Unit 3 faculty/librarians;
- Probationary Unit 3 faculty/librarians;
- Temporary Unit 3 faculty/librarians with three-year entitlements; and Unit 3 Coaches with at least 6 years of full-time equivalent service.
Dependent Fee Waiver Eligibility
- Legal spouse or registered domestic partner;
- Child or stepchild who has never been married and is under age 23 or 25* through at least midpoint of the semester/term;
- Child living with employee in a parent-child relationship who is economically dependent upon employee, has never been married and is under age 23 or 25* through at least midpoint of the semester/term;
- Child or stepchild age 23 or above who is incapable of self-support due to a disability which existed prior to age 23 or 25*.
*Age 23 cap for Units 1 and 10. Age 25 cap for the following Units: 2, 5, 7, 9, 3, 4, 8, 11, M80, M98 and C99.
Fee Waiver Collective Bargaining Agreements
| Union | Article |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Article 23: Professional Development |
| Unit 2, 5, 7 and 9 | Article 22: Professional Development |
| Unit 3 | |
| Unit 4 | Article 16: Professional Development |
| Unit 6 | Article 27: Training and Development |
| Unit 8 | Article 20: Employee Education |
| Unit 10 | Article 28: Training and Development |
| Unit 11 | Article 9: Fee Waiver |
Application Process & Deadlines
Submit the "Individual Career Development Plan", if appropriate, and the "Fee Waiver Application" to the Human Resources Office for approval by the deadline below. A new fee waiver must be submitted for each term. Contact Admissions & Registrar's Office directly regarding matriculation and acceptance to the University as a student.
- Fall Semester: No later than July 30
- Spring Semester: No later than January 30
- Summer Semester: No later than March 30 *If applicable*
Allows eligible employees to enroll in courses at any California State University (CSU) campus at reduced rates. Courses taken on the fee waiver program must be work-related or part of an Individual Career Development Plan.
Employee Fee Waiver Application
Individual Development Plan (IDP) - this form is established by the employee and the appropriate advisor and does not have to pertain to the employee's current position. CSU admission requirements must be met or waived for registration in courses taken as part of the approved Individual Career Development Plan.
Allows eligible employees to pass this benefit on to an eligible dependent. The fee waiver benefit may be transferred to only one dependent (spouse or child) unless both parents are eligible employees. In this case, each may have a fee waiver benefit which can be transferred to separate children.
Career Development
Choose this track when pursuing a degree, credential, certificate, or another approved academic goal. Employees must apply through Cal State Apply, meet regular admission requirements, and submit a new fee waiver application each term.
Work Related
Choose this track for courses that improve performance in your current position or develop skills for career advancement within the CSU. This option does not admit the employee into a degree program.
Courses taken under the fee waiver program shall be taken for credit and not audited. Normal academic standards shall be maintained in order to continue participation in this program. Excluded from the fee waiver program are self-supported programs such as Extended Education.
- A maximum of 2 courses or 6 units per term, whichever is greater, may be taken under the fee waiver program.
- An eligible employee on an approved leave of absence may request a waiver of fees for more than 2 courses per term.
See applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement for a list of specific fees waived. Employees/Dependents enrolling in courses in addition to those approved through the fee waiver program, must pay any difference between the amount waived and the full State University Fee.
Progress reviews are periodically held to assess the value of participation in the fee waiver program. In order to continue in this program, employees must remain in good academic standing.
- Release time for 1 on-campus course per term may be approved by the appropriate supervisor, providing the operational needs of the department are met. This is determined by the appropriate supervisor.
- If it is determined that release time is not appropriate, the supervisor:
- May request employee adjust work schedule, subject to approval
- Or the employee:
- May use leave credits to cover absences for class attendance, subject to approval
- Enroll in a course scheduled outside of normal working hours.
For faculty, the course(s) may not conflict with scheduled classes or scheduled office hours.
Effective with the 2019 tax year, all employees taking graduate/doctorate level courses will have the value of their fee waivers tracked over the course of a calendar year and will be taxed on the value exceeding the $5,250 threshold. Taxes are withheld from the employee’s pay warrant (paycheck).
Graduate courses deemed job-related, pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 132(d), will no longer be excludable from W-2 wages.
Imputed income related to participation in the CSU Employee Fee Waiver & Reduction Program, as outlined above, is subject to specific tax rates as follows:
- Federal 22%
- State of California 6.6%
- Social Security 6.2%
- Medicare 1.45%
- Total Imputed Tax Rate 36.25%
The imputed income is reported to the State Controller's Office once each term. The reporting is done after Census for the term, so there is no adverse tax reporting on imputed income when an employee or an employee’s dependent drops courses.
Taxability of Fees Waived
The Fee Waiver program is a fringe benefit and as such has strict reporting requirements established by the Internal Revenue Service [Internal Revenue Code Sections 117(d) and 127] and the State of California Controller's Office. The reporting requirements state that the fringe benefit must be taxed in the calendar year that the benefit was received.
| Eligible Participant | Undergraduate | Graduate/Doctorate |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | Nontaxable | Nontaxable up to $5,250 |
| Employee's Spouse of Dependent Child | Nontaxable | Taxable |
| Registered Domestic Partner | Taxable | Taxable |
All graduate-level coursework, including the doctoral program, taken by an employee's spouse, domestic partner or dependent child utilizing the employee fee waiver benefit will be reported as taxable income.
Contacts
Please contact the following if you have questions:
- Fee Waiver Paperwork Questions: hr.forms@csuci.edu
- Registration Information: registrar@csuci.edu
- Payment deadlines: sbs@csuci.edu or visit the Student Business Services website