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MIT Employee Benefits

Eligibility

To take a regular course at MIT as a Special Student under the Tuition Assistance Plan, you must either

• be admitted as a Special Student through the MIT Office of Admissions, or
• be admitted by the specialized MIT program office for the department or program offering the course

Next steps

The following steps must be completed in sequence:

1. Apply for acceptance as a Special Student.
   • Obtain a Special Student application package from the MIT Admissions Office in Building 3-103. Complete and submit the application along with the required materials.
   • The deadlines for submitting a Special Student application to the Office of Admissions are August 1 for the fall term, January 1 for the spring term, and May 1 for the summer term.
2. Request a tuition deferment online.
   • If the Office of Admissions accepts you as a Special Student, log on to your Tuition Assistance Account at Employee Self-Service (ESS), and enter your course information (except for the grade). With this step you create a tuition deferment request under the Tuition Assistance Plan, so that you do not have to pay up front for the course.
   • If your area of study for the course is career-related, you must also submit an online Career Development Proposal and receive approval from the MIT Human Resources Department.
3. Wait for approval of your tuition deferment request.
   • If the Human Resources Department approves your tuition deferment request, you and your student account counselor will be notified by e-mail.
4. Meet with your student account counselor in the Student Services Center.
   • If you receive approval of your tuition deferment request from the Human Resources Department, go to the Student Services Center in Building 11-120 to meet with your student account counselor.
   • When you meet with your student account counselor, you must complete an Address Biographic Information form and receive a financial clearance.
5. Take the course.
   • Take the course for credit and a grade. Auditing a course is not permitted under the Tuition Assistance Plan.
6. Tuition reimbursement will be credited to your student account.
   • If you successfully complete your course by earning a final grade of C- or better for an undergraduate course or B- or better for a graduate course and if you remain eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Plan through the last day of your course, your student account will be credited with the tuition amount (a prorated amount for part-time employees) by an internal transfer of funds.
7. Request reimbursement for the application fee, if applicable.
   • If you paid an application fee when you submitted your Special Student application package and if you are eligible for a reimbursement for your course, you must submit proof of payment to the Human Resources Department to be reimbursed.

Taxes

According to the IRS, an employee who takes graduate-level courses as a Special Student at MIT (or graduate-level courses at another institution along with these MIT courses) and receives employer-provided tuition assistance above $5,250 during a calendar year is subject to taxes on the amount above $5,250. The $5,250 limit applies to graduate Special Student courses at MIT whether or not the courses are job-related.