Staff professional development funds may be used to cover costs related to attending conferences, workshops, classes, webinars, or other opportunities to enhance work-related and relevant knowledge and skills. These awards are available on a fiscal year basis to any regularly appointed (.50 or greater) staff member in the College of Education who obtains approval from their supervisor. You will receive notice from the College of Education HR director after the request has been reviewed. The annual allocation available per eligible staff member is $1,500.00. You must be a current staff member on the date of the event. Please submit your request no later than two weeks in advance of professional development opportunity.

Tuition reimbursement is an allowable expense up to the maximum allowable under this program, provided that the course or program will promote and enhance work related skills and knowledge, has approval from your supervisor regarding scheduling and confirmation that the course is related to your position. In addition, Job-Related Graduate Course Certification Form needs to be completed for graduate level courses. The purpose of the form is to determine whether the course qualifies as work-related education and can be provided tax free or not. The exception to this is reimbursement for PhD programs. The reimbursement for these courses will always be taxable and the funds requested for PhD program courses will be reported to payroll as taxable income.

Additional information and the link to the form may be accessed here: https://tax.fo.uiowa.edu/content/job-related-graduate-course-certification-information. The UI offers a Tuition Assistance Program. This is a preapproved tuition reimbursement program and does not require the completion of the Job-Related Graduate Course Certification Form.

The College of Education Staff Professional Development Award Application will be open through 6/1/2024. Requests cannot be accepted for FY 24 after June 1 due to deadlines to submit expenses for FY 24. Unused funds will not be carried over to the next fiscal year.