Site Header Region
Page Header
Main Content Region

Fee Waiver

The Fee Waiver Program provides a waiver or reduction of certain fees for employees and eligible dependents who enroll in courses at one of the 23 CSU campuses. Admission to a CSU campus is not guaranteed and applicants must meet all university admission requirements. Campus administration will determine if space is available in a particular program or class. To learn more, please review the online training by following the steps below:

  • Log in to myCoyote
  • Go to the "My Employment " tile
  • Go to the "CSU Learn" tile
  • Search for "Understanding Your CSU Fee Waiver Benefit"
  • Start training

Process

  1. Observe university application deadlines and apply to the CSU of your choice.
  2. Once admitted to the university, enroll in courses.
  3. Apply for fee waiver as soon as you are enrolled in classes.
    • Employees must apply for a fee waiver every term.
    • We begin processing fee waivers during priority 1 registration for the particular term you are applying for. Please view the Office of the Registrars: Important Dates website for more information.  
    • An email notification will be sent to you every step of the way to let you know the status of your application.
    • After the waiver has been applied, check your student account and pay any remaining balance.

Apply Here Now!

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements vary by Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please refer to the CSYOU Labor and Employee Relations page for specific information regarding your Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The following individuals are not eligible to participate in the Fee Waiver Program:

  • Student Employees (e.g. Student Assistants, Graduate Assistants, Student Interns, etc.)

Limitations

  • Graduate level courses taken by an employee will be subject to taxation after exceeding the annual threshold of $5,250.
  • The Fee Waiver Program only applies to courses supported by the CSU state-supported general fund. Self-support courses (e.g. College of Extended and Global Education courses) are not covered by this program.
  • Courses taken under the Fee Waiver Program must be taken for grades or credit / no credit.
  • In order to achieve a reasonable balance between regular work responsibilities and the course load taken under the Fee Waiver Program, there is a limit of two courses or 6 units, whichever is greater. Exceeding two courses or 6 units (whichever is greater) will result in the fee waiver amounting to the part time amount. 
  • The Fee Waiver for Doctoral Program students will be applied according to their Collective Bargaining Agreement. The two courses or 6 units (whichever is greater) rule does not apply to Doctoral students.
  • Employees may be granted release time to attend one course per term during scheduled working hours provided that the “operational needs of the department are met.” Approval from the appropriate administrator is required.
  • Modifications to a course schedule following submission of a fee waiver application must be approved by the employee's administrator if the modifications impact work release time. If enrollment plans change (withdraw from term, add/drop a course, separation of employment, etc.), please send an e-mail to [email protected] with detailed information on the enrollment change.
  • Normal academic standards must be maintained. The Fee Waiver Coordinator will conduct evaluations of the performance in courses taken using the Fee Waiver Program. This may include a review of the grades received for the courses taken. Failure to meet normal academic standards will result in denial from participating in the Fee Waiver Program. Normal academic standards at California State University, San Bernardino are interpreted as: Minimum GPA of 2.0 for undergraduate courses and No repeated courses utilizing employee benefits or Minimum GPA of 3.0 for graduate courses and No repeated courses utilizing employee benefits.
  • Fee waiver applications should be submitted as soon as the student is enrolled in classes but no later than CSUSB Census Date for that term.

Dependent Fee Waiver

Eligible employees may transfer their fee waiver benefit to a spouse, registered domestic partner, or dependent child or stepchild.

Eligibility

Spouse:

  • Eligibility of a spouse is contingent upon the employee having a copy of the marriage certificate, Social Security Card and proof of residency on file with the HR Benefits Department.

Registered Domestic Partner:

  • Eligibility of a domestic partner is contingent upon the employee having a copy of the Declaration of Domestic Partnership on file with the California Secretary of State, Social Security Card and proof of residency with the HR Benefits Department.

Dependent child or stepchild:

  • Eligibility of a child or stepchild is contingent upon the employee having child or stepchild on his/her benefits or providing sufficient documentation to the HR Benefits Department AND:
    • Child or stepchild must be under age 25 and never have been married on the first day of the term for which the application was submitted
    • Exception: Unit 1 & Unit 8- Child or stepchild who has never been married will qualify up to age 23
    • Child living with you in a parent-child relationship who is economically dependent upon you
      • Satisfactory evidence of parent-child relationship is required
    • Child or stepchild age 25 or above who is incapable of self-support due to a disability, which existed prior to age 25
      • Satisfactory evidence of such disability is required

Limitations

  • Graduate level courses taken by a spouse or dependent child are subject to taxation for the employee.

  • Undergraduate and graduate level courses taken by a domestic partners are subject to taxation for the employee.

  • The Fee Waiver Program only applies to courses supported by the CSU state-supported general fund. Self-support courses (e.g. College of Extended and Global Education courses) are not covered by this program.

  • State University Tuition Fee for dependents is only waived for two courses or 6 units, whichever is greater. A dependent taking CSU courses in addition to those courses covered by the fee waiver must pay the difference between the part-time State University Tuition Fee and the full-time State University Tuition Fee.

  • The dependent must be matriculated toward a degree or the attainment of a teaching credential.

  • Courses enrolled in on a fee waiver basis must be for grades or credit / no credit and toward completion of that degree.

  • The fee waiver can only be transferred to one dependent at a time.

  • Normal academic standards must be maintained. Normal academic standards at California State University, San Bernardino are interpreted as: Minimum GPA of 2.0 for undergraduate courses and No repeated courses utilizing employee benefits or Minimum GPA of 3.0 for graduate courses and No repeated courses utilizing employee benefits.

  • Fee waiver applications should be submitted as soon as the student is enrolled in classes but no later than CSUSB Census Date for that term.

Students Attending Another CSU Campus

The following procedures apply to CSUSB employees and dependents of CSUSB employees who wish to attend a CSU other than CSUSB.

  • The employee or dependent must follow all guidelines established by the CSU campus of attendance.
  • The employee must complete a fee waiver application. Once approved, the application will be emailed to the fee waiver coordinator at the CSU campus of attendance. The employee will be copied on the email sent to the external campus.

Fees Waived & Tax Implications of Benefit Utilization

There are several types of fees associated with applying and registering for courses at CSUSB.

  • Fees waived vary by Collective Bargaining Agreement and these can be viewed on the CSYOU Labor and Employee Relations page.
  • Some fees waived or reduced for CSUSB employees cannot be waived for dependents due to statutory restrictions.
  • Exact fee amounts can be found on the Student Financial Services: Tuition and Fees page. 
  • Some programs may have additional professional/online fees that are not waived. Contact Student Financial Services at (909) 537-5162 for clarification.
  • New students receive a one time application fee reimbursement. Reimbursements are processed after census date of the first term of attendance. The Fee Waiver Coordinator will reach out to new students and request the following information to process the reimbursement:
    • current mailing address
    • receipt/proof of payment for the application fee
  • The Fee Waiver Benefit is a fringe benefit that has strict reporting requirements established by the Internal Revenue Service [Internal Revenue Code Sections 117(d), 127 and 132(d)] and the State of California Controller’s Office.
  • The reporting requirements state that fringe benefits must be taxed in the calendar year that the benefit was received. 
  • Effective with the 2019 tax year, all graduate/doctorate level courses taken by employees that exceed the $5,250 threshold per calendar year will be taxable. The State Controller’s Office will withhold the taxation from the employee's pay warrant following census date for that semester.
  • Graduate level courses taken by a spouse or dependent child are subject to taxation for the employee.
  • Undergraduate and graduate level courses taken by a domestic partner are subject to taxation for the employee.
  • Courses will be taxed for Social Security, Medicare, State and Federal taxes. Currently, the flat tax rate is 36.25% but it may be adjusted annually. For specific taxation questions, refer to current IRS Regulations Section 1.162.5 and IRS Code Sections 61, 62, 127 and 132d, or speak to a tax advisor.
  • The Fee Waiver Coordinator will notify employees about the taxable amount and the pay warrant the taxation will be deducted from.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].