FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved changes to the Tuition Waiver for Employees at Friday's meeting at the Fayetteville campus.

The changes to U of A System Board Policy 440.1 include formalizing the amount of the tuition waiver at 50 percent for undergraduate classes; adding a one-semester waiting period before new employees become eligible for the tuition benefit; limiting the number of credit hours; and removing the waiver on graduate courses and fees. The new board policy does allow individual campus chancellors to offer a greater employee discount or offer an employee waiver for graduate degree programs at the employee's campus.

Currently, U of A Fayetteville employees are eligible for a 90 percent discount for undergraduate and graduate classes.

"The waiver is a huge benefit to our employees and their families and helps us competitively recruit and retain faculty and staff to this highly competitive Northwest Arkansas regional labor market," Chancellor Joe Steinmetz said. "We therefore plan to keep the reimbursement at 90 percent for our campus. We may consider some changes regarding fees and the maximum number of credit hours that can be taken using the waiver in the future. I also think those seeking the waiver should be pursuing a degree. But to a large extent we intend to continue with our campus policy as it is now."

No timetable has been set for a formal review of the university's existing policy. Any changes will require review and approval by the Office of General Counsel.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.