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Tuition Reimbursement Program

The Tuition Reimbursement Program helps pay education expenses for eligible employees who seek to enhance their skills for a current or future job at Pinellas County Government. Participants pay for the course in advance. After the course is completed with a passing grade or certificate, the employee is reimbursed for some or all of the eligible educational expenses.

This information pertains to Pinellas County Unified Personnel System employees.

Eligibility

The following conditions must apply for Pinellas County employees to meet eligibility requirements:

  • Coursework must be completed on your own time.
    • This may include using approved annual leave or working with management to adjust work schedules.
    • Administrative leave may not be used for tuition reimbursement.
  • You must be a permanent Pinellas County employee.
    • Reimbursement is available to permanent employees, not to temporary employees.
    • The employee may be full-time or part-time.
  • You may need at least one year of service.
    • Classified employees are eligible after one year of permanent employment.
    • Exempt employees are immediately eligible.
  • You must receive passing grades or a certificate.
    • Undergraduate: Passing grade of C or better is required.
    • Graduate: Passing grade of B or better is required.
    • Ungraded Course: Certificate of completion is required.
  • Reimbursements are capped at certain amounts depending on your employment status.
    • Full-time employees may be reimbursed for eligible expenses up to $2,800 per fiscal year.
    • Part-time employees may be reimbursed for eligible expenses up to $1,400 per fiscal year.
    • The fiscal year is from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
    • Fiscal-year limits are based on the date of course completion.
  • Some courses are not eligible for reimbursement.
    • Courses required for your job and taken on work time are not eligible for reimbursement through the Tuition Reimbursement Program.
    • For example, funding for required certifications or licenses should come from your organization’s budget.
  • Other financial assistance may affect your reimbursement.
    • Financial assistance from outside sources (grants, veterans benefits, scholarships, etc.) will be deducted from the reimbursable amount available through the Tuition Reimbursement Program.
    • Student loans do not affect the reimbursable amount because you must repay that loan.

Process

Tuition reimbursement is a two-part process:

  1. You must complete enrollment before the course begins. Enrollment forms received 30 days past course completion will not be considered (see Enrollment).
  2. Reimbursement happens after the course ends and reimbursement is verified (see Tuition Reimbursement).

Program Categories

To qualify for reimbursement, courses must belong to one of two categories:

Process Overview

  • Submit a tuition enrollment form.
  • Receive approval.
  • Successfully complete the course.
  • Submit a tuition reimbursement form with receipts, grade and approval memo.

Job Skills Improvement

The job skills improvement or job enhancement category includes coursework directly related to your current job responsibilities. This applies when your completion of the course will improve your job skills.

Career Development

The career development category includes coursework that prepares you for a future career within the Pinellas County Government Unified Personnel System. This applies when:

  • The coursework will help you qualify for a promotion within your department or advancement to another department within the Pinellas County Government Unified Personnel System.
  • You have identified a career path that is beneficial to Pinellas County Government, and there is a reasonable opportunity for transfer or promotion into the career field.

How Do I Start?

Additional Information

7/9/24